Project Hélène has finally landed. Rejoice!

[Andrew Watkins]

Driver trying to stay calm, hanging on to the ajar door in a death grip. He found out why they are called suicide doors after he gunned the straiģht 8 too much.

View attachment 236845

One of my most vivid childhood memories is that of seeing my ~3yo sister go rolling across the road and coming to a halt under the front wheels of an oncoming maroon and grey 2 tone FC Holden, which fortunately managed to stop just in time ( minor miracle with Holden brakes )

She had wanted to spit orange pips out of the window of the back seat of our Rover 75 and had grabbed the door handle instead, which then propelled her out of the car. Rear doors were suicide doors

Led to an early family enthusiasm for seat belts, which had to be obtained second hand from war surplus or suchlike - they were the sort secured by a flat bar pushed through a curved section of one end, pushed through the buckle of the other end.

Also led to long sewing up session on kitchen table by Dad, as sister was successfully reassembled

Even now the doors on Reg make me nervous, but I have seat belts and there are probably many more things to be nervous about on the safety front in a 4CV, especially with the behemoths we now have to dodge daily at school pick up time

Andrew

 

[seasink]

My father fitted seat belts in the 50s, long before they became compulsory. Mother nearly going out a suicide door on a corner in his pre-war car was likely a factor - I clearly remember seeing that from the back seat. She hung onto the open door stretched out with her feet on the floor. His later cars were all fitted with seat belts by him. The webbing belts had a tongue and clasp very like those currently used, so they were available then. I don't know where they were made. The bolted fixings he used probably didn't comply with the 70s laws that came later. I think set number one were lap belts, but later ones had a sash. I believe sashes were invented at the end of the 50s.

 

[56 Fregate]

Yes Suicide doors are a concern of mine but so far so good.

 

[JohnW]

One of my most vivid childhood memories is that of seeing my ~3yo sister go rolling across the road and coming to a halt under the front wheels of an oncoming maroon and grey 2 tone FC Holden, which fortunately managed to stop just in time ( minor miracle with Holden brakes )

She had wanted to spit orange pips out of the window of the back seat of our Rover 75 and had grabbed the door handle instead, which then propelled her out of the car. Rear doors were suicide doors

Led to an early family enthusiasm for seat belts, which had to be obtained second hand from war surplus or suchlike - they were the sort secured by a flat bar pushed through a curved section of one end, pushed through the buckle of the other end.

Also led to long sewing up session on kitchen table by Dad, as sister was successfully reassembled

Even now the doors on Reg make me nervous, but I have seat belts and there are probably many more things to be nervous about on the safety front in a 4CV, especially with the behemoths we now have to dodge daily at school pick up time

Andrew

Glad your sister was re-assembled, hopefully to her satisfaction.

We all need to remember that the 4CV is an integrated design. That includes a single crush zone between the bumpers.

Hope all's well with you and yours Andrew.

 

[Greenpeace]

One of my most vivid childhood memories is that of seeing my ~3yo sister go rolling across the road and coming to a halt under the front wheels of an oncoming maroon and grey 2 tone FC Holden, which fortunately managed to stop just in time ( minor miracle with Holden brakes )

She had wanted to spit orange pips out of the window of the back seat of our Rover 75 and had grabbed the door handle instead, which then propelled her out of the car. Rear doors were suicide doors

Led to an early family enthusiasm for seat belts, which had to be obtained second hand from war surplus or suchlike - they were the sort secured by a flat bar pushed through a curved section of one end, pushed through the buckle of the other end.

Also led to long sewing up session on kitchen table by Dad, as sister was successfully reassembled

Even now the doors on Reg make me nervous, but I have seat belts and there are probably many more things to be nervous about on the safety front in a 4CV, especially with the behemoths we now have to dodge daily at school pick up time

Andrew

I had a '57 Rover 90 P4 a number of years ago and it had child locks on the the rear doors.
This excerpt is from a 1952 brochure for a "75" and It mentions child locks for the '52 model as well.
Whether the very first couple of years of production ('49 to '51) had them though, I'm not sure?

 

[56 Fregate]

In the depression years of the 1930s, times were tough for everyone including Louis because even though he continued to produce all sorts of commercial and municipal vehicles, car sales were slow. Renault produced base model family cars to support those who could afford them as well as for export. He also had his rich customers who still wanted their fancy cars, and rather than lose them to other manufacturers he produced the high end cars in limited numbers. Rolling chassis were produced by Renault for the STELLA range of cars but the Carrosseries were out-sourced often in batches of four to local coach builders. They were provided with a specification and design drawings to work to but subtle differences existed between batches. Cars in each batch were affixed with a STELLA ID plate, mine is screwed to the lower left A pillar.. ( but not in this picture)

Here's my Stella body waiting for a marriage.

 

[Andrew Watkins]

I had a '57 Rover 90 P4 a number of years ago and it had child locks on the the rear doors.
This excerpt is from a 1952 brochure for a "75" and It mentions child locks for the '52 model as well.
Whether the very first couple of years of production ('49 to '51) had them though, I'm not sure?

View attachment 236905

The Rover did have them - a neat little ring with tag around the shaft of handle.

Not sure whether sister had operated it or whether parents had not applied it

Nobody ‚fessed up

A