Hailing a great buy
Why this Austin taxi was a below-estimate bargain
CAR 1930 Austin 12 Taxi SOLD £6440 ORIGINAL ESTIMATE £8000-10,000, Brightwells, 22-23 June Values for pre-war cars have slipped in recent years.
Austin 12 values have suffered in the past few years but taxi-bodied examples have fared better due to their lm-work potential and even working as a taxi at the Goodwood Revival. A point worth considering is spares support. Of course, many 1920s/1930s cars aren’t well catered for, but many are – usually through active clubs and specialists. And that’s why this Austin 12 taxi, which admittedly was in need of some fettling, was such an interesting and potentially highly usable buy for the lucky punter who bagged it.
This one was a non-runner.
It was thought to have spent a few years in Staordshire, changing hands in 1943 and in 1946, after which it spent 20 years o the road before the vendor’s late husband bought it in early 1968 and moved to Herefordshire in 1975. It last ran some seven years ago. Brightwells said that they had not tried to start the engine but it turned freely.
It was rare – and in good order.
This 12 carried more unusual Austin-bodied taxi coachwork (with a division) and Brightwells said that the vendor’s late husband renovated the car in the early 2000s. The paint could best be described as fair – there was blooming in places, areas where the paint had lifted. Ideally a re-paint is on the cards. There wasn’t much to disappoint when it came to the bodywork; panel alignment was good and, Brightwells noted, the doors opened and closed nicely. The blue leather seats needed little more than a good clean and some leather food. There wasn’t much in the way of carpet but this is easily rectified. The glass was good and the engine bay tidy.
It's going to make a great pre-war project.
Yes, it needed some work and yes, pre-war cars aren’t everyone’s rst choice. But the Austin 12 brought a decent quality to a more mass market. This survivor was calling out for a new, sympathetic owner and with a bit of effort the result would be something very special indeed.