What happened to the car named after a Milton Keynes town?

Few towns have the honour of a car named after where they were built. Newport Pagnell does in the shape of the Salmons NP.

Almost 400 of the ‘NP’ (for Newport Pagnell), were made by the carriage builder-turned car company Salmons &Sons in the 1920s at its Tickford Street workshop.

But it is not known where any of them are now.

Local writer Chris Nelson is hoping people can help him track down a survivor.

The NP features in his new book about Newport Pagnell’s historic contribution to the UK transport industry. It tells of the fascinating journey from Salmons’ horse-drawn Victorian dogcarts, through Tickford, Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, David Brown and Ford to James Bond and one of the most recognised automotive brands in the world.

Salmons’ NP was launched at the 1922 Motor Show and was the firm’s first complete car offering ‘high quality within a modest package’

“What happened to these cars?” asks former Ousedale pupil Chris, who was born in Newport Pagnell.

“Surely they couldn’t all have disappeared? Could just one example still be sitting at the back of a garage, under a tarpaulin or quietly decaying in a barn, perhaps even in Newport Pagnell.”