Surrey Vintage Vehicle Society caters for veteran cars, vintage cars & classic cars, as well as commercials and motorcycles.

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Screen-grab taken from a British silent short film "How to stop a Motor Car" made in 1902 where cars are being investigated by IMCDB. Story is a silent Hepworth comedy at the expense of how a police officer could stop a car 'racing' along the road. Very early use of stop motion trick photography where the policeman, the passengers and the car explode un big puffs of smoke, bits of limbs flying everywhere. The car in all three photos is the same cca 1898 Benz Velocipede

'Velocipede' was a vehicle manufactured by Rheinishe Gasmotorenfabrik Benz & Cie in Mannheim, introduced in 1894, and was Karl Benz's second production car after the 'Patent Motorwagen'. Vehicle was powered by a 1,045cc single cylinder engine initially producing 1.5HP, which was later increased to 3HP. It was the world's first serial production car, 67 having been built in the first year and 134 the second. In 1984 Benz introduced an additional two seater faster version of the Velo named the Viktoria, and in 1898 a more luxurious version of the Velo appeared, named the 'Comfortable'. The 'Comfortable' can be recognised by having a higher dashboard than the one in the above picure. By 1902, when the new 'Persifal' range of Benz vehicles was introduced, over 1,200 Benz Velo type vehicles had been produced.

The Velocipede gives the impression of being a two-seater vehicle but photo right below show four people in the car. Our Ariejan Bos advised that the Velocioede could easily be changed into a dogcart by placing a simple seat on top of the rear engine compartment so that the rear passengers sat back to back (dos-à-dos) to the driver. A foot support, held by chains, would keep the passenger from falling off. On the photo with the four people in the Benz (below right), the man in the back seat is clearly turning his head to look forward. The photo above shows the optional rear dos-a-dos seat in position, and also shows the very much lower-down mounted and smaller dash board of earlier Velocipedes..

The Benz Velocipede vehicle (above) appeared in a two minute film made by the Hepworth Manufacturing Company in 1902 called 'How To Stop A Motor Car'. We have already investigated a number of cars used in early Hepworth films and our article on "The Dog Outwits the Kidnapper"  (1908), defines early Hepworth film history. Originally we had an enquiry to name the car in Cecil Hepworth's 1907 film 'Rover drives a car' where a dog looking very much like, but preceding 'Lassie', rescues a child. While on the subject of Lassie, a Rough Coated Collie, it may be interesting to note the original Lassie was a British story. The later story that we we all know from the cinema was by Eric Knight, later made into a MGM movie. Lassie was actually a laddie called Pal, and his trademarked descendants continue to play the part. In that Hepworth film the car was a 1907 Riley 9HP and the dog's actual name was 'Blair'. The dog was Hepworth's. and it was the first cinema animal to have named role.

Subsequent two film 'shorts' featuring Rover are frequently mixed up. One is "Cecil Hepworth's "Rescued by Rover", a six minute film issued in 1905. No motor vehicles involved in the plot. Interesting to note that the film helped to install Rover as nation's favorite name for a dog. The child was Hepworth's daughter Barbara. Cecil Hepworth made a second 'Rover' film titled "The Dog Outwits the Kidnapper" which was eight minutes long and was made in 1908. A kidnapper in a car steals the baby, Rover chases car for miles, and Rover then drives the car back with baby still in it. The child is Hepworth's daughter Barbara, Mother is Hepworth's wife, and Hepworth is Father. Early films were made in Walton-on-Thames. In the earlier 1902 film "How to stop a Motor Car" it was Cecil Hepworth's father Thomas, who was the primary actor as the longsuffering policeman. It should be noted that dad Thomas Hepworth had previously been a very famous 'lanternist' during the late 1800 when painted slides and silhouette shadows pre-dated films and which were the only means of lantern projection.

Carrying on the family business, son Cecil Hepworth had become an early cine pioneer, and had established a film-printing laboratory at Walton-Thames in 1896. He had also begun producing and distributing films. It is also interesting that this much earlier 1902 film "How to stop a Motor Car" was made by the 'Hepworth Manufacturing Company which had been established by "film director and producer Cecil Milton Hepworth (1874-1953)". Founded in 1903 as 'Hepworth & Co', registered as Hepworth Manufacturing Company, with trademark Hepwix, it became 'Hepworth Picture Plays' in 1919. Initially quite successful, the company attempted to expand after the First World War, but in 1923 went into liquidation. Cecil Hepworth retired from filmmaking. The studios were sold off and were later used by other film producers.

We have also had further enquiries on a different later car belonging to Cecil Hepworth which probably dates to about 1910 when he owned a Scottish made cca 1910 Argyll 16’20. A Separate Help Page is devoted to Hepworth's Argyll registration BH7.  BH7 is however, not the registration that ties in with the age of the car nor was it issued to this make. BH7 was issued at the turn of 1903 by Buckingham County Council, - and not to Hepworth, - but to 1903 5.5HP Oldsmobile Runabout.

Help Pages dealing with this subject:                     Help Page 33            Help Page 174          Help Page 187         Help Page 204