1924 Bean 14 Tourer

Bean and Birtles are criminally unknown names to a lot of Aussies, but in the history of this country, both are inextricably linked. Why? Because, in 1927, Australian adventurer, Francis Birtles, took a Bean 14, similar to our feature car, on a journey. Not just any journey, mind you. Birtles drove his Bean overland from London. . . to Melbourne.

Impressive, hmmm? More so when you consider Birtles did the majority of the journey solo, over long distances with unmade or non-existent roads, dealing with bandits, bureaucracy, wild dogs, malaria, illness and a tiger!

Birtles commenced his journey on October 27, 1927, travelling through Europe, Egypt and the Middle East, before reaching India by Christmas, 1927. That was the easy bit.

The real challenge lay ahead in Burma's Naga Hills, where "roads" were mere walking tracks, and even knowledgeable expats doubted the chances of success. Birtles wisely decided to take on a passenger while in India, a Canadian adventurer by the name of Percy Stollery, who had been riding around the world on a pushbike.

After covering hundreds of kilometres a day in some areas, Birtles, Stollery and the Bean took almost a month to cover 57 kilometres through the Naga Hills, widening the tracks with pick & shovel as they went and using some ingenious methods to drive, drag and pull the Bean up the steep inclines.

What's remarkable is that when the Bean finally rolled into Melbourne on July 26, 1928, it had completed the journey without any major mechanical mishaps. This was more due to Birtles' meticulous preparation and maintenance, but it was the sort of publicity Bean seized on to promote their cars.

A. Harper, Sons & Bean Ltd, to give the firm its full name, started making cars after World War I, but like Birtles, is largely forgotten today. Starting with a pre-War design from another manufacturer, by the early 1920s, Bean were producing cars of their own design, and were the first to use rolling assembly line manufacture in the UK.

The 14 (hp) was one of Bean's most prodigious models, but few survive today. One UK source estimates less than 150 Beans of all types are still in existence today, with around half of that number residing in Australia.

Our feature Bean was subject to a full restoration in the 1980s, and still presents well today. The paint on the green body and black guards has suffered some minor wear and tear, but is still in good order, while the hood, tan leather interior trim and engine-turned dash look virtually like new.

An interesting challenge for the first-time Bean driver will be the floor-mounted gear shift - on the right hand side of the driver. The "diver's helmet" tail light is another distinctive feature, while nothing says 'vintage' more than a bulb horn! This car's got one.

Once you're acquainted with the techniques of vintage vehicle driving, cars like this can be a delight to drive, and what better way to learn those techniques then in our feature car? While we don't suggest you "do a Birtles", this Bean is more than capable of a weekend-long adventure.

WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & HOW MUCH

Model: Bean Fourteen Tourer

Year: 1924

Dealer: Rainsford's Classic Cars

Web: www.rcc.on.net

Price: $17,950

0-100 kph: Try 0 - 80. . . in about 20

Best point: Restored rare Brit classic

Worst point: Not one for leadfoots

Recommendation: Something a little different at a very affordable price

Trivia: Birtles' London-Melbourne trip was actually his second attempt at the epic journey. In February, 1927, Birtles, along with two others, took a six cylinder 18/50 Bean, known as the 'Imperial Six' on a variation of the same route, but the 18/50 was unsuited for the journey, and barely made it to India before it expired.