Helen keen to find Oswestry history of vintage car

The French-made Georges Richard Dogcart, which dates from 1899, bears a London registration plate and was bought by an Oswestry garage in 1904.

Its current owner, Helen Fowler, brought the car back to the town hoping to find out more about its history from new until 1904.

Mrs Fowler, 39, who lives in Worcester, said she already knows a lot about where the vehicle has been but would like to know more.

"We think the car took part in a 1,000 mile trial in 1900, which was held to prove that cars were a viable method of transportation," she said. "But we don't really know where else it was from 1900 to 1904.

"It must have been local, even though the registration is in London, because it would have had to have been owned by someone wealthy, and at that time wealthy people would have a country home and a town house in London. Also there may not have been any facility here to register it.

"I really want to know more about the history of the car in Oswestry, but you'd have to be 80 to remember it.

"I've got a photo of the car in 1910, but it's very grainy and grey. We just really want to find anything about where it came from and any stories of photographs people may have."

The cost of acquiring the car from the Paris-based factory was between £500 and £600 – equivalent to £25,000 now. It was bought by Thomas Ellis of Ellis's Garage in Salop Road, Oswestry, in 1904, and Mrs Fowler said she knows by that point it was second hand.

Anyone with information or old photographs about the car is asked to ring Helen on (01386) 859172.