Description
Here I have for sale my lovely 1980 Austin Maxi 1750 HLS in her original BL colour of Tara Green metallic. I've owned the car for 13 years, bought from Gouldings of Lincoln with just 20000 miles then, with the mileage backed up with the MOT certificates. As a HLS, she has a burr walnut dashboard, black velour interior, a leather covered steering wheel and tinted glass. The HLS has the 1750 E series engine with twin SU carburettors developing 95 BHP and a 5 speed transmission enabling her to keep apace with modern traffic. She is in excellent condition never having been welded and is on her original dealer no. plates from Dutton Forshaw Merseyside and comes with the original handbook, jack and a workshop manual.
I've only used her in the Spring and Summer and have always garaged her. She is too good to stand outside under a cover and needs to be garaged with her new owner. She's never been used in estate form, as can be seen in the photos, by the condition of the black paint on the underside of the rear lower seat squab. I've covered 14000 miles in 13 years with mainly classic car shows and Summer use. My longest journeys in her have been two 800 mile trips from Moray to Lancashire and back. She never missed a beat and kept up with the busy motorway traffic. I've been a member of the Austin Maxi owners club (AMOC) for 13 years and had articles published in the club magazine "Maximise" over the years. There is a good back up for parts through AMOC and the Maxi online forums.
My local garage (old school), has maintained my Maxi very well over the years. Apart from routine servicing, MOT's and consumables, she has had the following mechanical work carried out over the years.
2014
New water pump.
New float chamber needle jet.
New engine breather cork element.
2015
New O/ S front upper ball joint.
New N/ S front wheel bearing.
New wheel bearing housing.
New N/ S inner driveshaft boot.
2016
CLEAR WAXOYLED UNDERNEATH.
New tyres.
2021
New 3 piece clutch plus oil seal.
New engine stabiliser bar bushes.
New engine stabiliser ( small shock absorber).
New front twin carb exhaust pipe.
New coil.
RESTORED HYDRAGAS SUSPENSION SYSTEM. ALL 4 SUSPENSION DISPLACERS REGASSED AND SUSPENSION FLUID RENEWED. Work carried out by specialists "Hydragas and Hydrolastic services LTD, (Ian and Dawn Kennedy).
New engine cork breather element.
2023
New O/ S front wheel bearing.
New wheel bearing housing.
2024
New temperature sender unit.
2025
New Bosch battery.
New Nankang 165/ 80 13 tyres.
New clutch slave cylinder.
New rear wheel brake cylinder.
ALL OF THE ABOVE IS IN ADDITION TO ALL NORMAL SERVICING AND FULLY INVOICED IN THE HISTORY FILE.
NOS parts to be included in the sale of the car.
NOS front rubber engine mountings and stabiliser bar mountings.
New plastic chrome roof gutter trim, supplied through AGM spares.
New plastic chrome rear c pillar window inserts and back window trim inserts.
Plus various bushes collected over the years. There are only 14 HLS models licensed with another 10 sorned left, so it is a very rare model now and there are only about 300 Maxis left on the road. The Maxi was the first British 5 gear, 5 door and 5 seater hatchback and very modern for 1969. it was designed by Sir Alec Issigonis under BMC and launched by the newly formed British Leyland. It was very innovative at the time with it's Hydrolastic suspension, (later Hydragas from 1978 onwards) which gave it a supple ride and great handling characteristics. Coupled with its versatile body, it had a spacious interior with great legroom front and rear and you could say that it was an early attempt at an MPV. It came with either a 1500 or 1750 E series engine with an overhead chain driven camshaft.
472000 Maxis were produced between 1969 and July 1981 when it ceased production.
Growing up, my parents had a Maxi 1500, which my Mother ran us around in as children. Dad always had Cortinas or Victors which weren't as roomy or comfortable. Each year we went to the caravan in Wales in the Maxi, as it was so spacious. It fitted two adults, 4 kids, a dinghy on the roof and all the luggage in the boot. It had great rear legroom, with no transmission tunnel getting in the way, due to its front wheel drive layout.
It's been a joy to own this lovely car and she always turns heads with many an anecdote from people who owned one, or more so nowadays, whose parents or grandparents owned one. She is an honest, totally unmolested Maxi in great condition with an advisory free MOT. Genuine reason for the sale. Retirement beckons, with the potential for downsizing our property in the future, which means I will lose my double garage storage facility at home.
For a potential serious buyer south of the Scottish border, I would consider driving her down to Dunblane to my Sisters house, which would reduce the round trip journey by 340 miles, only after securing a holding deposit. Payment please by BACS or cash on collection after a holding deposit has been secured.
