1937 Austin A10 Cambridge

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Former war hero owner 
  • Hand-written journals 
  • Original, untouched interior 

THE APPEAL 


Describing this Austin 10 as a piece of automotive history would do it an injustice. As prewar cars go, this ‘Light Car’ is in great shape, with original features, characteristic patina and an untouched interior. It's a beautiful reminder of the pre-war era, but what makes this vehicle special, however, is its story and incredibly documented history. 

Its history contains a few usual items such as past MOT certificates but the true highlights are the journals. These notes detail mile-by-mile, each trip, journey and event, all penned by the owner during their 21-year ownership. Not the usual thing you would expect to find in a car's service portfolio but these incredible moments captured are an amazing insight into the car and owner's life. These moments are not just your average events, however, for the owner was not your average man. 

On the evening of February 20th 1944, Commander John Winfield Heath jumped into this Austin 10 and set off from Cornwall to his home in Dorset, just hours after surviving a U-Boat attack in the British Channel. At 11:50 am, the alarms rang on HMS Warwick, a German U-Boat fired a fatal torpedo, splitting the ship in half. 

The historic event was one of the most significant attacks ever on a British ship in British waters, an attack that saw the loss of sixty-six crew members. Fortunately, Commander Heath alongside 43 other crew members were rescued by an aptly named fishing trawler called Lady Luck, who returned them safely to Cornwall where the Commander shrugged off the events, made an entry into his journal and embarked on his home journey. 

The allure of this car is remarkable, especially when you learn that the car is still very much original with an untouched interior, an interior that Commander Heath enjoyed and experienced. It's a charming piece of history that needs to be preserved and kept alive for future generations to learn and experience its amazing life.

q9HA6Iwh0IKFynQ8j8ufPDFL5YaUqU5dNuSYsf5b.jpg 395.37 KB


THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK 

  • UK registered May 1937 
  • Commander Heath owned the car from new (13th May 1937) until 1974 (37 years) when on the 2nd August 1984 it was sold to a Mr Boorer - he had laid it up after 21 years in 1958 and it was garaged from then until he sold it.
  • Original ivory logbook 
  • V5c present 
  • Incredible portfolio of history 
  • Eight handwritten journals documented the car's mileage and journeys 
  • Diary entries of events, thoughts and opinions documented in journals 
  • Additional typed-up service record, completed by Commander Heath 
  • Commemorative medals from the coronations of Edward the VIII (the King who was never crowned)
  • Additional Austin memorabilia 
  • Cigarette card album 
  • Past tax discs 
  • Past MOT certificates 
  • 151,655 miles completed by 1958 
  • Unused until 1973 when it was recommissioned by its second owner 
  • Given a cosmetic restoration of the third owner in 1977, remained unused 
  • Paperwork relating to maintenance up to the early 90s 

THE INTERIOR 

  • Original, preserved interior 
  • Wear & patina present 
  • An interior that deserves to be left untouched 

‘Do not change a thing on the inside’ Word the current owner was told by the previous owner, who had heard it from the previous owner and so on. If you buy this car, please, do not restore, retrim or repair the interior. There's wear, marks and scuffs but nothing is damaged, broken or cracked, it still has its original features all carrying a charming patina. It's incredible to know that the driver seat is the very same that Commander Heath sat in, taking himself back to Dorset after that eventful night. 

THE EXTERIOR 

  • Charming appearance 
  • Displaying some age and wear 
  • Previous repairs and paint 

The Austin has survived wonderfully and while you can see that the body has been painted in the past and that the chassis has been welded, it is in impressive, presentable condition. It isn't perfect, there are marks and scratches but it's perfect as such. It's an antique and deserves to be kept as is, to be loved but unspoilt. 

THE MECHANICS

  • 1.1L four-cylinder engine 
  • Started numerous times without fault 
  • Driven for a few miles, performed well 

The mechanics of the Austin are reported to be in fine performing order. There have been several recommissions over the years but the current owner has kept the car running and operational. Like most pre-war cars, their capabilities are not that of a modern-day car and while it will perform easily around town it wouldn't do so well on a race track. 

THE SUMMARY 


An incredible reminder of an era that is becoming long forgotten, the Austin 10 is a fabulous pre-war car that enthusiasts across the world continue to adore. This Austin 10 is much more than just an Austin 10 however. It's a story, its history, its a physical, living, breathing character from Commander Heath's journals. This car is irreplaceable and must never be changed so that we may continue telling the story of Commander John Winfield Heath and his little Austin 10.

Notice to bidders

This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*

A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.

All bidding, buying and offers are subject to our Terms and Conditions.

Consulta le nostre FAQ qui e i nostri Termini e condizioni qui

Domande frequenti sulle aste
Specifiche del veicolo
  • Anno 1937
  • Marca Austin
  • Modello 10 Cambridge Saloon
  • Colore Green
  • Chilometraggio 68,519 Miglia
  • Cilindrata 1141
Dettagli d'asta
  • Tipo di venditore Privato
  • Città Saltash
  • Posizione Devon
  • Paese Regno Unito
Storico delle offerte
25 offerte
  • Ad•••• £9,900 07/02/23
  • Mr•••• £9,800 07/02/23
  • Ad•••• £9,700 07/02/23
  • Mr•••• £9,600 07/02/23
  • Ad•••• £9,500 07/02/23
  • os•••• £9,100 07/02/23
  • Ad•••• £9,000 07/02/23
  • mo•••• £8,300 07/02/23
  • Ad•••• £8,200 07/02/23
  • os•••• £8,100 07/02/23
Invia messaggio a team Aste di C&C

La galleria

Il modo più sicuro per acquistare un'auto d'epoca online

Il sistema di pagamento sicuro di Car & Classic protegge acquirenti e venditori. Al termine dell'asta, l'offerente vincente trasferisce il pagamento su un conto vincolato di terzi. Una volta completato il trasferimento del veicolo, entrambe le parti confermano di essere soddisfatte della vendita e il denaro viene rilasciato al venditore. Maggiori informazioni su come acquistare con noi
Processo di pagamento sicuro e protetto

Come funzionano le offerte massime

Il processo di offerta massima ti permette di fare offerte senza preoccupazioni.

Inserisci la tua offerta massima e il sistema farà offerte automaticamente per assicurarsi che tu sia il miglior offerente - fino all'ammontare da te stabilito come tetto massimo.

Anti-sniping

Car & Classic contrasta il fenomeno dello “sniping”, ovvero il fenomeno dei rilanci all'ultimo secondo per vincere l'asta.

Se viene fatta un'offerta nei 3 minuti prima della chiusura dell'asta, la scadenza di questa viene automaticamente estesa di 2 minuti per permettere agli altri offerenti di reagire e, se lo desiderano, di rilanciare.

Incrementi di offerta automatica

  • Se la sua offerta massima è uguale o inferiore al prezzo di riserva, la sua offerta massima sarà applicata per intero se lei è il miglior offerente.
  • Se siete il miglior offerente e fate un'offerta massima superiore a quella di riserva, la riserva verrà automaticamente inserita come prima offerta.
    • Una volta raggiunta la riserva, Car & Classic si assicurerà che tu sia il miglior offerente utilizzando solo gli incrementi di offerta indicati di seguito.
    • Vi terremo in testa fino alla vostra offerta massima O all'incremento più vicino alla vostra offerta massima, a condizione che la vostra offerta massima sia sufficiente a coprire il valore dell'incremento.

Ammontare dell'offerta Incremento
Da £0 a £9,999 £100.00
Da £10,000 a £49,999 £250.00
Da £50,000 a £99,999 £500.00
£100,000 + £1,000.00

Superamento immediato dell'offerta

Quando piazzi un'offerta massima e questa viene immediatamente superata, questo significa che un altro offerente ha impostato una soglia di offerta massima superiore alla tua.

Puoi fare nuovamente un'offerta o impostare una soglia più alta di offerta massima e il nostro sistema rilancerà fino alla nuova soglia, cercando di portarti a essere il miglior offerente.

Offerte massime di pari ammontare

Quando ci sono due offerte massime di pari ammontare, quella impostata per prima è quella che viene considerata “migliore offerta”.

Pre-autorizzazione

Potremmo trattenere un piccolo importo di pre-autorizzazione sulla tua carta fino alla fine dell'asta, quando quest'ultimo verrà poi stornato. Se vinci, verrà prelevata una caparra che verrà detratta dal pagamento del prezzo di vendita per il veicolo e non comporta costi aggiuntivi per te.

Cosa sono le Offerte pre-asta?

Offerte pre-asta significa che avete la possibilità di fare offerte prima dell'inizio ufficiale dell'asta.
Verrà comunicato se si è il miglior offerente o meno all'inizio dell'asta.

Problema con l'offerta

Le offerte sono contrattualmente vincolanti. Per tutelare l'utente, sono previste alcune regole nel caso in cui si ritenga che sia stato digitato in modo errato. Si prega di controllare e modificare quanto inserito.