2011 London Tax Company TAXI TX4

This wonderful London Taxis International TX4 Elegance has been used only sparingly, covering only 18,248 miles in nine years. Anecdotal verbal communications to the vendor include the possibility that this came from the Savoy, but there is no paperwork to confirm this.

Finished in blue with a white roof, it has been trimmed in tan saddle leather throughout, including the driver's seat. Fitted with the ultra-reliable and frugal 2.5-litre diesel engine, it has automatic transmission, making it very easy and relaxing to drive around town.

Bought as an investment, a change in priorities forces its reluctant sale. Offered in virtually unmarked condition, this is a unique opportunity to purchase a very well-trimmed, low-mileage example of the iconic London Taxi TX4.

As you would expect of a car that’s been designed to cover a million miles yet has driven only 18,000, the bodywork is in a very good condition. The unusual colour scheme suits it well, and the body panels themselves are all in great shape.

They’re also well aligned with even shutlines and a distinct absence of the sort of car-park dinks, ripples, and dents that most taxis wear with pride. It really is in a remarkable good condition but then we can’t imagine a decent hotel putting up with anything less than perfection, can you?

Those deep-dish chrome hubcaps, a well-known feature and one that is an essential ingredient in that tight turning circle, are present and in great shape. The rest of the chrome is very good too, as are the light lenses, glass, and badges.

The steel wheels are shod with matching 175R16 Maxxis Cab Special tyres, all of which have good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Blemishes? Well, apart from the odd minor mark and stonechip, we can see one rusty screw on the boot and a broken aerial.

Oh, and yes, of course the illuminated ‘Taxi’ sign works…

The saddle leather interior is streets away from the sort of utilitarian cockpit we’re used to seeing inside a Hackney carriage. And yet, for all the wood and leather, the essential ingredients remain the same, so it’s safe, comfortable and features the sort of ultra-ergonomics that make it the sort of place in which a long shift passes in a blur. (The average cabbie spends 3,000 hours a year behind the wheel, or an average of more than 12 hours every working day, which is a long shift in anyone’s book.)

But, because this one hasn’t had anything like that degree of use, the tan leather driver’s seat is only gently creased and still very supportive and comfy. There’s a ton of storage space up front too, plus cupholders galore.

All of the wooden veneer is in great shape, as are the door cards and headlining. There’s a fire extinguisher in there for safety, plus the obligatory cardboard air freshener without which no hackney carriage can be licenced *. (* This might not be legally true…).

The rear is a glorious confection of the unfamiliar and the familiar, largely because that well-known architecture is almost completely swathed in tan saddle leather including the seats, door cards, centre bulkhead, and grab handles.

It really is a wonderfully discombobulating place to be and is so gratifyingly opulent that no-one, not even those more used to riding in the back of a conventional limousine, would find much to complain about.

The two main rear seats are wide and comfortable, and the large centre armrest folds down to provide a third forward-facing seat. There is huge legroom, of course, and the floor is covered with a very good carpet.

That massive legroom is slightly encroached upon when the two rear-facing seats are folded down, a move that increases the carrying capacity to five in addition to the driver. These ‘jump’ seats are more comfortable than they look and are fitted with proper three-point safety belts.

There’s a 300kg wheelchair ramp too, plus wide-opening rear doors and a ‘Piexiglas Resist 65’ attack-resistant safety screen to keep your children safely contained at arm’s length. There’s also an ultra-efficient Bergstrom air-conditioning system to keep them at ambient temperature no matter what the weather is doing.

Leather-covered, neatly stitched grab handles are dotted here and there for them to swing from, and there’s even a coin holder so you can dish out your kids’ pocket money without having to touch the grubby little monkeys.

Other neat fixtures and fittings include a one-touch central locking system, a decent stereo system with speakers in the passenger compartment, map, floor, roof, and puddle lights, an intercom system (goodness, how your kids could use that to torment you…), and an induction loop for passengers with hearing difficulties.

Work to do? Well, aside from a damned good valet, we can’t see there is anything to do at all bar ignore the small hole in the floor covering in the driver’s footwell.

The original factory tool kit is unused and still in its plastic wrapping. There’s a wheelchair tie-down kit in the boot too plus an intermediate bridging step and spare wheel.

The underside is solid and clean, and while the engine bay is a little grubby, that’s okay because a dirty engine shows oil leaks better than a clean one and we can’t see any.

As you can see in the video, it starts promptly and while the engine sounds a little crude, it’ll run forever on the merest whiff of an oily rag. The TX4 drives as it should and that lofty driving position, super-comfortable driver’s seat, and tight turning circle make it unlike any other car to drive. We liked driving it. A lot.

The TX4’s MOT certificate, which is valid until December 2020, was gained without a single advisory point.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

We’d never considered owning a taxi before, but having spent some time with this one we have to confess to being slightly smitten. So smitten, in fact, that we’ve been running through the list of roles it could potentially fulfill – and this is a very versatile vehicle.

From being used as a quirky wedding and prom car through to providing sensible family transport, its rock-solid mechanicals and equally solid residuals would make it a far more practical vehicle than you might imagine.

Of course, it could also be used as a taxi, a role that might be a bit of a life-saver if the economy dips next year and we all end up looking for a second job to keep the home fires burning.

It would also work as a brilliant film and magazine prop too, or even just the centerpiece in a British classic car collection.

Which means that its guide price of somewhere between £14,000 and £18,000 is pretty good value; barely run-in by taxi standards, it’s likely to sell for only half the new price and yet still has around 981,752 miles left in it, which means you can add family heirloom to the list of potential roles, too.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.