1928 Austin 'Heavy' 12/4 Landaulette

1928 Austin 'Heavy' 12/4 Landaulette, Coachwork by Gordon, Registration no. VG 731, Chassis No 42483.

‘What does a motorist demand of a moderately priced saloon car?" asked Austin's advertising for the 'Heavy' 12/4 in 1930. ‘First and foremost he demands dependability, not for months or seasons but for years. He wants a car that does not need looking after. He wants, after a gruelling day's run, to drive his car into his garage and forget about it until he wants to drive it out again. He wants it to keep up a high average speed – to take hills in its stride - to be economical with petrol and oil. In short, he wants dependability of an outstanding kind, dependability which costs practically nothing to maintain.’ Along with the Seven, the Twelve saved the ailing Austin concern, nearly 70,000 of the larger model being sold up to the end of 1930. Launched in late 1921, the Twelve owed its success to Austin's superior build quality and the soundness of the basic design. The model became a byword for indestructibility, a virtue that commended itself to the London taxi trade, which used the Heavy 12/4 extensively throughout the 1930s and beyond. The Twelve engine was a five-bearing, magneto ignition-equipped, sidevalve four displacing 1861cc, for which the factory claimed a maximum output of 27bhp at a lowly 2,000rpm, sufficient for 40-45mph cruising at which speed the Twelve returned around 26 miles per gallon. After the Light 12/4's arrival in 1933, the Heavy Twelve's days were numbered, although it soldiered on in production until 1939, with enduring popularity among the taxi trade. Enduringly popular, the model remains a favourite with Austin enthusiasts.

The landaulette body on this 1928 Austin 12/4 was built by Gordon of Birmingham, and supplied through Austin agent Mann Egerton. The company’s bodies were always of the highest quality and certainly a match for those of the best London coachbuilders. VG 731 has only had four owners from new and still retains its original registration number, logbooks and handbooks.

If this Austin’s outline looks vaguely familiar it may well be as a result of seeing such a car in an old film featuring any scene with a London taxi in it. That said, the paintwork and fittings on this car are in much nicer condition than your average hard working taxi.

The maroon paint is very nice, with only some very slight sinking on one of the bonnet panels, and the panels are all straight and true. The visible parts of the chassis look very well finished too, and its unlikely the car has covered many miles since its refurbishment.

Some of the varnish on the running boards and some areas of the woodwork around the windows could do with refinishing, as it hasn’t lasted as well as the paint on the bodywork, but this is a minor problem, and overall the car looks beautiful.

The artillery wheels have a matching set of period correct tyres.

Inside the spacious cabin the headlining is in superb condition, save for some of the string webbing on the roof mounted storage pocket, which has broken and needs redoing.

The sumptuous brown leather seats are in lovely condition, with just some small marks on the leather on the doors near the storage pockets.

The large steering wheel, with its centrally mounted ignition advance and retard control, is an imposing sight.

On the right of the dash an aperture there is what looks like a capillary feed to a temperature gauge of some sort.

Firing up an old beast like this Austin isn’t quite as pushbutton as a modern car, with the starting procedure listed as:

1. Do not change settings in middle of steering wheel.
2. On dashboard underneath ammeter there are two switches. Turn the left-hand switch one click so the ignition is on.
3. At bottom of facia there is a new switch, this is the electric pump as the car has been converted from autovac to electric pump for the sake of ease. Put this on – it will light up green.
4. Open bonnet on driver’s side and tickle the carburettor by pulling the needle up and down, making the pump tick as it fills the chamber.
5. Pull out choke then push the starter button on the floor to the left of the clutch, and the car will start.

The seller has reconditioned the original floor-mounted starter switch and it is now functioning again, just as it did when it left the factory 95 years ago.

He also suggests that the front floor panels should be modified to give easier access for maintenance.

With its effective four-wheel brakes, the 12/4 coped with sudden emergencies better than many of its contemporary rivals. And with the immensely strong mechanical layout the cars had an enviable reputation for being virtually unbreakable.

Looking underneath that strength is obvious: a sturdy chassis with over-engineered suspension components in plain sight, and an engine bay which couldn’t really be any simpler. When sold in 2019, the car was said to be "totally reliable and driven to the sale", but thereafter it entered a period of slumber that resulted in some starting issues. When the current seller purchased the car, it had no spark; drying the magneto and fitting a makeshift thrust-button to the distributor cap overcame this, but the new owner would be advised to source a genuine part from a mag specialist (fuller details in the typewritten notes included). There were also problems with the carburettor, which was found to have a damaged slow-running tube, now replaced, and a loose float needle seating.

It should also be noted that the cooling system is currently operating on a thermo-syphon system, as did the Taxi version of the 12/4. A water pump was originally fitted to this example, but has been removed at some point. This shouldn’t present a problem under normal conditions but, if so desired, a pump and associated parts could be obtained from the Vintage Austin Register.

Further checking of the running gear (including gearbox and axle oil levels) would be recommended before road use but, should any issues arise, then a vast wealth of knowledge is available from the VAR and other sources - these cars retain a strong following, even 100 years after their introduction.

Along with the original buff logbook, and all original handbooks, also on file are numerous bills and photographs detailing a partial restoration completed some 10 years ago, paying particular attention to retaining originality and patina. These works included renovation of the body and some mechanicals while the interior was re-trimmed throughout in leather.

This is rare opportunity to acquire an Austin from the period when the marque was a byword for top quality, reliable engineering. Once further checks and recommissioning are completed, this is a car you could happily enjoy for years to come.

We estimate this vehicle to fetch between £10,000 - £15,000 in auction.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.