Vanden Plas Princess 1300 - 1968
Sold for £ 5.500
The Jaguar Land-Rover Collection
Brightwells Auctions
Bicester Heritage
Buckingham Road
Bicester
Oxfordshire
England
March 2018
The Austin/Morris 1100 range was an instant hit. Its Pininfarina styling was very up-to-the-minute and its clever Hydrolastic suspension made it ride even better than its sophisticated European competition. Issigonis had another hit on his hands.
So impressed was Fred Connolly (owner of the famous leather firm) with the ride and comfort of the humble 1100 that he approached Vanden Plas (one of his main customers) with the idea of introducing a limousine in miniature - based on the 1100.
The idea was enthusiastically embraced and the new model launched at the 1963 Earls Court Motorshow. Eventually nearly 40.000 Princess 1100/1300s were to be produced, initially from Longbridge, but latterly from Vanden Plas themselves where they took an MG bodyshell complete with twin carb 55bhp engine and painted, coach-lined and trimmed the car to their normal high standard. Complete with full Connolly leather interior, lashings of burr walnut to the dash and doors, picnic tables and the oversized Vanden Plas grille at the front, the recipe was complete.
This stunning 1968 model comes to us with only a current V5C in the way of paperwork. An MOT check shows it was last tested in 2012, so it will no doubt need some careful servicing before venturing forth once more, having covered barely 30 miles since then.
A quick look at the car confirms that its indicated mileage of just 16.873 is very likely to be correct, although as we don’t know for sure, it is only guesswork based on its condition.
We have not attempted to start it since it has been on-site, a job which its lucky new owner can look forward to when they get it home.
With top examples heading east to Japan where they can't get enough of these clever little limousines, prices have sky-rocketed of late, but you never know, it's offered a no reserve so there’s always that chance.
Vanden Plas Princess 1300 - 1968
Sold for £ 5.500
The Jaguar Land-Rover Collection
Brightwells Auctions
Bicester Heritage
Buckingham Road
Bicester
Oxfordshire
England
March 2018
The Austin/Morris 1100 range was an instant hit. Its Pininfarina styling was very up-to-the-minute and its clever Hydrolastic suspension made it ride even better than its sophisticated European competition. Issigonis had another hit on his hands.
So impressed was Fred Connolly (owner of the famous leather firm) with the ride and comfort of the humble 1100 that he approached Vanden Plas (one of his main customers) with the idea of introducing a limousine in miniature - based on the 1100.
The idea was enthusiastically embraced and the new model launched at the 1963 Earls Court Motorshow. Eventually nearly 40.000 Princess 1100/1300s were to be produced, initially from Longbridge, but latterly from Vanden Plas themselves where they took an MG bodyshell complete with twin carb 55bhp engine and painted, coach-lined and trimmed the car to their normal high standard. Complete with full Connolly leather interior, lashings of burr walnut to the dash and doors, picnic tables and the oversized Vanden Plas grille at the front, the recipe was complete.
This stunning 1968 model comes to us with only a current V5C in the way of paperwork. An MOT check shows it was last tested in 2012, so it will no doubt need some careful servicing before venturing forth once more, having covered barely 30 miles since then.
A quick look at the car confirms that its indicated mileage of just 16.873 is very likely to be correct, although as we don’t know for sure, it is only guesswork based on its condition.
We have not attempted to start it since it has been on-site, a job which its lucky new owner can look forward to when they get it home.
With top examples heading east to Japan where they can't get enough of these clever little limousines, prices have sky-rocketed of late, but you never know, it's offered a no reserve so there’s always that chance.