Description
TODAY'S offering from the cool car collection here at Martin Howey Classics is a 1967 Austin A60 Cambridge. These family sized Farina models, once such a common sight on our roads throughout the entire decade of the 1960s, are becoming increasingly difficult to find with good ones tending not to re-circulate in the classic car marketplace.
This old girl, clearly lovingly cared for all her life, has had just four former keepers and was with the same owner between 1982 and 2012 during which it covered 29, 000 miles in that 30-year period. And a lovely added bonus here is that he kept a notebook so detailed throughout those three decades that it recorded every gallon of petrol used, every mile covered and also repair and service work. What great social history. Another thing I like about this proud old Cambridge - finished in Cumulus Grey with a light grey stripe and arguably the best colour scheme for the model - is that the exterior is so original. The bulk of it appears to me to be the vehicle's original paintwork and, to that end, there are areas where the paint has been polished through, no doubt most lovingly, to reveal the BMC factory primer below. This is largely confined to one area of the car, the side of the bonnet in front of the driver's seat. Other small areas look to have had tiny bits of the good old fashioned touch-up paint but that's minimal too.
The fact the front wings are steel, the door bottoms are amazing, the wheel arches are great and the floor pans and underside rock solid is another huge bonus. Another thing I love about this car is that when you open the rear doors there is no rot, rust or damage to those big inner wing sections. Very rare on a Farina.
But wait, there's more. Her interior is superb with bright cherry red leather seats totally un-damaged and a lovely 60s dash. Yes, there is more to come. She is a rare automatic and drives as well as, if not better than, any Farina I have owned over a 50-year period. Superb on the road with the auto lever on the left hand side of the steering column a very neat and tidy touch. She does everything she ought to when you pop her into Drive mode. This A60 also shows excellent oil pressure. So, there you have it.
She comes with a full MoT (no advisories). What's not to like?
This description is based on my opinion of the vehicle, the paperwork that comes with the car and anything I have been told about it. The vehicle is 56-years-old and this cannot be taken as a definitive statement for obvious reasons. As with most classic cars, there may be faults and quirks whilst, almost inevitably, some degree of tinkering and care will always be called for. Such are the joys of owning an antique vehicle and they must be taken within their own context and not compared to modern day cars. They are sold as old, mainly out-dated machines and come without any comeback whatsoever. They are my terms and conditions.
My classic cars are motoring antiques. This car, for example, is 56-years-old and so will have quirks and faults in there somewhere. These are not always apparent when buying and selling classics which is what I do. I do not restore them, nor do I pretend that they are concours cars. The majority of them go out as they came in, and I continue to enjoy finding more - a skill which is becoming increasingly difficult as many of you will be aware. They deserve to be taken on as "family pets" and cared for through thick and then. They don't make them any more and demand now out-strips supply. Please bear all this in mind, and enjoy your classic car. I can also assist with delivery and so please ask for a quote.
I have now been established as a one-man band classic car dealer for 20 years and pride myself on my buying prowess and - due to small margins - my prices which I firmly believe are up there among the very best in the UK classic car marketplace.
Thanks, Martin. the details below.
