1 of only 20 of the 1964 models left (according to ‘How Many Left’)
Manual 4-speed column shift
Last used as a wedding car
Five owners from new
In current ownership for 9 years
The Appeal
The Austin Princess Limousine – later rebadged as the Vanden Plas Princess Limousine – is a hand-built, long wheelbase limousine built by BMC from 1952 until 1968. Often used by funeral directors and wedding car companies, these classic cruisers feature beautifully sculpted coachwork, a comfortable, spacious cabin and a smooth 4-litre straight-six powerplant.
The current owner has had possession of the car since 2013, having purchased it to use in their wedding car hire business. Sadly, the business ceased to trade and the car has been off the road and garaged since 2019. The previous owner had the car from 2000, where it was used as a passenger vehicle by a funeral director.
One of the lovely things about this car is the sense of space and light. The cabin is vast, both front and rear, with comfortable seating for nine (three in the front and six in the back). With a large boot as well, it makes it a very practical classic. You could easily get the entire family in here for a trip to the countryside or a picnic at the beach.
Obviously, the interior has seen better days and should be regarded as a mild restoration project. Overall, everything is in good condition – the headlining looks to be in very good fettle and shows no signs of sagging at all. The brown leather in the passenger compartment is supple and has a lovely patina without showing any major damage – with a clean and feed, it would soon be back to its best. In the driving compartment, the front bench seat and door cards are trimmed in black leather. On the bench seat, this leather has seen better days and has significant wear, we would suggest it would benefit from a retrim.
The walnut trim and dashboard elements in the front and rear compartments are all in good condition though. Some trim pieces are loose and require refixing, but the actual trim itself is complete, original and looks very well for its age. The cabin would also benefit from new carpets, but this is a relatively minor job.
We love the two tone paintwork of this Limousine. The black-over-white works very well with the car’s swooping, attractive coachwork, especially with that gold coachline. Obviously, the car is in need of restoration externally, but we would definitely retain the colour scheme as we think it looks absolutely spot-on.
As far as we could tell, all of the external brightwork was complete and original. Most of the brightwork is in need of restoration, but the fact it is complete is a big bonus as these parts are tricky to come by now. Underneath, the car looks solid but does have some significant surface corrosion which needs to be treated as soon as possible. Overall, we would say the car is externally in solid, unrestored condition.
Independent coil front / semi-elliptic leaf sprung rear suspension
New clutch (2018)
Head gasket and head skim (2019)
New radiator core (2019)
While the car runs, it should be noted that it has been dry-stored for more than two years, so should be considered a restoration / recommissioning project. Mechanically, the advantage of these cars is that they’re relatively simple and robust. That six-cylinder engine is smooth and easy to maintain with parts still fairly easy to procure.
The current owner has had some significant work done to the car during their ownership, including a head skim and head gasket, new clutch and new radiator core. The car was fully serviced when the head gasket was replaced, and since just after then has been garaged.
We’re assured by the owner that the car drives well, changing gear, going and stopping as it should and riding very comfortably. From our inspection, we believe that the majority of mechanical work required will be in restoring / replacing suspension and braking components. The engine itself looks to be in reasonably good condition.
This Vanden Plas Limousine is a perfect base for a restoration project. Being complete, original and very solid, it looks like everything you need to bring this car back to perfect original condition is here.
When restored, these are lovely vehicles – comfortable, spacious, good-looking and robust. If you’re after a good-looking classic that can easily accommodate the whole family, the dogs, and probably next door’s family too, this is perfect.
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