A rare survivor rescued

Our guru on what made this Lanchester a good buy

It’s a rare visitor to classic auctions.

Production numbers of the LD10 were held back, due in part to the limited supply of steel for cars not being built for export, and with company owner BSA being more focused on its more lucrative Daimler models. As a result there aren’t many on the market right now so the buyer did well to snap this one up when it came up for auction.

It needed work, which would have put some bidders off.

Barons said that it had been in storage for many years and as a result some recommissioning would be required. The good news was that it started and, the auctioneer reported, ‘sounded great’. Its pre-selector gearbox was working well but the selector rods needed adjustment so the gear selected lined up with what the driver might be expecting. On the electrics front the ignition light would sometimes remain illuminated, so some further investigation would be required. The brakes were said to be working well, but at the very least they required checking over before use. The Wades of Worthing maintenance record card (and invoices), as well as the original buff registration book and its first MOT test certificate, issued in October 1960, were included in the sale.

However, it was still a tidy example.

The bodywork had lasted well and the dark blue paint was in good order across the panels, whose alignment was good. The brightwork was fair. All was tidy inside: seat facings and door panels were good while the woodwork – of which there was a fair amount – was also good. The main demerit was a tear to the passenger seat. Lifting the bonnet revealed a very tidy engine bay.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was still a solid buy

Here was a nicelyfinished, well-equipped saloon from the ration book era and one that would no doubt reward its new owner handsomely. Some fettling might have been on the cards but taking that into account it was well bought at the price.