Winning bid
£6,000

1932 Austin 10

Highlights

  • One 3 owners from new 
  • Extensive restoration was carried out a few years ago
  • Brilliant condition

The Appeal

A British icon, the Austin Motor Company started producing passenger vehicles right at the start of the automotive industry in 1905. 

It would grow steadily until the first world war where it would go into full production to help the war effort. After the war, they would return to civilian vehicles, and this is where the Austin 10 comes into focus. 

With the Ten being launched in April of 1932, it would make this example gracefully named ‘Fifi’, an extremely early example. Fifi was registered for road use in June of 1932 and almost 100 years later she is still road legal, simply amazing. 
This Austin has only had three owners from new, a staggeringly low figure for such an old car. She started a thorough restoration in 1993 after she was found in a barn, today it still looks like it has just finished that restoration, a testament to the level of craftsmanship poured into making it like new.

Austin’s are an endearing piece of British motoring history and cars like this must stay with us for younger generations to learn from.

The next custodian of this car will have this job, but as she is in such wonderful condition, she should be a pleasure to own and run.
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The History and Paperwork

  • Purchased from the Motor Show that the Austin 10 was unveiled at, she rolls off the production line in June of 1932. 
  • ‘Fifi’ is believed to be one of the oldest Austin 10’s left in the world 
  • In 1934 a ‘Mrs. Read’ purchased the car for £40, she and her brother went halves on the purchase, and it would stay in their ownership until it was bought into the current family in 1993.
  • During her time with Mrs. Read, Fifi was looked after tremendously well. With many stories to tell from this period, one fun story was when a party was thrown for Fifi. With her nose through the French doors so she could join in. 
  • In 1967 Fifi was put away with the idea of restoring her, this would never happen in that ownership
  • When in 1993 she was found in a sorry state the current family knew that she had to be saved.
  • After a 20-month restoration, which started in 1993, she was back to her former glory.
  • Since that time, she has been the jewel in the family collection, garnering many loving gazes from people who pass by. 
  • Along with a beautifully present car show board, there are a couple of photo albums with multiple photos that show her restoration. 
  • A beautiful piece of historic paperwork that is present in these photos albums is the final tax disc she wore in March of 1967. 
  • Along with assorted bits of history, there appears to be every invoice from any piece of work carried out to the car. These invoices stretch from 12/01/1956 to around 1964 just before she was parked up
  • One beautiful fact is that Fifi has stayed in the Herne Bay area since 1934, it would appear that Mr & Mrs. Read lived within the area and the current custodians also live within the Herne Bay area. 
  • With a modern V5 present she is ready to go to her next loving home, where hopefully, she garners as much love as she has for the past 88 years. 

The Interior

  • The green seats are in great condition
  • The wooden dash is presented beautifully 
  • Brilliant place to sit and watch the world go by 
The interior of any classic is always a glorious place to sit, an environment to take in the thrills, smells, and sights that come with classic motoring. 

When this car was found in a barn back in 1993 the interior did not look anything like this. Through a lot of painstaking work, it has been bought back up to the standard that can win shows.
To match the exterior green the interior has been upholstered in a lovely, almost sage green material. Both the front seats and the rear bench are in great condition, with no real marks on the material they are a great place to sit and watch the world roll by. 

The current owner has stated that these seats are sadly not the original ones, those seats were too far gone to repair. To match the green seats, the door cards have also been finished in the same material, these too are in great condition.
One small issue on the interior is a problem with the passenger side doors, they are kept shut using a small tie to make sure that the car is secure when parked.

However, upon trying to open the rear left passenger door we found that it didn’t want to open, the other doors work fine though, just this small problem with one of them. 

As you can see from the photos the dashboard is a beautiful piece of wooden design, the dials nestle neatly into this providing vital driving information such as temperatures and how many gallons of fuel you have left. 
Overall, the interior of this Austin Ten is in great condition. It is raring to go on its next adventure with the next owner.
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The Exterior 

  • Running boards in good condition
  • The wire wheels are in good visual condition
  • Beautiful little car
The Austin 10 followed up on its smaller brother, the revolutionary 7, it was slightly bigger providing more space for passengers and a bigger engine. The exterior of this Ten is presented in great condition thanks to the restoration that was undertaken all those years ago. 
Finished in a lovely green with black accents and a gold pinstripe it looks resplendent in the sun. One great feature is that there appears to be no damage to the exterior at all. With all the original panels that it would have left the factory within 1932, it is a lovely survivor car.
The running boards appear to be in good condition, the brightwork around the headlights and radiator grille could either do with a really good polish or some new units. 
Overall, she is in good exterior condition, showing only a few age-related marks here and there. Wearing her name proudly on the front bumper, Fifi is a great-looking and endearing classic.

As soon as you set eyes on her you will fall in love.
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The Mechanics 

  • Original invoices for mechanical work from the 1950s
  • Was recently running
  • Low mileage covered since its restoration
Fitted with a peppy little 1.1l four-cylinder engine that could produce a dizzying 10hp it can power the Austin Ten to a comfortable 50 mph. 

The Times would say that ‘one travels very smoothly, and the car is undoubtedly stable’ when they road-tested one back in the day. The ride should be no different today and with the restoration work that was undertaken some years, it should feel brilliant on the road. 
It must be mentioned that it is being sold as a non-runner. 

However, it had been out on the road before this winter. When it was tucked up during the colder months, she has become shy and doesn’t want to start anymore. She could possibly fire back into life after some general maintenance work, but right now she doesn’t run. 
Once ‘Fifi’ gets back up and running she will be a brilliant car to take out to your nearest classic car, and with the rest of the interior and exterior being in great condition you should find a small gathering around the car soon appears.
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Summary

With the name Austin being synonymous within the automotive world, this is your chance to own one very special little Austin Ten. 

With such a great story about her life, Fifi offers a prospective buyer a lovely little prospect. If you treat her well, much like the current and previous owners, then she will treat you well. 
You must take her to see lots of new places though, Fifi would like to travel out of the Herne Bay area for her next adventure.  
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
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Auction Details

  • Year1932
  • MakeAustin
  • ModelAustin 10
  • ColourGreen and Black
  • Odometer4,509 Miles
  • Engine size1125cc
  • Seller TypePrivate
  • TownHerne Bay
  • CountyKent
  • CountryUnited Kingdom
  • Auction ends

Bidding history

23 Bids

Helm••••
Bid
£6,000
28/04/22
florian••••
Bid
£5,750
28/04/22
Helm••••
Bid
£5,500
28/04/22
florian••••
Bid
£5,250
28/04/22
Helm••••
Bid
£5,000
28/04/22
florian••••
Bid
£4,750
28/04/22
Helm••••
Bid
£4,500
28/04/22
florian••••
Bid
£4,250
28/04/22
Helm••••
Bid
£4,000
27/04/22
james.w••••
Bid
£3,650
27/04/22

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