Austin Westminster A105 Vanden Plas 1958 – SOLD £2862

The first A105 Vanden Plas was produced to special order for the personal use of BMC’s chairman, Sir Leonard Lord. He was so delighted with the result that he then requested Vanden Plas to produce the cars in quantity. Mechanically, the A105 Vanden Plas was the same as that of the standard A105, for all the changes were in trim and furnishing. Cars were built at Longbridge, without trim and upholstery, then delivered to the Vanden Plas works at Kingsbury for completion. Compared with the standard product, the Vanden Plas derivative had wood (walnut) facia and door cappings, leather seat facings, thick pile carpet on the floor, and a wood cloth headlining. There were special exterior paint jobs, side flashes and badges, and right from the start the cars could be supplied with centre-floor or steering-column gear-change controls. As with the ordinary A105, Borg-Warner overdrive was standard equipment.
It is believed that this Austin Westminster Vanden Plas is one of only 5 remaining today! Only two owners from new, the first of which owned the vehicle from new in 1958 until 2015. Fitted with the Austin Healey 100/6 engine as standard providing excellent performance when new. Four speed column change manual gearbox with overdrive. Comes with a new MOT which it passed without any advisories. A rare piece of British motoring history!

An email from Bryan Peebles, Membership Secretary of the Vanden Plas Owners Club, to the vendor gives more information on the vehicle:

“Your fathers car is as you probably know one of 500 built at the Vanden Plas factory in Kingsbury, London. It was originally painted Carlton Grey with a Regency Metallic Grey side flash. A manual overdrive version it was made in April 1958 and first registered on 1st August 1958. It carries the chassis number (B not 8 ) BS8-HCO-60608 and Vanden Plas job number 1046. I know of 4 others which are still on the road, a Black one, a Richmond red one, a Sage green one and finally a Richmond red one now painted Old English white with red flash.”

• Condition: 2 -3

• Reg number: 212UYN

• Date of registration: 01-08-1958

• Mileage: 878  (not warranted)

• MOT: 01-08-16