£5,101
The Austin 10, produced between 1932 and 1947, was Austin’s mid-sized car, slotting in neatly between the iconic baby Seven and the much larger Twelve. The pressed steel bodywork, which sat atop a conventional ladder chassis, was propelled along by an 1125cc engine, giving a top speed of 55mph.
As a 1937 vehicle, this example is one of the much sought-after later ‘Cambridge’ models, which is a little bit bigger inside and more streamlined on the outside than the earlier cars.
The Austin 10, produced between 1932 and 1947, was Austin’s mid-sized car, slotting in neatly between the iconic baby Seven and the much larger Twelve. The pressed steel bodywork, which sat atop a conventional ladder chassis, was propelled along by an 1125cc engine, giving a top speed of 55mph.
As a 1937 vehicle, this example is one of the much sought-after later ‘Cambridge’ models, which is a little bit bigger inside and more streamlined on the outside than the earlier cars.
Believed to have been used by the Army when it was new, little is known of this charming little car’s history until it was rescued in the late eighties and restored in 1989/90 by a chap in Norfolk. Having treated the car to a comprehensive programme of mechanical and structural refurbishment, he re-registered it for the road and sold it to the current owner’s brother-in-law in 1995. The vendor bought the car in 2012 from his brother-in-law’s estate.
He continued to care for the Austin 10 Cambridge, maintaining and improving it over the years as necessary. It’s been a regular on the local car show and village fete scene, and has been stored in a new, waterproof car transport trailer (which is available by separate negotiation) to preserve it from the elements.
The Brian James Sprint Shuttle trailer is in very good condition (please see photographs) and comes with a security wheel clamp, locking coupling, a set of car tie-down straps, high security tailgate locks and padlocks, and a complete set of six keys. If not required by the new owner, this trailer will be offered for general sale.
The coachwork was restored with the rest of the car in 1989/99 but as it wasn’t up to the current owner’s high standards he bit the bullet and had it professionally resprayed in 2014. The work included lead loading the steel bodywork where necessary (lead is the traditional and longer-lasting alternative to using a tub of P38 from Halfords…) and as you can see from the photographs, the car now looks very good for an octogenarian and should continue to do so for at least the next couple of decades with nothing more than ongoing care and the odd smear of polish.
As is expected on cars of this era, some of the chrome fittings have lost some of their perfection. If best results from the concours judges was your requirement, both the side lights and radiator grille on this Austin would need re-chroming but are perfectly usable as they are.
The only issue with the vehicle’s exterior is the offside semaphore arm, which operates but the orange plastic has broken. Let’s hope our own exterior frailties are as limited as this when we reach 80, eh?
The green leather seats have developed a wonderful patina, as have the door cards. The front seats have been sympathetically refurbished with new springs but the work has been carried out with an eye to retaining their history and overall appearance, something we wholeheartedly approve of.
The rest of the interior is wonderfully evocative and largely original, which is exactly as it should be .
The mechanical work that was undertaken in the late eighties was done to a high standard and the owner tells us that the car continues to run and drive very well indeed, starting on the button even after spending the winter in hibernation. He tells us that he’d have no hesitation in taking the old girl on a three-figure journey, making it as usable as it is charming.
The only point to note is the rear springs, which have sagged. However, the car comes with a set of replacements and the owner tells us that either replacing the existing ones with these, or simply adding an extra leaf, should see the car’s ride height and handling restored.
The car also comes with a number of spares and bits'n'bobs including spare distributor cap, dynamo, spark plugs, some coolant hoses, fan belt, trolley jack, and a car cover.
Accompanying the Austin is a charming little book that details all the steep hills (over 1 in 12!) in the country. Compatibility with Google Maps is not guaranteed...
The recent respray was partially documented by way of some photographs and the car comes with some old invoices and paperwork.
More importantly, the online MOT history check - yes, it’s been regularly MOT’d, despite it no longer being a legal requirement for a car of this age - shows nothing of any concern, the only faults recorded since 2005 being the sort of minor and easily fixed niggles that will be familiar to any classic car owner.
As can be seen, the Austin has had 'modern' indicators fitted in addition to the working trafficators. These were installed many years ago using parts most usually seen in ex-Army vehicles, leading the owner to believe that this car survived WW2 in the care of the Armed Forces and was then stored for many years before being released into civilian life - unfortunately no paperwork from the era exists to substantiate this.
A delightful sales brochure is included in the sale.
Please visit the Records section of this listing where you will find over 80 photos to see the car fully for yourself.
With an estimate of £6,000, this Austin 10 Cambridge offers remarkable value for money (and remember our reserve is always lower than the estimate); the relatively low price of vintage cars compared to more modern vehicles never ceases to astonish us and this example is no exception.
As a high-days-and-holidays and occasional show car, a pre-war Austin has few peers; they’re tough, easy to work on and provide their lucky owners with a charmingly vintage driving experience and this is one of the nicer examples we’ve seen.
Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be viewed at our 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 or view our frequently asked questions below.
If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transportation needs and Footman James for classic car insurance.
