The Classic Car Owner's Guide
Cars of the 1920s: how Britain learned to drive itself
The 1920s turned the motor car from a chauffeur-driven luxury into something a middle-class family could own and drive. Morris and Austin built cars for the many, Bentley won at Le Mans, and the Austin Seven saw off the cyclecar. Here are the cars that shaped the decade and what it takes to run one today.
Motoring in Britain in the 1920s
After the First World War, domestic chauffeurs became harder to find and the owner-driver became the norm. Makers responded by aiming cars at the moderately well-off middle class, and even Rolls-Royce launched a smaller model meant for owners to drive themselves. In the first years after the war the car to beat was the Ford Model T, which Ford had been assembling at Trafford Park in Manchester since 1911.
Taxation shaped British cars throughout the decade. From 1921 the annual tax was charged per unit of RAC horsepower, a rating worked out from cylinder bore rather than real output. Makers responded with small-bore, long-stroke engines that kept the taxable rating low, and the tax hurt sales of the Model T. On the road, the national 20 mph speed limit stayed in force until the Road Traffic Act 1930 removed general speed limits for cars.
The decade's big British success story was William Morris. Mass production and a policy of steadily cutting prices made Morris the biggest car maker in Britain by 1925, and the company went on to buy Wolseley. Austin answered with the Seven in 1922, a small car that all but wiped out the cyclecar.
American money also arrived. General Motors bought Vauxhall in 1925, and in May 1929 Edsel Ford broke ground at Dagenham in Essex for a new Ford factory. At the other end of the market, Bentley won the Le Mans 24 Hours with its 3 Litre in 1924 and 1927.
Cars that defined the 1920s
Austin Seven
1922 to 1939 | Austin, Britain
Around 290,000 were built, and the Seven all but killed off the cyclecar. It was also built under licence abroad, including the German Dixi that became BMW's first car and a Japanese version from the company that became Nissan.
Morris Cowley and Oxford "Bullnose"
1913 to 1926 | Morris, Britain
The Bullnose was the car that made Morris. About 150,000 were built after the war, and steady price cuts helped Morris become Britain's biggest car maker by 1925.
Ford Model T
1908 to 1927 | Ford, United States (assembled in Manchester)
Assembled at Trafford Park from 1911, the Model T was the car to beat in the years just after the war. The horsepower tax introduced in 1921 later hurt its sales in Britain.
Austin Twelve
1921 to 1935 | Austin, Britain
A smaller companion to Austin's Twenty, the Twelve is remembered as almost indestructible. It was also offered as a taxi until the end of the 1930s.
Bentley 3 Litre
1921 to 1929 | Bentley, Britain
About 1,620 were built, including the Speed models. The 3 Litre won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1924 and 1927.
Rolls-Royce Twenty
1922 to 1929 | Rolls-Royce, Britain
Launched in October 1922, the Twenty was smaller than the Silver Ghost and was aimed at owners who drove themselves rather than relying on a chauffeur.
Morris Minor
1928 to 1934 | Morris, Britain
This first Morris Minor used an overhead-camshaft engine developed by Wolseley and was aimed squarely at the Austin Seven. Its chassis and engine also formed the basis of the first MG Midget.
MG M-type Midget
1929 to 1932 | MG, Britain
Built largely from Morris Minor parts, the M-type was the first MG Midget. MG made 3,235 of them over three years.
Bugatti Type 35
1924 to 1930 | Bugatti, France
The Type 35 made its debut at the 1924 French Grand Prix in Lyon and went on to win more than 1,000 races. Its record included five Targa Florio wins in a row.
Seen on Bangers & Cash
Cars from the 1920s named with their year in the Bangers & Cash and Restoring Classics listings, with the episode each appeared in. Our car finder has every car from the show.
11 cars from the 1920s
Alvis
Owning a 1920s car today
- Learn the gearbox. Many older gearboxes have no synchromesh, so gear changes need double declutching through neutral. Practise on quiet roads before tackling traffic.
- Allow for the brakes. Brakes of the period are far weaker than modern ones. Brake early and leave a long gap to the car in front.
- Check the wood. Bodies such as the Austin Seven's sit on a wooden frame. Spongy wood around the doors and wheelarches means rot, though frames can be repaired.
- Use the right fuel. The FBHVC and the Department for Transport both advise owners of older cars to use E5 super unleaded rather than E10 where possible. One tank of E10 by mistake is unlikely to cause harm.
- Know the tax and MOT rules. Cars over 40 years old can qualify for the historic tax class and for MOT exemption, provided they have not been substantially changed. The owner must still keep the car roadworthy.
- Join a club. The Vintage Sports-Car Club (vscc.co.uk) treats cars built from 1919 to 1930 as vintage, so the whole decade qualifies for its events. Seven owners have the Austin Seven Clubs Association (a7ca.org), and the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (fbhvc.co.uk) publishes guidance on fuel, tax and MOT rules.
FAQs
- What were the most popular cars in Britain in the 1920s?
- In the first years after the war the Ford Model T, assembled in Manchester, was the car to beat. By 1925 Morris, led by the Bullnose Cowley and Oxford, had become Britain's biggest car maker, while the Austin Seven brought motoring to many new drivers from 1922.
- What counts as a vintage car?
- The Vintage Sports-Car Club classes cars built from 1919 to 1930 as vintage, so every car of the 1920s falls in that group.
- Which British car won Le Mans in the 1920s?
- The Bentley 3 Litre won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1924 and 1927.
- Do 1920s cars need an MOT?
- Cars over 40 years old that have not been substantially changed are exempt from the MOT, and can also qualify for the historic tax class. Owners must still keep them roadworthy.
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Checked 27 October 2026 against the sources listed below.
An independent guide from Thornton-le-Dale. Not connected with Mathewsons or the programme.
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