HERE COMES THE QUEEN!

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 257, 26 July 1930, Page 31

HERE COMES THE QUEEN!

Musical Motor-Horn Signal The Queen’s motor-car has been fitted with a new electrical horn having a distinctive signal, to warn point-duty policemen of her approach. One press on the button by the royal chauffeur sounds four notes running up the scale; a second press of the button and they run down again. The sound is like that of the old post-horn. Traffic-duty police are being given “music” lessons daily at Scotland Yard, where a replica of the horn is “played” to them. A point-duty man, on hearing the new “post-horn,” will at once pass the Queen’s car through a traffic block. The car the Queen uses for shopping is green, and in the past its only distinctive mark was a disc over the driver’s seat; at night a purple lamp glows. All the other royal cars are. painted maroon and red, and it has been difficult for point-duty policemen to recognise the Queen’s green car. Steps are being taken by the authorities to see' that the new horn on the Queen’s car is not copied by other motorists.

The King does not have a special horn on his car, because he makes so few journeys of a private nature. King Edward, in the. early days of motoring, had his approach heralded by one of his chief mechanicians, who sat in front and blew a cornet-like instrument. On more than one occasion, it is said, the “instrumentalist” blew a wrong note, greatly to the amusement of the King. . The ex-Kaiser on a visit to England in 1907 had his car fitted with a horn that blew a long, shrill note like an air raid syren. The President of France, the King or Italy, and Signor Mussolini have no distinctive noises on their motor-cars, but certain marks known to the police make them easily recognisable.