1969 Austin A60 Cambridge Estate
No
Reserve
Ultra-rare Farina estate; running and
driving; recent brake overhaul; use and improve
A familiar
sight on any UK road in the '60s and '70s, the evergreen
Farina-styled Austin A60 is now virtually extinct thanks to the ravages of
tin worm and their prowess on the banger-racing circuit.
It
was never intended to last as long as it did and BMC assumed that demand would
drop after the launch of the front-wheel drive 1800 series, however this did not
happen. The Longbridge plant struggled to cope with manufacturing both types and
A60 Cambridge production had to be moved to the factory at Cowley to be built
alongside the Morris Oxford, MG Magnette, Riley and Wolseley badge-engineered
equivalents to relieve the situation. Production of the Austin A60 finally
ceased in 1969, although its Morris equivalent, the Oxford, continued through to
1971.
If a regular A60 Cambridge is a rare sight today, when did
you last see one of the charismatic Estate versions? - we can't remember. They
are robust and straightforward, and spares are plentiful and cheap thanks
to the B - Series power plant and commonality of parts across many BMC
models.
This April 1969 model was sold new by H J Evans, Bath
Road, Birmingham to its first owner who lived in Warley. They took it back to
the supplying dealer repeatedly for service, the Passport to Service book
showing no fewer than 17 stamps to 1985, by which time it had covered 40,864
miles. There are also 17 old MOTs and some interesting original brochures on
file.
One of its owners must have been highly organised, as bills
dating back to 1969 are sorted by year - right up to 2010! It comes with a new
keepers slip but no full current V5c, although it does have its old style V5 and
Experian records it as having two previous keepers, with changes taking place in
1990 and 2010.
Its current owner has done some work to the brakes,
although we don't know what exactly what and the car has been running and
driving on site. We did notice the gearbox was quite noisy, although functioned
fine.
Obviously it would benefit from some cosmetic attention, but it is
a long way from a basket case and could be used and improved as time and funds
allow. We rather like the idea of a B-Series upgrade - perhaps to 2.1-litre spec
with an overdrive and disc brakes? - which would turn it into a rapid and
highly usable car indeed.
The rear seats fold in a very clever manor,
making it a most practical classic, and one which has caught our eye as one of
the more quirkly lots in the sale...
For more information - contact [email protected]
Reg No: PVP896G
Chassis Number: AHW9/256549
Engine Number: 71171
Engine Size: 1622
Docs: Old style V5; Passport to Service book; 17 old MOTs; original bill of sale; brochures; invoices 1969-2010
Lot 121
Lot ended
Thursday 05/08/2021
Hammer Price (inc. buyers premium)
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