6 previous owners.
Partial service history.
Restored about 7 years ago for a 5 page feature "Guide to Buying a Princess or Ambassador" in the July 2018 edition of Practical Classics magazine (a well used copy will be supplied with the car), and it featured again in the article "Six steps to buying a Leyland Princess" in Classic Cars magazine (18th May 2022). It is also featured as the cover photo on Wiki under Princess.
We bought this Princess in October 2018, since when we have only driven it 2, 900 miles (we have too many other classics).
It has never had a radio or door speakers fitted and is completely original, but for a PowerSpark contactless electronic ignition module replacing the points on the distributor (although these are still available and will be supplied with the car, so could easily be refitted).
Superbly smooth and torquey straight six cylinder 2227 cc engine, coupled to a 4 speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels.
The car is one of only about 30 Leyland Princesses left on the roads, and believed to be the last remaining survivor with this specification (sandglow yellow Princess 2200HL manual).
The seats are very comfortable and covered in a brown velour, so they don't get hot in summer or cold in winter.
Being 47 years old (first registered on 10th March 1977), the car is registered as Historic, so it is MOT, road tax and ULEZ exempt. It is also eligible for cheap classic car insurance (I pay only £71 per year for fully comprehensive cover).
However, although this Princess is in very good condition for its age and is perfect as a daily driver, it does require a little work to get it up to show condition (see photos). The vinyl on the rear quarter panels was badly fitted during the restoration and is now peeling off. The chrome on the bumper bars (rear especially) is pitted and flaking off. The rear arches and bottom edges of the rear doors are slightly rusty, and there is a small area on the driver's seat squab which needs restitching. I don't know when the suspension spheres were last replaced, and whilst the Princess rides very nicely (without the floaty wallowing that I remember from my Dad's Princess in the late 70s), the front spheres don't absorb speed bumps well, so they would probably benefit from replacement.
