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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Clockwork Orange



A wonderful Compagnie Industrielle du Jouet (CIJ) Alfa Romeo P2 clockwork tin plate racing car has been consigned for the next Charterhouse Classic Car, Motorcycle and Automobilia auction at the Royal Bath and West Showground Shepton Mallet, on Sunday 12 February 2012.

'This rare clockwork model from the 1920s, which has been in the client's possession for 70 years, had pride of place on her bookcase. On one of our  free home visits, I valued it as having an estimate of between £1,200 and £1,500,' commented Matthew Whitney.  'This particular P2 is in the most appealing original condition.  It has beautifully patinated and faded Rosso coachwork, faux cracked leather seats, the correct cloverleaf decals and racing numbers.  Models as original as this rarely come on to the market, and as such are highly prized by collectors.'

Also entered in the auction is a fully rebuilt 1976 Ford Capri 1600 GL, having been with the current owner since 1977, and driven for nearly 250,000 miles during that that time.  In recent years, since the restoration, it has had a more pampered life, attending the odd classic car show and used for high days and holidays. Matthew continues 'Fords manufactured in the 1970s/80s are becoming increasingly popular with enthusiasts, with prices rising accordingly.  This Capri is ideally placed for selling, as the auction is being held in conjunction with the
Footman James Ford Show and Great Western Autojumble.'

For more details of this auction or to consign a vehicle or automobilia, please contact Matthew Whitney at the Charterhouse head office on 01935 812277, or via email at mw@charterhouse-auctions.co.uk


Quick Links
Forthcoming Sale Previous Sale Sale Preview Tel: (01935) 812277
For further information regarding this article, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner

Friday, November 4, 2011

High Rollers!


The Charterhouse sale includes a wide variety of cars including a 1926 Bullnose Morris, a 1927 Chrysler Imperial Tourer, a 1931 Austin 20/6 Limousine, a 1946 Humber Hawk painted in MOD staff car colours, two Morris Minor Tourers, both white, a BMW 2002 Tii sprint car and even a 1996 Mini Cooper!
Viewing for this sale is on Saturday 5th November 10am-4pm and on Sunday 6th from 10am. For full details and listings go to the Charterhouse website where the catalogue can be downloaded www.charterhouse-auctions.co.uk or contact Matthew Whitney 01935 812277




Captions:




Sprint car – a BMW 2002 Tii £4,000-5,000
Wedding car – a 1931 Austin 20/6 Limousine £13,000-15,000
Quick Links
Forthcoming Sale Previous Sale Sale Preview Tel: (01935) 812277
For further information regarding this article, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Pictures


Here are some neat pictures my wife took of the Le Mans and the rattle trap '27. You need to click on each photo to get the full effect; I think they came out wonderfully! The '65 Le Mans is wearing its "new" wheels...and I love them! I think I am completely sold on Rally I's now. I pulled these wheels from a neat '64 GTO project car that I picked up last year and proceeded to have the wheels sandblasted, then painting them with Valspar DTM epoxy primer, followed by Valspar base/clear in an Argent Silver. The center caps showed these were '66 or later Rally I wheels because they had the inner circle unpolished and painted semi gloss black. After LOTS of stripping and hours of polishing with both the die grinder and the big buffer they turned out smooth and shiny. I then chose the thin whitewall radials ( I was too cheap to order bias ply, even though they would look even better) and had them mounted. The wheels look perfect on this car!



Here is the '27, with that gaping hole between the body and frame. It is part of this car's character...stop laughing! The wife's picture of this car really turned out nice; I like the lighting and the full profile.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Importing British Rust

Our new Mini - a 1999 Rover Mini Standard with the 1275cc MPi engine.That's what my colleague rather unkindly referred to my car buying habits as. And here we are again, barely 6 months after buying a Jaguar XJ-SC, yours truly is the proud owner of a 1999 Mini.

That's right, THE Mini. Not the (admittedly very nice, albeit the spoils of a treacherous asset-stripping operation) BMW imitation Mini, no sir - the real deal. It's an end-of-the-line standard Mini with the 1275cc block. It's an MPi engine, which means fuel injected, and internally it has all mod cons like driver air-bag and seatbelt pre-tensioners (as if that'll save you if you hit anything of any moment in a Mini!) a radio/cassette with actually quite decent factory speakers in the parcel shelf, alarm and engine immobiliser, a rather attractive walnut dash, "pepper pot" alloy wheels, even a rev counter!

I must confess, this was a bit of a gamble. I've never driven a Mini before, though I remember mates having them when I was at school. I even remember once being forced to sit in the back of one (thanks Pat) and surviving to tell the tale (just). Which meant it was quite cute when I took it round to Pat's house, whose wife also used to have a Mini, and now have photos of their little daughter leaping all over the inside of mine...

Anyway, I digress, never driven a Mini, knew little about them, just had a sense they'd be fun, soulful little cars and of some value for their cute looks and head-turning abilities alone. And this is a late one with about as big an engine as a Mini can have, so I figured it'll start first time in the morning, behave itself reasonably well on the motorway and be a genuinely viable second car.

So I bought the Mini. In Liverpool. (That's right, 1,000 miles from home.) And flew over to fetch it. And drove it back to the south of France. This was approximately my route.

I have rarely had so much fun. The Mini is a *fabulous* car. I am still grinning from ear to ear. It's noisy, it's bouncy, it leaks oil all over the driveway, but all is forgiven when you hear that exhaust note. Driving it through the Peak District National Park, in Derbyshire at dusk, was just amazing fun. This car is every bit as much fun as my Lotus used to be, and I sincerely mean that! That's right, the Mini has the soul of the Lotus Elan! Wonderful handling, glued to the road, gutsy 1275cc engine, just bags and bags of fun.

I'm so happy I've got this car. I've a feeling it will be a pain in the ass to maintain, but who cares?! I am loving driving it, and that's what really counts.

Another win for the old British car in my book - yeh, it might rust, but I can live with that.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

More Oldsmobile

Ouch! See that seam I just made? After all the careful work I am now just welding it shut! And the reason for covering my replacement seam (which I made specifically to reproduce the factory lead seam) is the frustration with lead. I filled the seam with lead (actually lead-free solder) three times, each time the lead seam cracking after bodywork. I also was warping the metal too much with all the heat of three rounds of solder.

It is very possible I could have left it, scored the seam and been fine. But it was driving my susceptibility to paranoia crazy. I kept imagining the flux stained innerds of the new joint rusting fast, pushing a bulge of lead up; which is exactly why I removed the seam in the first place.

The last picture shows the seam totally covered, getting the plastic filler treatment.




Here is the lower driver 1/4 that I fabricated, finally getting filler and some left over urethane high build primer. The little spot just below the emblem holes also got some filler after hammer and dolly work.



Sneek peek above! After selling the '64 Le Mans, I stumbled on this amazing "parts car" for the '64 442. It is in unbelievably excellent condition: virtually NO rust, runs perfect, and the interior is in excellent original shape. I am scared to tear this car apart as a donor for the 442 even though I need almost everything from it. It is just too nice of an original. True treasures still exist!



Here is the whole '62, slowly coming along. Why is it that a car that needs comparably little bodywork still demands so much time, so much decision making?




Passenger rear spot that I replaced sheet metal on is getting filler and blocking.




More filler on the pass. quarter. Lots of dents on this side of the car, forcing me to improve my hammer and dolly methods.




Here is the upper fender lip, showing the painstaking work of stripping without removing the fender. I remove one bolt, strip with a small wire wheel on my die grinder, then replace the bolt and move to the next spot. The plan is to keep the fender aligned.




This last picture is referred to at the end of the first picture's description. Body work is actually a painstaking project! Especially the straightening and forming, the blocking and filing.

And there is still much more to do...

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

High Rollers at Charterhouse Classic Car Auction





There is plenty of choice for collectors to buy a Rolls Royce or a Bentley as there are 10 included in the Charterhouse July auction of classic cars at Sherborne Castle on Sunday 17th July.
“We usually have a couple of Rolls Royce and Bentley motor cars in our auction, but this time there are 10 models on offer!” Commented Matthew Whitney. “There are rare and early coach built cars through to later standard production models, if you can ever call a Rolls Royce standard.”
There is a 1927 Rolls Royce park Ward Tourer at £40,000-45,000, a 1933 Rolls Royce  Hooper bodied 20/25 four light sports saloon for £30,000-35,000, a 1961 Rolls Royce Cloud II long wheel base £28,000-32,000, a 1979 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, once owned by the Qatar Embassy, £10,000-14,000, a 1986 Bentley Mulsanne £6,000-8,000, a 1995 Bentley Continental  R £28,000-32,000, a 1956 Bentley S Type £17,000-19,000, a 1962 Bentley S2 Continental Flying Spur £65,000-70,000, a 1997 Bentley Brooklands £10,000-14,000 and totally at the other end of the scale a 1977 Bentley T2 for spares or restoration at £1,000-1,500
Viewing for this important Charterhouse classic car auction of 60 motor car and motorcycles is on Sunday 17th July from 10.00am, with the auction starting at 2.00pm. For further information concerning this sale, please contact Matthew Whitney, Head of Classic Cars, at Charterhouse 01935 812277 or log on to their website www.charterhouse-auctions.co.uk where you can see all the cars.
Captions:
A 1927 Rolls Royce Tourer £40,000-45,000
A 1962 Bentley S2 Continental Flying Spur £65,000-70,000
A 1995 Bentley Continental R £28,000-32,000
A 1961 Rolls Royce Cloud II long wheel base £28,000-32,000Quick Links
Forthcoming Sale Previous Sale Sale Preview Tel: (01935) 812277
For further information regarding this article, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner

Monday, June 6, 2011

Topless Time at Charterhouse



 

The Charterhouse July auction of classic cars has a great selection of convertibles cars ready to be enjoyed during the summer months.
“This sale is held in the beautiful parkland setting at Sherborne Castle where we put up a large marquee overlooking the lake, and is in conjunction with the very popular Classic and Supercar Show held on the same day.” Commented Matthew Whitney. “The classic car market is particularly buoyant at present and we have had high prices achieved at our last specialist auction whiich was held at The Royal Bath & West Showground,”
Of the many entries already confirmed for the Charterhouse sale, there are a good number of cars looking to provide their new owners with fun open top motoring including a 1927 Rolls Royce open tourer. The body was built by Park Ward in 1927 being one of the first years of the 20/25. It has been in its current ownership since 1973 and was bought with its believed low mileage of 39,000. During it’s nearly 40 years of ownership it has only put on another 11,000 miles! It is estimated to sell for £40,000-45,000.
Also in the sale is an Austin Healey3000 MkII which has been fully restored with a bare metal respray, leather interior and chrome wire wheel s at £28,000-32,000, a rare 1955 Ford Zephyr convertible with an  hydraulic electric  hood which was previous  owned by Neil Tee, the chairman of Consul Zephyr Owners Club at £12,000-15,000, a 1974 Jaguar E Type with 52,000 from new and owned for over 20 years, chrome wires, and a 1959 MGA Roadster, upgraded with MGB engine, unleaded head, 3 branch exhaust 1 ¾ in SU carbs for  £15,000-17000.

Charterhouse is now accepting further entries for this important auction. For more information regarding this auction, or to enter a car into the sale, please contact Matthew Whitney, Head of Classic Cars  at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne on 01935 812277 or via email  mw@charterhouse-auctions.co.uk

Captions:

A Rolls Royce 20/25 Tourer £40,000-45,000
An Austin Healey 3000 Mk II £28,000-32,000
A Ford Zephyr convertible £12,000-15,000


Quick Links
Forthcoming Sale Previous Sale Sale Preview Tel: (01935) 812277
For further information regarding this article, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner

Monday, May 16, 2011

Gullwing looks to fly at Charterhouse Car Auction



The Charterhouse auction of classic cars and automobilia at Sherborne Castle on Sunday 17th July includes an ultra rare Ostermeier Mercedes 300SL Gullwing.

“We have had a great start to the year with our classic car auctions and have now been instructed to sell this Mercedes Gullwing re-creation at our next auction in the wonderful grounds of Sherborne Castle” Commented Matthew Whitney. “It has been consigned for sale by a West Country collector and has been much admired at recent outings, with the only real giveaway being the tax disc shows the car is not tax exempt. The quality of the Ostermeier re-creations is legendary and it even comes complete

with custom made fitted luggage in red leather matching the interior of the car.”

This Ostermeier 300SL Gullwing is just one of about 250 made and although it is estimated at £150,000-180,000, is offered for sale at a fraction of the cost of an original 300SL Gullwing. Built in 1998 it comes with full Mercedes history and speedometer records just 4,700 kms from new. Also entered into this important auction of classic cars are an Austin Healey 3000 £27,000-30,000, a Jaguar MkII 3.4 litre £17,000-19,000, a Jaguar E Type convertible £30,000-35,000, a Ford Zephyr 6 convertible £12,00014,000, a Porsche Carrera replica £10,000-12,000,  a Jowett Bradford van £7,500-8,500 and for someone looking for a restoration project there is a rare Bristol 408 at £3,200-3,500.

For more information regarding this auction, or to enter a car into the sale, please contact Matthew Whitney, Head of Classic Cars  at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne on 01935 812277 or via email  mw@charterhouse-auctions.co.uk




Matthew Whitney and the Ostermeier re-creation Mercedes 300SL Gullwing going under the Charterhouse hammer in their auction on Sunday 17th July at Sherborne Castle, Dorset £150,000-180,000
Quick Links
Forthcoming Sale Previous Sale Sale Preview Tel: (01935) 812277
For further information regarding this article, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner

Saturday, April 16, 2011

More Progress 2.0


I thought welding was over! This seam where the 1/4 passenger 1/4 panel meets the body just behind the rear window has just been replaced. The above picture show the replacement pieces tacked in place, which below I'll show the process of making and fitting them.

The reason I replaced this area is because the passenger 1/4 panel was replaced in the '60s, and anywhere lead was reapplied (joint seams) I have stripped, since most of the leaded areas showed bulges starting to appear. When the lead was removed here, I found rust creeping into the joint. I also discovered that the seam had been aligned poorly, with the new 1/4 being mounted higher than the package tray area it meets to, and then banged at the edges down in an attempt to level things up. There was also a lot of lead, and it wasn't just for the seam.

The factory joint was an area where two 90 degree angles meet, giving two flanges that meet underneath to be spot welded together. Then lead was applied to cover the seam, but still scored with a small groove that shows in the finished paint job, giving a neat appearing seam line. I would imagine that the seam line is scored into the lead at this place to channel flexing and shifting in the body from opening the heavy trunk. Kind of like seams in concrete that prevent cracks forming and allow expansion.




Not only was the flat area of the seam needing help, but the part that angles down into the trunk channel was hammered rough, brazed, and gobbed with lead. It was crusty and rust prone, as well as holding the misaligned 1/4 seam from lining up smooth. So I cut the area out, and will have to make patches for it.




This picture shows how out of alignment the top edges were, requiring the new edge to be banged down and lead slathered all over.





Here in the above picture you can see the huge gap that was brazed and leaded. This gap size scared me; It appeared that it would be more prone to stress cracks and I didn't want to dump tons of lead back into it. Also, it was pitted with rust which I did not want to clean out.



Here is one of the flange areas cut out. This one was the package tray side, showing where an original spot weld had been drilled out when they removed the original 1/4 panel.




After cutting the flanges out, I made this little pattern to compare the new pieces to as I made them. This way I wouldn't have to run back and forth between the shrinker-stretcher and the car, checking for fit.




To make the repair pieces I just used a brake to bend the angle, and just a tiny bit of stretching on the downward flanges.




Both pieces are formed and stretched to proper contours, ready for trimming to fit.





Here shows the 1/4 panel piece is trimmed down and ready to place.




Above shows the piece tacked to the 1/4, fitting nicely.




And here is the other piece trimmed and fitted, ready for tacking on. I went on to tack weld it on, and as the first picture of this post shows, I was able to gently position the 1/4 panel edge down to perfect alignment with the package tray area, with the seam meeting just as the factory one did. Now I can move down to the trunk channel area and start making pieces to fit.

One thing I forgot to do is punch holes in the inside flange. Now it will be a chore figuring out how to plug weld the flanges underneath together. Oops! Other than that, the repair is working nicely. I just need to make sure I weld the flanges together before I start making the pieces that extend into the trunk lip. Now I think a small spot welder might come in handy...

Monday, March 7, 2011

100 Mile an Hour Man























Charterhouse Auctioneers have been instructed to sell the highly important collection of photographs, trophies, Brooklands badges and ephemera belonging to the great late Claude F Temple, the motorcycle manufacturer, Brooklands racer and motorcycle speed world record holder. The collection is expected to sell for over £5,000 when it goes under the hammer.

“Rarely do such historically important motorcycle items appear on the open market, as the majority is held by museums, institutions or is in private collections.” Commented Matthew Whitney. “He was the first person to cover 100 miles in less than one hour on a motorcycle at Montlhery in 1924, when he covered 100 miles in 58 minutes and 50.6 seconds which is equivalent to 101.982 mph. Just a couple of years later, in 1926, he became the fastest man on two wheels when he took the world speed record on a motorcycle at 121.3 mph. This is a fantastic collection from a golden age of motorcycles, when men were men and health and safety had not been invented.”

This is the first time the collection has appeared on the open market. It comes direct from a close family friend who lives on the Isle of Man, home of the famous motorcycle races. The collection will be auctioned at the Footman James 32nd Bristol Classic Car Show on Sunday 17th April together with other interesting items of automobilia, motorcycles, vintage and classic cars, including a 1948 Bentley Mk VI Special, at £48,000 – 52,000 and a 1960 Jaguar Mk II 2.4 litre manual overdrive saloon, with only three owners all living within 10 miles of each other in Devon estimated at £10,000 -12,000. Perhaps more fittingly however, there is monster of a motorcycle in the form of a Suzuki GSX-R 1000. This has been extensively modified by Harris Racing as their show bike and demonstrator. Painted in Barry Sheene racing colours, this bike is capable of over 200 mph, and estimated at £7,500-9,000.

For more information regarding this auction or to consign a single item or a complete collection, please contact Matthew Whitney at our head office in Sherborne on 01935 812277 or via email  mw@charterhouse-auctions.co.uk and please visit our website www.charterhouse-auctions.co.uk to  view the regularly updated Classic Car preview pages.

Making history on a motorcycle – a group of photographs of Claude Temple from his own archive.Quick Links

Forthcoming Sale Previous Sale Sale PreviewTel: (01935) 812277
For further information regarding this article, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner

Monday, February 7, 2011

I Have That Jaguar

Ok, so I've talked about this for a while. And it's happened. Sitting in my garage is a beautiful, flame red and black leather, 1990 Jaguar XJSC.

It's awesome! Of course, it's a crazy car. I can't afford to run it, but I'm proud to own it. Why did I buy this petrol-guzzling luxury monster? It was, quite frankly, a steal! I think I am going to sell it again soon, but right now I am enjoying the hell out of having it.

This car represents the end of an era. I don't think anyone will make a production V12 engine again, ever. It just doesn't make sense, but as a genuine collectors piece and as an amazing statement of luxury from a time only recently passed, I love it.

If you live in Europe (France, Italy, Germany, Spain, etc.) and you want it, email me. Otherwise, I'm going to have a bit of fun and decide when I'll eventually put it up for sale. For now I'm grinning ear to ear as I drop my toe and get pressed in to the seats while listening to my favourite CD with the electric hood down!

(PS - not a great photo, but will post more when I've taken them.)

Monday, January 24, 2011

There are E Types and Our Types



























Lot 183 A 1972 Jaguar E-Type Series III V12 coupé, £32,000 - 35,000

























Lot 186 A 1933 Lagonda 16/80 four door pillar-less saloon, £28,000 - 32,000, also in the sale



One of the motor industries icon, a Jaguar E Type coupe, is included in the Charterhouse auction of classic cars on Sunday 13th February held at The Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet.


Please click on the logo to go to the Bristol Classic Car Show Events Web Site, where you will be able to buy tickets to the show and catalogues to gain entry to the auction



“We have sold many E Types over the years, but this one is a little more special than most, having covered just over 4,000 miles since new. It is a Somerset registered car, having been bought by a Commander at Yeovilton in 1972. I can only assume that the Commander served abroad for some time which could explain the lack of use of such an iconic motor car. “Commented Matthew Whitney”. When the Commander sold the car, it remained locally and the purchaser then passed the car onto his son. At this point, the car had about 3,000 miles put on it and was then laid up in a barn until the Charterhouse vendor went to buy a tractor but spotted the car and bought it instead!”

The car has subsequently undergone a total nut and bolt restoration, and a change in colour from maroon to metallic ice blue which is still a Jaguar colour. As the car has been dry stored for most of its life, it was very straight forward to dismantle the car, with only two bolts shearing in the process. The car was then rebuilt rather than restored even having a complete new cream leather interior. This E Type is now presented in a better than new condition and is so clean you could eat your dinner off it! Not unsurprisingly, the cost of parts alone came to over £27,000 and combined with 6 months of labour to be added on top, it is estimated at £32,000-35,000. This “new” E Type is ready to celebrate 50th anniversary of the E Type and will no doubt give the new owner miles of smiles.

Charterhouse is now accepting entries for their busy programme of auctions including classic cars and automobilia on Sunday 13th February followed by silver, jewellery and watches with a special section of wine port and spirits on Friday 25th February.

For advice or to arrange a free home visit, please contact Matthew Whitney, Head of the Charterhouse Classic Car Department or Sarah Parsons at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3BS, 01935 812277 or via email
mw@charterhouse-auctions.co.uk


Forthcoming Sale Previous Sale Sale PreviewTel: (01935) 812277
For further information regarding this article, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner

Sunday, January 16, 2011

More Progress

I am still cranking away at the '62 Oldsmobile. It feels like grunt work when I think of the entire process; never ending with no finish in site. When I recount details of what I've accomplished, though, it becomes a satisfying progress sheet. (That is the main reason for writing a boring blog about fiddling with old cars!)

The other benefit of these labors is I am learning. Learning real-time, even at the risk of doing it "wrong." I like to call tearing into a car the "school of hard knocks"...literal hard knocks! I am learning, tuning, even kind of perfecting, if I dare say, this craft. It actually does improve with time, too.

Next chance I get, I'll brush some toxic slime on an area not yet stripped and start massaging sheet metal as I wait for the slime to do its job. And I will do so with patience, knowing I am making progress on the car and my skills at the same time.



Speaking of toxic slime, I've managed to remove the paint and filler from almost all of the driver side. I use Aircraft Stripper, and it works good.


I am beginning to bump metal here on a spot at the edge of the hood. It is harder than I thought, yet already very rewarding. I'm finally learning to do it correctly. I also am learning to stop when I've reached a good point, instead of bumping too much and making things worse.


This above picture is a happy one. I have just finished stripping all paint and primer from this lower portion of the passenger fender and it is smooth! Clean! No dents or rust! This is what we hope to find everywhere, but never do.


Here I have just masked the trim holes and door edges to protect from stripper seeping into places I don't want it. It is VERY powerful stuff (and dangerous, too) so I keep it from getting anywhere other than the major outside areas. At the rear 1/3 of the door's center is a spot I've bumped back into place. This area was bent inward right along the trim line, and required careful hammer-off-dolly to bring the steel back to proper contour. It is not perfect, but an exciting improvement!


Just a full shot of the hood, stripping and light bumping of small, shallow dents being completed. Now I have small surface rust spots to remove and final sanding. Then it will be ready for spot filler (if it actually needs any) and primer.


This above shot is a close up of the passenger door area that was banged inward. It came out better than I expected.


This last picture shows an area that began as a frustrating find. I was simply removing what appeared to be light filler when resorted to using my propane torch to soften and remove a deep chunk of Bondo in both areas. The car had been banged here, and the previous bodyman had used a slide hammer to attempt to pull it out. The screw holes where the slide hammer attaches were still there, only filled with the Bondo. And the dents hadn't been pulled much at all. There was still a depth of about 3/8" at the deepest point of these dents that the plastic filler had been used to cover. (Why even use the slide hammer if one isn't going to pull the dent out much at all?)

Anyway, I ended up pulling the panel out farther with my slide hammer and welding up the holes. The bottom area I bumped extensively with the hammer and dolly, but was still too warped and stretched for me to leave. So I cut the spot out, remade an inside wheel well lip (patch) and welded in a new piece. Whew!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Star Car Vanden Plas





































A 1959 Austin A105 Vanden Plas is one of the star cars at the Charterhouse auction of classic cars on Sunday 13th February held at The Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet.

“The name Vanden Plas has always been synonymous with great motor cars, having coach built cars for Rolls Royce, Bentley and other leading manufacturers.” Commented Matthew Whitney. “However, the involvement of Vanden Plas in the A105 is historically important as it was the first time a mass produced Austin was upgraded by Vanden Plas. The car would leave the Austin factory and be delivered to the Vanden Plas coachworks at Kingsbury, London, where the cars would receive leather upholstery, cloth headlining and walnut trim.”

This rare classic car, just one of only 500 made, with only 5 believed remaining running on the road, has been owned by the Somerset vendor since 1968. Fitted with a 3 litre straight six engine coupled to a floor change four speed gearbox with overdrive, it would be propelled from 0-60 mph a fraction over 15 seconds when new!

Charterhouse is now accepting entries for their busy programme of auctions in Sherborne including classic cars and automobilia in February followed by silver, jewellery and watches with a special section of wine port and spirits a couple of weeks later.

To arrange a free home visit, please contact Matthew Whitney or Sarah Parsons at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3BS, 01935 812277 or via email sp@charterhouse-auctions.co.uk

A rare sight on the roads, an Austin A105 Vanden Plas £8,000-12,000
3000cc engine
Luxury Vanden Plas interior
Quick Links

Forthcoming Sale Previous Sale Sale PreviewTel: (01935) 812277
For further information regarding this article, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner