Lot Ended
Description
Fantastic Australian 1800 Ute from a private collection; super rare
and super cool with some useful spares
Dating
from 1970, this rather wonderful Austin 1800 Ute was specially made for the
Australian market in Newmarket, Queensland, and has spent most of its life
in the sunny Down Under, being imported to the UK in June
1998.
As you can see in the photos, the truck
looks super finished in white with a ply bed, vinyl deck cover and remaining in
original spec. Our vendor purchased
the Ute in November 2010 and has cherished it since, subjecting it to a
complete rebuild through 2015-2017.
This included an engine overhaul and
fitment of an unleaded head, new front wings, new sill panels, cab foot wells
etc, all rust-proofed by a firm in Dudley. In the load area, we find a
selection of useful spare parts kindly included by the vendor for the new
owner.
Under the bonnet, we find the 1.8 litre
B-series pushrod inline four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels via
four-speed manual transmission. Inside, we find a
useful bench seat offering seating for three in black vinyl with a simple and
robust interior.
Presenting beautifully, the truck enjoyed limited summer
use only on the local South Wales show scene until our vendor became unwell,
since when it has largely remained in storage in his cosy workshop along
with the Kimberley (Lot 85) for him to polish and tinker
with.
The history file includes the V5C
recording two former UK keepers prior to our vendor, 11 old MOTs, the current
valid until July 2024 with no advisories and revealing just 400 miles have
been covered since 2017. It is, of course, now MOT-exempt. There is also a good
file of bills and other docs, including a photo of the Ute outside a
specialist MG garage in Brisbane and a CD of photos taken during and
post restoration.
On
the button and ready to go, this a rare opportunity to acquire an
equally rare vehicle. Only around 2,200 were built between 1968 and 1971
and the vendor believes that this is one of only five in the UK. An
ideal promotional vehicle for any small business, it will get people talking
wherever it goes.
For more information contact - [email protected]