Austin Cambridge

VIN Chassis No.:     A/HS8/152427First Registered:    29.6.1961This Austin A55 spent the first 48 years of its life, until 2009, with its first owner, a Mr E. Thomas, who cosseted it and used it only 'on high days and holidays!' It has now had only 4 owners from new. The Mark II Austin Cambridge is now the rarest of all Austin Cambridges, having been produced only from 1959 - 1961, making this one of the later ones, and there are believed to be less than thirty of them still in British ownership.With the exception of a respray in 2009 and new carpets a year later the car is totally original, and has only covered 44,000 miles.As the photographs show, the car is in quite outstanding condition, and we very much doubt there are any others in such fine order throughout. The car didi actually win Best British Car at the Cornwall Festival of Transport, in Truro, in 2012, and doesn't appear to have deteriorated in any way, shape or form since. The bodywork is exceptional, and the chrome trim is also excellent, with immaculate doorhandles and trim free of any pitting. The underside of the car is absolutely rock solid - please see the photos, and the interior of the car is also unobjectionable, with the rooflining needing to be seen to be believed.The boot floor is also corrosion free, even in all those places where these cars have been known to corrode. There are simply no nasty surprises lurking anywhere, we sincerely doubt this Cambridge has ever spent a night in the open air. Following the theme, the engine bay is spotless. The car runs on Austin's trusty four-cylinder OHC 1500cc B-Series engine with a four-speed manual gearbox which together produce enough power to easily keep up with modern traffic, and give smooth gearchanges and, all in all, flawless ride quality. I drove it today and it's incredibly comfortable, there are no whines from the gearbox or back axle, and it glides like it's on air, the suspension operates impeccably. It's reassuring to know that long journeys can be undertaken in comfort.Ride quality is enhanced by independent front suspension, and the premium Girling braking system.When The Motor magazine tested an A55 Cambridge in 1959 they recorded a top speed of 75 mph with a very respectable  fuel consumption of 31 miles per gallon.These Austin Cambridges intended as family cars, hence there is ample space in both the front and back, and there's also plenty of luggage space in the boot.As the accompanying history file shows, this classic has already won prizes, and these early Farina-style Austin Cambridges are now exceedingly rare, and even rarer in this condition. We strongly advise calling rather than emailing for a swift response, as we expect demand for this outstanding example to be strong.

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