Highlights 

• Very clean 
• Palatial rear leg room 
• Excellent partition screen 
• Tax and MOT exempt 

The Appeal 

This wonderful Princess was the result of the excellent coachwork of Vanden Plas, a company that started out in the 1800’s making horse-drawn coaches and started a long history going forward of making some fantastic vehicles in partnership with some of the world’s most luxurious car manufacturers. This fine example was the result of a partnership with Austin, and is powered by the wonderful Austin D-series 4 Litre, 6 cylinder engine, and features the utmost luxury and was intended to compete with the likes of Rolls Royce and Bentley.

This model is known as the 6-light saloon having 6 full size windows for excellent views from the interior, and between all of the variants, only 88 examples were built in total of the Vanden Plas Princess, with even fewer 6-light versions. A such this is now a very rare car, with fewer than 20 believed to be remaining in the UK. Certainly a very worthwhile investment in a rare and fine vehicle worth preserving.

The History and Paperwork 

• V5 Present. 
• A large folder full of history is included, which is a wonderful addition to a car of this age. 
• Lots of invoices and MOT test certificates are present, an excellent collection of vehicle history. 
• Also a lovely “Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre” book is also included. 

The Interior 

• Luxuriously appointed in supple beige leather, the bench seat has ample room for passengers, and being in a limousine configuration, the leg room in the back is palatial. There is also an extra row of folding seats that can be utilised to increase seating capacity. The seats are all overall in very good condition with no major marks or blemishes evident. 
• Copious amounts of luxury wood trim throughout, all of which has clearly been well cared for and is very nice and clean. The Dashboard wood trim does have some wrinkling to the finish, however it has been kept very well for a vehicle of this age and does not detract from the feel of the car. 
• The classy black steering wheel really completes the regal feel of this interior. 
• The headlining is in wonderful condition and is clean and free from any major blemishes or tears and is taut and free of sags. 
• The carpets are also finished in a light beige and are wonderfully kept and very soft 
• Also included is a high pile matching floor mat that is extremely luxurious, an excellent addition indeed. 
• An extremely luxurious interior all round. 
• The partition is a very nice addition, making for a nice privacy screen between passengers and chauffeur. 
• Door cards are all in lovely condition and appointed in seat colour matched leather and wood trim. 
• All of the interior brightwork is in good shape and as with the rest of the interior, has been kept and maintained to a high standard. 
• A wonderful interior and certainly a joy for passengers and drivers alike. 

The Exterior 

• The body is a stunning aluminium panelling over ash wood construction. 
• The exterior is finished in a wonderfully clean and classy two tone white and black, with white being the main colour and the bonnet and upper-half adorned in black. 
• It also has a very tasteful gold pinstripe following the edge of the black two tone paint. 
• Wonderful badging in black and chrome, and all of the brightwork has been very nicely maintained to a high polish. 
• The large and very imposing front grill is a real sight to behold and features the brilliant Austin “flying A” bonnet mascot in glorious chrome. 
• An absolutely stunning vehicle, it is certain to turn heads no matter what the occasion, a glorious machine and very elegant. 
• The lovely black, chrome-capped wheels are in superb condition and the tyres are all in good order. 
• The rear wheels are enveloped in the classic princess spats for a luxurious floating look. 
• Glass is clean and clear and all the lights are very nice indeed. 
• A brilliant machine with classic sweeping lines, a brilliantly kept luxury limousine.

The Mechanics 

• Overall this car is in fine shape mechanically, and has been kept in good working order, in keeping with the excellent shape of the rest of the vehicle. 
• The exhaust is in very good shape and looks to have been replaced fairly recently. 
• The engine bay is very clean, and has clearly been very well taken care of. A lovely sight to see the fine 4.0 litre engine! 
• Under the body has been well cared for, and minimal corrosion is evident. The car has been well undersealed to help preserve its condition. 
• Suspension and running gear all appear to be in good order. 
• There is a torn section of the noise deadening insulation lining the bonnet, however this could be easily remedied and does not affect the operation or sound of the vehicle adversely. 
• Some mechanical work that has been carried out includes a complete conversion to run on lead-free fuel, including phosphor bronze valve guides, servo brakes, a new power steering ram, and new brake pipes. 

Summary