Description
This Austin A40 Farina is exactly the sort of classic I like to offer – an attractive, very usable example with plenty of history, bags of character and the opportunity for its next owner to improve it further if they wish.
Finished in this lovely period blue with a contrasting black roof, it presents extremely well. The bodywork is good and honest throughout rather than being a freshly restored show car. There are areas where further detailing and improvement could take it to the next level, but equally, it is a car that can be bought, enjoyed and used without being frightened of taking it out.
Inside is particularly lovely. The interior remains beautifully original, with the blue seats, matching door cards and wonderfully simple dashboard all adding to the charm. It feels exactly as an A40 should and hasn't been unnecessarily modernised over the years.
There is also a fantastic amount of history with the car, including old MOT certificates dating right back to the 1980s. The boot is quite literally packed with useful spare parts and service items accumulated over the years – there's even a second steering wheel amongst it all!
Mechanically, a considerable amount has already been invested in the car. The engine received a full rebuild in 2024, and lifting the bonnet reveals a particularly clean and tidy engine bay. The familiar A-Series starts readily, runs beautifully and the car drives exactly as it should.
For me, this is the sweet spot with an older classic. It isn't pretending to be a concours 10/ 10 restoration, nor is it a project requiring somebody to spend months making it usable. It's a genuinely presentable, mechanically sorted and characterful little British classic that can be enjoyed immediately, while still leaving its next custodian with scope to make it even better.
A lovely little A40 with a great story behind it, and one that looks every bit as charming in person as it does in the photographs.
