Highlights
- Runs and drives
- MOT and tax exempt
- Rare car today
- Ready for a slight overhaul
- Will look amazing when complete
The Appeal
Back in the early 1950s, the A70 Hereford was a rarity to see on the road, with only around 50,000 units being produced in its 4-year life. So you can imagine that today, 70 years later, they’re even rarer to find in working condition.
This example has been sitting as part of a larger collection for the past few years. It’s this storage that has more than likely extended its life further, as it hasn’t had to see any nasty salty roads. With a little bit of work, this could be one of the best examples out there.
The History and Paperwork
- As this car has been in a collection for a while the paperwork is a little thin
- There is a V5 present, but it’s only half of the full document
- It shouldn’t be too much of a task to get a new one though, it’s all online these days
- There is a small printout, which looks to be from 2012, that documents some of the work that has been completed throughout its history
- These include an older restoration where the rear wings were replaced and a respray was undertaken
- It has been sitting in a large storage barn for a few years now and has just been bought out for sale
- To get it going again it really only required a new electric fuel pump, some fresh petrol, and a new battery
- It fires into life easily and drives well on the road considering its age
- If you’re looking for a slight project to keep you busy during the off season, then this should be at the top of your list
The Interior
- Appears to be the original leather
- Full of lovely classic features
- Looks complete
Looking at the interior fitted to this Austin it looks in pretty good condition when you consider its age. There is a printout that mentions that the leather covering the seats is original, although this can’t be verified it does look somewhat possible.
Speaking of the seats both the front seats and rear bench are in good condition. The front seats have obviously seen more use over the years so you will be able to spot some areas of wear. This can be seen more on the driver’s seat with some slight loss of leather around the base and the side of the seat base. Hopefully, this will be rectified with a trip to a leather specialist. Apart from this area on the driver’s seat, the rest of the seats are presented well, with only some minor areas that show their age.
Looking down from the seats the brown carpets appear to be fairly modern. Covering the entirety of the cabin floor, and boot floor, these carpets are in very good condition indeed. This is one job you won’t have to do during the recommissioning.
Moving up from the carpets to the dashboard we are presented with a nice, body coloured, metal panel that houses all of the important dials and gauges. Back in 1950, not many car manufacturers would fit a car with a heater for free, Austin did, however, and the controls for the Smiths heater can be found under the dash. All of the dials appear to work, but if you’re going to complete a restoration you may just want to clean up the surrounds slightly.
Overall, the interior Is presented well and intact. There are a few areas that could do with some new leather or material, but as they are still covered you could use them as templates for the replacement, making everyone’s life much easier.
The Exterior
- Recognisable design
- All the trim appears to be present
- Lovely colour
- Has amazing potential
You will notice that the exterior of the A70 looks very reminiscent of the other models that Austin was producing at the time, it is almost like someone has watered an A30 and it has grown slightly. This example is present in fair good exterior condition, but some areas could probably do with a little bit of love.
It is mentioned on a document in the paperwork that this car has been resprayed in the past. Whether it was done on a budget, or the weather has got to it we can’t comment, but it could probably do with another respray. Although this may seem daunting, it is a perfect opportunity to make this classic to how you want it to be. If you’re not a fan of green, then why not take this chance to create your own unique A70?
No classic car is complete without a copious helping of chrome work, and luckily for you, all of the original chrome work appears to still be attached to this Austin. There are a few areas where it is slightly pitting, but on the whole, it is lovely to see it all still there.
On the whole, the exterior is presented rather well considering that it may need a little bit of work. The current combination of green exterior and tan interior is actually quite ‘in’ at the minute so you could be picking up a rather trendy classic for your collection.
The Mechanics
- Starts, runs, and drives
- Idles well
- Ready to go
You may think that a 70 year old car that has been in storage for a while wouldn’t run, but no, this A70 runs impeccably considering its circumstances. When it was bought out of its long sleep little work was required to get it going, it really only required a new electric fuel pump and it fired into life and since then it has worked well.
On the day of the photoshoot, this Austin was taken out for a spin just to demonstrate that it worked well on the road. It fired straight into life and pulled away for a short drive around the village. On the journey, it went through all of the gears and stopped well. One thing to note is that If you press the brakes hard it will pull to the left, so you may need to have a look at the brakes.
It is amazing to think that 70 years after its production this car is still going great guns, and the beauty of a classic is they’re so mechanically simple that it may even go on for another 70 years if everyone looks after it correctly.
Summary
This should be a great little project over the cooler months, and when the spring starts and car shows start opening up again this will be able to sit proudly on display.
With a little bit of work this rare A70 will be the jewel of your collection, you may even find that this is a good place to put your money into during the winter as come the show season it won’t go unnoticed.
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