Harrington celebration

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A magnificent line-up of Harrington Cavalier and Grenadiers – surely the ultimate in 1960s style. TRANSPORT MUSEUM WYTHALL

Nick Larkin reports from an event marking the heritage of one often flamboyant vehicle manufacturer

More than 400 people attended a tribute to one of Britain’s most innovative and respected coachbuilders, an event which proved so successful that it is now planned to be a regular event. Thomas Harrington, based in Hove, Sussex was in business from 1897 to 1966, creating some of the most stylish coach bodies of all time.

Hosted by Transport Museum Wythall, the Harrington Gathering represented everything from art deco masterpieces to the firm’s relatively rare service buses and even some cars. No less than five examples of arguably Harrington’s most legendary creations were present – the largest gathering of ‘dorsal fin’ coaches in many years. The ‘fin’ at the rear of the roof was meant to increase rear seat headroom and later had a ventilator to expel cigarette smoke. The last examples were sold in 1958.

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