The image shows Clive Hammond’s grandmother at the wheel of their Star Motor Car outside Lassington Rectory.

Arthur Rogers Winnington Ingram, St. Oswald’s last rector, was the proud owner of a Star motor car back in the early 1900s. The car, thought to be built around 1912, was a 15.9 hp tourer. It was coach built and has many features that relate to earlier carriages of the nineteenth century. It offered a level of comfort that was uncommon for transport in the local area as the roads were unmade and a challenge for these early motor vehicles. 

Originally the Star Motor Company, the manufacturer of the AR Winnington Ingram car was established in 1897. The name was changed to the Star Engineering Company in 1902. There was rapid expansion in the business and manufacturing was broadened to include carburettors and wheels. There was early collaboration with the Benz motor company and similarities can be found in in the styling of these early vehicles. It met the need for providing transport for the whole family rather than the two seated tourers that were produced around that time. The vehicle,  was branded “Star” and was one of many variants.