TWO weeks ago, our main Looking Back picture featured the riverbank at Neasham in summer 1962 when day-trippers had parked on the grass beside the Tees. Several people marvelled at how wide and green the riverbank was before the floodbank was built in the 1990s, but many more were interested in the curved back of the car on the right of the picture. In fact, we were flooded by emails.

A few identified it as a Jowett Javelin, but the vast majority plumped for a Standard Vanguard.

Michael Akester in Carlton-in-Cleveland said: “The Vanguards were first made in 1947-48 and at first only for export – my parents were lucky to buy one in 1949 (reg HVC 599) and use it in England while on leave prior to it being shipped to South Africa.”

Peter Fawcett said: “My father Kit, who had a butcher’s shop in Richmond, had one, as did my headmaster at Scorton Grammar School, Mr Hale, whose daughter is Baroness Hale of Richmond.”

Paul Haxby in Richmond said: “It had a two-litre, four-cylinder engine similar to the one used in the Triumph TR sports cars, and had a column gear change. Fortunately a large amount of torque meant that it was easy to avoid using it much!”

Nigel Hodgson in Hurworth said: “It is a Phase 1A which was the 1952 facelift model, manufactured from 1952 to 1953.”

Alan Burgess in Darlington said: “It is a Phase 2 which has an 1800 four-cylinder engine based on a Massey Ferguson tractor engine. The engine has what they call “wet liners to the cylinders” which made for easier engine repairs and upgrades. The car came equipped with a valve powered radio with presets for channels, and bench seats at the front. I was about 12 when this photo was taken and my father had one at about this time which was a greyish green colour.”

Derek Noble of Hutton Rudby said: “My college friend had an old one and, one dark night, we put it through a hedge and eventually had it pulled it out with a local farmer's horse. Interestingly, designer Harry Ferguson adapted the Vanguard engine to power his famous “Little Grey Fergie” T20 tractor – and I am so sad that I have a Ferguson TEF20, which means that I have a Vanguard engine!”

Ian Gravestock in Yarm said: “Its NGW London registration was issued from October 1952, so the car was about ten years old when it was at Neasham in 1962.“ Trevor Atkinson took this thought a little further: “It has a London registration – NGW 976 – which was almost certainly issued in September 1953, being only 24 numbers from its sequential successor - OGW, which was first issued in October 1953.”

Darlington councillor Ian Galletley added: “When I was at university in the 1960s, my pal Johnny bought one from my girlfriend's dad for thirty-five quid. It had a column gear change and was a wreck, but, as I recall, it had a huge back seat.”

Perhaps we should end this line of inquiry before student shenanigans overtake us.

But no! Several people picked us up on the assertion that there were Hillman Imps and Minxes in the picture.

“I am struggling to find an Imp,” said Stephen Sowray of Melmerby, near Ripon, “but the car in the centre middle distance is a Singer Gazelle. Behind it is an Austin, maybe a 10. In front of that is an Austin A40 Farina and behind that an Austin A55. The estate car is, I think, a Ford Consul or Zephyr, in front of that is a Ford Anglia. And moving down the line on the left, I do not recognise them all but I can see a Nash Metropolitan, an Austin A55 van, Austin A40 Devon and possibly a Ford Consul.”

David Yeadon in Boldron took a similar tack: “In the middle distance, it looks more like the up-market Singer Gazelle than a Hillman Minx – they were Rootes Group cars that were basically the same, except that as the Gazelle was more expensive, even the exhaust system was slightly different, non-interchangeable with the Minx, and obviously more expensive.

“A group of us who worked for a Rootes Group main dealer in Bradford visited the 1964 Motor Show, and went to the Rootes Group stand. One of the cars on display had clearly had its suspension lowered to make it look less ungainly – our challenge to the snooty guy on the stand was unanswered.

“Getting up to tricks is nothing new for car manufacturers!”

Thanks to all who contributed, including: Graham Symons of Thirsk, Dave Wallwork of Richmond, Mark Cooper of Darlington, Gerald Burnett, Janet Hall of Aldbrough St John, Will Willson, John Weighell of Neasham, Tony Cansfield of Catterick, John Waddleton of Darlington, Phil Garwood, Malcolm Grainge of Richmond, Edward Brown of Low Row, Steve Harrison of Cleasby, Alan Wood, John Neal of Stokesley, Malcolm Tooze, Chris Robson, Duncan Hamilton of Northallerton and Gerry Simpson of Darlington.