Harrods to Historics
Why this not-so black cab was a no-reserve bargain
Survivors are rare – and that tends to push prices up.
Any car destined for a hard-working life, even if made in large numbers over a long period, is likely to be rare, and that’s certainly the case with the former Austin FX4 taxi. Later examples are often thought to be more appealing because of their 2.7-litre Nissan diesel engine and automatic transmission – and we have seen similar examples, including one that sold at Brightwells for £7k – going for considerably more, so we think that the £2377 this one made was a snip.
The colour scheme wasn’t to everyone’s taste.
Don’t worry – while it may have been fully logoed up in the Christian Dior colours as part of a Harrods window display in 2019, it’s a vinyl wrap rather than a fully-fledged res-pray. But even so, it might have put some bidders off, helping to keep the price in check. However, Historics said that all of the original features were still present, including the roof-mounted ‘TAXI’ sign, which was still working. The bodywork appeared sound and straight, with no bubbling in the wheelarches or the door bottoms, and the panels appeared to be in good order.
The interior was in decent nick, though.
The interior continued that theme and was in good condition throughout, although FX4 purists might prefer the earlier, simpler interiors if only for aesthetic reasons. Rear seat facings were good, as was the black plastic trim. All was good in the front, too, with few signs of hard wear from the 434,000 miles shown on the odometer – which is barely run-in for one of these if it’s been looked after.
It’s the cheapest way into an iconic British shape.
As a small slice of Anglophile heritage, the FX4 is every bit as important as an early BMC Mini or a Jaguar E-type. Most buyers would probably want to remove the vinyl wrap but other than that here was a usable, roomy, reliable and above all characterful classic bought for comparatively little outlay.