Beschreibung
A top spec Austin Maxi HL with the large 1750 engine and twin SU carbs (91 bhp). Being a 1975 High Line and a mid-period Maxi, that means lots of rare desirable features:
• Sports-style HL branded steering wheel*
• Padded dark brown vinyl dashboard*
• Wooden style 5 speed gear knob*
• Part cloth part vinyl seats*
• Under-riders on the front bumper*
• Black banded ring on chrome hud-caps*
• Colour matching plastic inserts to the side rubbing strips side and rear*
• Chrome tipped exhaust pipe*
• Matt black bars to the chrome front grill and HL badge*
• Red detail to Maxi branding on the front grill*
(* Exclusive to HL)
This HL is in Leyland’s iconic Harvest Gold colour. It also has a period slide-back vinyl Weathershields sunroof. The Maxi was the last car design from the pioneering Alec Issigonis, most famous for also designing the Austin Mini and Morris Minor. So unlike many cars of the 1970s it has as standard:
• 5 speed gear box
• 1750cc 4 cylinder petrol engine
• Hatch-back
• Hydrolastic suspension (saves loads of space in the car, and gives a really comfortable ride)
• Incredibly spacious interior
• Versatile seat positions, so you can configure it as a double bed or a vast load lugger with a flat loading bay
• Transverse mounted overhead cam E-series engine
I have owned this Maxi for 11 years. It resided and was registered in the Isle of Man when I acquired it. The previous owner had been recommissioned it after it was laid up in storage for many years. It was originally registered in Kingsbury London. For most of my ownership it has lived garaged in central London but moved to Devon in 2018 where it has also always been garaged,
During our ownership it has been a regularly used and well maintained car, garaged at all times except when on travels. This car has taken us (a family of four) on holidays to the south coast of France and into Germany, it makes a glorious and practical touring car. And yes, we have even slept in it too. It also featured in a Co-op Bank advert in 2016 and in 2015 appeared in a rockumentary called Elephant Days about the band The Maccabees. I have exhibited the car at the National Exhibition Centre Classic Motor Show alongside other Maxis on the owners club stand in 2017.
We had the car resprayed by Professional Auto Centre in Vauxhall London and bumpers re-chromed by London Chroming Company Southwark in 2016. The rest of the car is very original. It is particularly well preserved because it was treated with a Ziebart rust prevention when new, and still carries the sticker for this.
It comes with a big box of paperwork from my ownership, and it has always been maintained by knowledgeable classic garages including Fishers Services in Lower Sydenham (an MG specialist). The most recent work (July 2022) were new disc brakes and pads to the front. The tyres are very fresh Uniroyal Rain Expert 3. It also comes with its matching parcel shelf, which is often missing from Maxis.
It comes with several spare service parts, additional HL side trim in matching Harvest Gold and the original asymmetrically placed Leyland front wing badge that I removed from the nearside lower wing when it was resprayed and have not put back (it is simply glued in place). You also have the option to buy for an extra cost the Armadillo, a black fibreglass high sided liner that fills the space of the folded rear seat and boot and swiftly transforms the rear into a vast crevice-free, wipe-clean container for serious mucky load lugging, or simply showing your extras off at a classic car rally.
Note on the price: I had listed this at a higher price and had a lot of interest but no viewings. Having now used this car at my Father's three funeral events last week (he had 3 Maxi's in his life), I'm now keener to sell it on. I am confident someone who views will be likely to part with the car there or soon after, but appreciate being in Totnes may be far from potential buyers. The car lives three mins walk from the mainline railway station at Totnes and I may also be prepared to drive some distance if you want a more convenient viewing.
