Description
2. 6 6-CYL, AUTOMATIC, ELECTRIC POWER STEERING, SERVO BRAKES, UNDER 46, 000 MILES FROM NEW.....
This is a rare car and if you’re reading this you probably know a good deal about them so I won’t go into the history of the model, which you can find elsewhere online. Google this model and you’re likely to get lots of hits on this car. This is no ordinary A95 (if there is such a thing!) and is probably the best in existence anywhere. Unfortunately, age dictates the selling of my classic cars, so starting with the best one first!
ULF 393 (the original London number, still on its original plates) was delivered to its first owner on 7th October 1957. It was considered a luxury car in its day with a very comfortable leather interior and a powerful 2, 639cc engine derived from that fitted to the Austin Healey 100/ 6. The car is fitted with a Borg-Warner automatic gearbox, a very expensive option as it added some 10% to the purchase price. Only three automatics of this model are believed to remain in the UK. With 92bhp, it was a fast car at the time and still keeps up with modern traffic.
The Westminster has covered less than 46, 000 miles from new and has never been restored, although it did receive a top-quality respray circa 2010 with re-chroming as necessary to the then owner’s exacting standards. It has never been restored or welded. Other than its superb condition, what also sets it apart are the powerful servo brakes and adjustable electric power steering, all professionally fitted. It also benefits from a Facet fuel pump with regulator, adjustable Kenlowe fan, Kenlowe hot start system and windscreen washers. The original green interior with contrasting piping is lovely with carpets (protected by overmats) in excellent condition, as is the headlining. It is also fitted with a stainless steel exhaust, period inertia reel seat belts to the front and battery cut-off.
The auto box was rebuilt in December 2018 at 41, 341 miles at a cost of £3, 848.
The boot area is fitted with the original tools and has a Hardura mat to protect the original boot mat beneath. The spare wheel is fitted in the wind-down tray, the inside of which is perfect. A fire extinguisher is also fitted in the boot.
The huge history file documents mileages from the earliest days and its storage in a dehumidified garage when it was off road between 1971 and 1988 and again from 1992 to 1996, which explains its low mileage. The file also includes several registration documents, old tax discs, many invoices, most of the manuals and period sales literature for this model, awards, MOTs back to 1981, a transcript of a conversation with a previous owner and far more besides. It was professionally Waxoyled many years ago with regular checks to ensure the underside remains as good as the rest of the car.
The Westminster was marketed by the well-known Panorama Bay in 2017 when it sold for £14, 995. As they said at the time ‘This is the best example we have ever seen and probably the best A95 Westminster in existence. What a glorious car to take to shows and of course Goodwood’. It subsequently sold for £16, 500, demonstrating the high regard for this vehicle.
In my ownership, I’ve fitted new rear leaf springs, shackles and pins to give the car its original stance and smooth ride. Because everything else was so good, I also spent £300 having the original Smiths clock rebuilt, rare to see working in any car of this era. Also in my ownership, Classic and Sportscar magazine were seeking an excellent example of the model for their Buyers’ Guide and, having found me, they travelled some 150 miles for the photoshoot. - details above
With all general maintenance taken care of, a new MOT, fully valeted and detailed, the Westminster is ready for its new owner.
Included in the sale is a period suitcase containing manuals, sales literature, magazine feature article, etc., a working period Bush transistor radio, an Austin-decaled toolbox with contents, a picnic set and two bespoke Austin cushions as shown in the photos.
