Lot Ended
Description
From a deceased estate; few owners, the current for 22 years; highly
original with a wonderfully mellowed interior; lots to love about this one
The ‘Heavy
Twelve’ was a remarkably robust model that served as the backbone of the Austin
Motor Company’s success throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
Designated the
12/4 to reflect the 12.8 fiscal horsepower rating and four-cylinder engine, the
original 1,661cc side-valve engine was enlarged to 1,861cc in 1928. This engine
was not built for speed but for durability, giving a cruising speed of 40–45 mph
and a famously long lifespan – so much so that the chassis and engine were the
mainstay of the London taxi trade for decades.
Introduced around 1927, the Windsor was a four-door six-light saloon
that offered snug yet spacious all-weather comfort, reflecting the growing
demand for closed cars in the late 1920s. Unlike the earlier,
lighter fabric-bodied cars, the Windsor was constructed using steel or
aluminium panels over a wooden frame, hand-built by skilled craftsmen.
The interior was well-appointed with lashings of wood, leather and
nickel, the whole package adding up to an aspirational family saloon that found
great favour with the burgeoning middle-class professionals it was aimed at.
First registered in London in February 1928,
this delightful Windsor has clearly stayed true to its illustrious reputation
for durability and has presumably been providing faithful family transport for
almost 100 years.
While there is no early
history, there are a good few tax discs back to 1975 and no fewer than
15 old MOTs from 1998 – 2012 to show that it has always been in light
regular use, having covered another 500 miles or so since the last MOT was
issued in May 2012, the odometer currently showing 8,164
miles.
A buff logbook shows that by 1959 it was
owned by a Mr A Hood of Nutley in Sussex who kept it until 1973 when it was
acquired by a Mr MR Hanson of Maidstone, Kent. From 1997 to 2003 it was owned by
a Mr M Harrington of Gravesend from whom the current owner acquired it in
January 2003 to join his collection of Vintage cars.
Various invoices show upkeep in the current ownership, including what
looks like a cylinder head rebuild with new valves, guides, head gasket etc in
the fairly recent past, a new exhaust system also being fitted at around the
same time. An original (rather tatty) handbook is also present, along with much
useful technical literature relating to the model and a period brass AA badge.
On offer here from a deceased estate at no
reserve, we are told that the car was last driven about three years ago and was
in good running order when parked up.
As you can
see in the photos, this is a splendid-looking Austin with a wonderfully
original blue leather interior. There are a pair of lovely nickel and Bakelite
ashtrays in the rear compartment and the red silk window roller blinds are also
still in place. The nickel door furniture all looks to be in fine shape, as do
the nickel finished dash instruments. The doors still click shut with precision,
testament to the skill of the craftsmen who built it almost 100 years ago.
Coming from the same stable as the Austin 12/4
Fabric Saloon and the MG TA elsewhere in this sale (Lots 56 and 58), this super
old Windsor has clearly been cherished throughout its life and now needs an
enthusiastic new custodian who can continue to preserve it for future
generations to enjoy.
Consigned by James
Dennison – 07970 309907 – [email protected]