FEATURE
Left : the heritage fleet ’ s Austin Seven ; above : a crisp salute from a patrolman in 1934 .
AT YOUR SERVICE
The RAC has been offering on-road assistance for more than 120 years . James Page takes a look at its history
The Royal Automobile Club ’ s heritage fleet acts as a reminder that , for almost as long as the Club itself has been in existence , its patrols have been providing on-the-road support and breakdown assistance to UK motorists . From Austin Seven to Norton motorcycle combination and Ford Anglia van , the fleet ’ s patrol vehicles – presented in the famous blue and white livery – reflect that long history , and evoke a time when smartly dressed patrolmen would salute members as they passed .
Having been founded in 1897 – making 2022 its 125th anniversary – the Club was offering ‘ motoring services ’ to its members by 1901 . Its patrols were originally established in a very military fashion , with patrolmen – who were often ex-services – wearing uniforms . As the Club put it at the time , ‘ These men … are stationed throughout Great Britain at particularly dangerous corners to ensure your safety , at great road junctions to advise you as to choice of routes , in the principal touring centres to direct you to the places of interest , on the outskirts of large towns to show you the way through them … and at those places where you are likely to require special information when touring .’
Then , in 1912 , the Club launched one of its great innovations in the shape of its ‘ get you home ’ scheme . Associate members could apply for an oval metal token that guaranteed the RAC would meet the cost of any assistance in case of a breakdown . ‘ The presentation of the disc to an RAC repairer or other person ,’ it said , ‘ will bring the necessary assistance and will indemnify you … against the cost of hiring another car to get you and party home .’
Communication during those early years was often a challenge , so the Club established a network of ‘ sentry boxes ’, which from 1919 were fitted with a telephone that could be used by members to call for assistance . Each box had a unique number that helped to pinpoint its location , and the position of the boxes – some of which were designed by Edwin Lutyens – was noted in the annual Automobile Handbook . First published in 1904 , this also contained information on routes , hotels , garages , and ‘ the understood etiquette of the roads ’. The hotels and garages were rated – something that continued for decades afterwards , although it was said that , in the very earliest years , inspectors could easily be influenced …
28 The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run