1930/31 AUSTIN 16/6 BURNHAM SALOON - Older restoration.

• Huge House. Garden and Garage Clearance prior to house downsizing!

• This is the bit that hurts - on my first-ever Ebay car sale my beloved Austin 16/6 must go.

• This is a NO RESERVE auction. so you are definitely bidding to buy and remove the car by Tuesday 21st May latest.

• Please check my payment terms etc. below.


The 16/6 is widely regarded as the jewel in Austin's crown and with many examples now changing hands for more than £15. 00 this should be a bargain buy for a capable enthusiast. Built on the same chassis as the renowned 12/4. it has the benefit of a delightfully smooth and powerful six cylinder engine. On various continental tours I had been struck by the ease with which 16/6s kept up with the traffic and climbed some very serious mountains . so I just had to have one!

This particular car has been known to me since 1999 when it was acquired by an old friend in Pembrokeshire. Prior to his ownership it appears to have spent all its life in West Wales. Originally registered in Carmarthen. it sometime carried the number BSV685 and looks to have re-gained its original number in 1987. Earlier history is unknown. The present V5C gives first registration date as 3rd March 1987 and adds “declared manufactured 1931”. Whilst it is certainly a 1931 model (the only year of the external sun visor) the Vintage Austin Register records show first registration on 15th October 1930.

Ownership passed to myself in 2009 and the car was delivered to the well-known Austin specialists at Alderton Garage for a full check-over and recommissioning. This included a total rebuild of the dynamo. replacement regulator. shock absorbers. kingpins and two tyres. With MoT and sundry other work the bills came to £2792. 51. Since then it has not seen a lot of use but has traveled to the ATDC National at Alcester and various VSCC events.

Please read this paragraph carefully . Whilst the car has been restored it is certainly not in pristine condition and has been in storage for many months until started up again this week. It has covered just 16 miles since its MoT test last summer. therefore cannot be assumed to be immediately ready for the road. The fuel in the tank may well be two years old and should obviously be changed as a priority. Also I must declare that the clutch begins to slip when hot. On local journeys it has been perfectly usable. but I would not risk long distance travel or serious hills. With my house move looming I cannot commit to do further work on the car and it will be sold "as is".

The car appears to have been prepared for wedding use. Someone has spent some serious money on the trim materials - nice leather seating and panelling. Wilton (I think) carpet and an excellent corded headlining. The parts not on show are more scruffy - the underbonnet in particular. Much of the chromework has been over-painted in silver. which at least has helped in the preservation of the original chrome underneath. The radiator shell has been "cut and shut". quite tidily.

All the "heavy metal" - chassis. wings and running boards are in very good order. with just a few scratches and minor dings. The body is also generally sound but there are some small areas of rust breaking through at the door bottoms and one part of the rear body - please see pictures 10 and 11 for details of the worst rust. On the plus side. the doors close with a resounding "clunk" and the fabric roof is in near-perfect condition.

The instrument panel appears largely original. Speed. amps and oil pressure all seem to be correctly displayed. I have never attempted to wind the handsome Smiths mechanical clock and the Hobson Telegauge fuel indicator does not function. No surprise there. I have never seen a working example! A bamboo dip-stick is far more reliable. Finally. the radiator should carry a Boyce Motometer temperature indicator. The one that came with the car was a very poor Mazak casting which simply fell apart. Repro items are readily available.

A visiting mouse has made a little meal out some of the plastic binding around the rear carpet. Nothing too serious and the carpet itself has not suffered. In fact that carpet seems slightly oversize and the binding is not particularly well done. so it would make sense to refit and re-bind. The same little fellow has also nibbled the rear seat centre armrest (see pic 12). This is of course not visible when the armrest is folded up.

Obviously any 80+ year old car will continue to require the care and attention of a loving owner. My plan was to remove the engine/gearbox. replace the clutch and tidy up the whole underbonnet area. I should add that the 4-speed centre-change gearbox is fine. but don't try to hurry the changes! Sadly my house move (losing three garages) prevents any more action on my part.

I have done my best to describe the car accurately. warts and all. but I may well have overlooked some point which you consider important. I would therefore encourage any interested parties to visit us where the car may be run up and down our drive. We are retired (home most days. but weekends are more difficult) and are in Winchcombe. just north of Cheltenham.

Currently with MoT (now optional) until 11th July and historic road tax until the end of July.


CONDITIONS OF SALE:

• UK based buyers only

• £500 non-refundable deposit to be paid by PayPal within 48 hours of auction close

• Balance is payable by cash or banker's draft on collection.

• A car transporter or trailer will be necessary for collection.

• CAR MUST BE REMOVED FROM SITE BY TUESDAY 21st MAY - SORRY. ABSOLUTELY NO EXTENSION IS POSSIBLE!

• Any bidder with fewer than 10 positive feedback ratings should send full contact details (inc telephone) before bidding.

• The auction will proceed to completion. No offers. no buy-it-now price. so please do not ask.


Many thanks for looking. and happy bidding!

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