OUTSTANDING AUSTIN BASED VANDEN PLAS 1500, JUST 32,000 GENUINE MILES FROM NEW

PRESENTING

 

A truly outstanding 1977 Vanden Plas 1500 with the sought after 5 speed manual gearbox.

 

3 former keepers and just 32. 00 miles from new supported by old MOT's back to 1982.

 

Presented in show condition. never welded or filled with all of its original panels and still some of its factory paint finish.

 

Always garaged and kept under wraps then dry stored for many years.

 

One of the few remaining that were finished and received final assembly at the Vanden Plas Plant in Kingsbury before it was closed down by British Leyland in the late seventies.

 

A rare car now The Vanden Plas 1500 was the last true Vanden Plas model and as such low mileage original condition examples should prove to be very sound investments for relatively low outlay.

 

The car presented here really is lovely - and we really do love it!

 

 

 

THE VANDEN PLAS 1500

The name of Vanden Plas is one of the oldest in the motor industry. dating back to the end of the 19th century. The company had been coach builders for Rolls-Royce. Bentley. Alvis. Daimler. Lagonda and many more.  

In 1962. the late Fred Connolly. of the company famous for supplying the finest hides for the World's most prestigious vehicles. approached Vanden Plas to prepare for him personally a special version of the recently announced Morris 1100. A prototype was exhibited at the 1963 London Motor Show. So much interest was shown in the Prototype that Vanden Plas started full scale production of the car that had been branded by many as “the Mini Rolls-Royce”. Vanden Plas. however. named it the Princess 1100.

 

The Vanden Plas Princess 1100 and latterly 1300 proved to be extremely popular and when production ceased to be replaced by the Austin Allegro it was decided that it should be that model. rather that the Morris Marina. that should be used for the basis of the prestigious Vanden Plas version launched on the 17th September 1974.

 

BL's marketing men went to great lengths to distinguish the Vanden Plas 1500 from the Allegro. Never badging or referring to them as Allegro's or. quite rightly. even Austin's. The make of vehicle always shown on all paperwork including the vehicle registration document was correctly Vanden Plas.

 

"Luxurious yet unostentatious. powerful yet economical. the Vanden Plas 1500 is truly a car for the discriminating motorist. claimed the sales brochure. "Totally international in concept. it is equally at home in Rome or Paris or Vienna - yet its distinctive air of good breeding is unmistakably British. " the brochure goes on to say. The bodyshell was suspended using the new Hydragas suspension system (derived from the previous Hydrolastic system used on the 1100/1300) which endowed the car with an outstanding ride quality.

 

Assembled up to a point on the Allegro line at Longbridge with just the power plant and running gear in the basic shell the unfinished cars were transported to The Vanden Plas works in Kingsbury for finishing. There the skilled work force would transform the cars into true opulence using the very finest materials.

 

The seats were a unique design more reminiscent with an armchair one would expect to find at Gentleman's club then in a medium sized car. They were extremely comfortable with leather centre inserts a fold down centre arm rest in the back and front. Best of all two beautifully cantilevered walnut picnic tables mounted on the back of the front seats - just the thing for lashings of ginger beer and home baked ham!

 

A walnut dash board with round instruments was fitted with a bank of proper switches each one individually labelled. Matching door cappings with walnut strip inserts were fitted above the superior door cards with padded arm rests.

 

Extra sound deadening was laid before the deep pile wall to wall carpets with bound edges were fitted.

 

Even the headlining was of the best quality Nylon cloth.

 

Many improvements were made to the exterior too. A unique bonnet was fitted alongside changes to the front panel. to accommodate the traditional Vanden Plas grille. chrome fog lights and Vanden Plas chrome wheel trims and hub caps.

 

The very up market and ‘best of British' Vanden Plas 1500 always sold well and to a very different clientele to the Allegro buyer. Without doubt there was a luxurious hand built feel that generally was only on offer with much larger/more expensive vehicles.

 

In the late seventies British Leyland closed the Vanden Plas factory in Kingsbury transferring final production the MG factory in Abingdon until it too closed in 1980 ending the long standing tradition of the Vanden Plas as a standalone luxury hand built Motor Car.

 

Vanden Plas went on to be used by B. L in name only for the top of the range models that had previously been known as High Line Specials or H. L. S. these though were no comparison whatsoever to the real Vanden Plas. each one hand finished in their own factory.

 

Today. 34 years since production ceased the Vanden Plas 1500 remains as popular as ever with original un-restored examples rare and highly sought after. especially those with the desirable 5 speed manual gearbox.

 

The Kingsbury built cars are the most desirable. They are an important part of British Motoring history and are bound sure to be a wise investment.

 

XYA 817S

First registered on the first of September 1977 XYA 817S was supplied new to its elderly owner by Christchurch Street Motors. Morris. Princess and MG dealers of Frome.

 

During its early years the Vanden Plas was little used. cherished and garaged.

 

By 1982 according to the MOT it had travelled just 10. 51 miles since new and was now in the hands of its second owner also from Frome in Somerset. who kept XYA 817S until 1998 before selling it to a friend who lived 2 miles away.

 

Almost every MOT from 1982 is present in the history file and details the low mileages covered annually. By 1990 the MOT for that year shows the mileage at 23. 95. In the next 10 years less than 10. 00 miles was travelled. latterly less than  a hundred miles per annum. The last MOT in the file shows that by 2001. when the owner had to give up driving altogether. the mileage was just 32. 41.

 

During 2001 after the owner had had to cease driving XYA 817S was laid up in his garage until 2004 when it was sold and entered a private collection in the west country where it was kept under wraps in purpose built storage.

 

The Vanden Plas was not to be used on public roads again. although we understand run to warm on private roads regularly. until being presented for its current MOT last month. March 2014.

 

Today XYA 817S is presented in incredible original and unmolested condition even the original Unipart number plates and supplying dealer rear window sticker remain. It has never been restored and the vast majority of the parts that make it up are those fitted on the Longbridge/Kingsbury production line in 1977.   The genuine mileage from new is now just 32. 00

BODYWORK

The bodywork is excellent and paint finish retains a fine lustre.

 

There is nothing that requires attention.

 

XYA 817S is remarkably rust free. has never been restored or completely repainted.

 

There has been older localised paint rectification at differing times over the years. Some of which no doubt as a result of parking mishaps etc. others perhaps dating back to dealer work when defects in the factory finish may have been noted on the pre delivery inspection when the car was new. as was often the case in the seventies. However some original paint finish does remain in places and indeed even some sections of original coach line also remain.

 

All the panels are original and the gaps as they should be.

 

No welding has ever been carried out to the underside and none is required. The floors below the carpets show no signs of rust.

 

We can find no traces of body filler ever being used.

 

The work that has been done. the vast majority of which we would say is many years old. is of good quality by no means glaringly obvious with just a little Orange peel and shade variation here and there. The untrained eye would be hard pushed to spot it though.

 

Door. boot and bonnet shuts are excellent.

 

There are no dings or dents other than a small dimple dent to the top section of the O/S/R door.

 

The odd blemish has been touched in with a touch up brush.

 

The chrome work is also excellent although one of the hub caps has scuffs present.

 

INTERIOR

 

Without doubt the interior has always been the outstanding feature of the Vanden Plas 1500. It was what set in worlds apart from pretty much every other similar sized car of the era. what attracted buyers in the day. and what attracts buyers now.

 

A lovely place to be indeed and exemplary in this particular example.

 

The walnut veneer and lacquer is virtually unmarked to the dash. rear picnic tables. and door capping inserts.

 

The carpets are not worn have not lost their tufting and are also virtually unmarked with just a little aged fading in places.

 

The original headlining is excellent and does not sag.

 

Two rear reading lights.

 

The hide facing to the seat inserts shows little sign of wear and has no rips or tears. There is slight aged variance in dye shade against the vinyl that covers the remainder of the seats.

 

The door cards and rear parcel shelf are unmarked and have not been holed or cut.

 

There is a period Radio cassette (untested) with two loose fit. not drilled or cut. pod speakers under the front parcel shelf.

 

The dash top is unmarked.

 

Original leather bound steering wheel.

 

UNDER THE BONNET

 

Extremely clean with original stickers still in place.

 

Some paint has blistered and flaked off after a brake fluid spillage.

 

BOOT

 

Even special attention was paid to the boot in the Vanden Plas 1500.

 

Rear and side trims fitted

 

Boot carpet.

 

Spare wheel with spare wheel cover. removed for the pictures.

 

Plastic tool bag with Jack. handle and wheel brace.

 

ON THE ROAD

 

We know that the Allegro had its critics. but don't confuse driving or owning the Vanden Plas 1500 with the average Allegro!

 

The 1485 cc engine coupled with the 5 speed gear box was always a well matched combination back in the seventies when very few cars even offered a 5 speed gearbox.

 

With the extra sound proofing. the quality. traditional. plush and so . o British interior gives you the feeling that you are behind the wheel of a much bigger. luxurious executive car.

 

The engine starts on the first turn of the key with manual choke.

 

There is no undue smoke or noises.

 

The gears change up and down just as they should and the whole car drives and runs just beautifully.

 

We can honestly say rarely had we enjoyed driving a car of this age so much. As it's a Vanden Plas it has just the best of all that's great about a classic from this Era. An absolute delight!

 

Work was done on the brakes. exhaust and suspension ball joints for the MOT last month and the only advisory note being a tyre was close to the limit. All the tyres are oldish and should be checked before distance or speed use.

 

HISTORY FILE

 

1.    V5C. Showing 3 previous keepers.

2.    Original hand book

3.    Original brochure

4.    MOT March 2015.

5.    some old tax discs

6.    17 Old MOT's and related paperwork

7.    VOSA print out showing that no Mot's have been done since computerised records began in 2005 apart from the one in March 2014.

 

 

SUMMARY

XYA 817S is a honest. completely unmolested and original Vanden Plas 1500.

It has the desirable manual 5 speed gearbox.

It has clearly been cherished and garaged all its life by its elderly owners.

It is a rare car in outstanding condition that wants for nothing. except perhaps a couple of tyres. and will be of interest to Vanden Plas and Allegro enthusiasts as well as collectors and investors.

It would also make a fantastic show exhibit that will attract immense interest and should indeed command prizes in the coming season.

VALUE

Low mileage. history. condition. rarity and originality will contribute greatly to the value of any classic.

 

XYA 817S tops all these categories. and as such will be of great interest to collectors and enthusiasts. however. it will also appeal to those you just want to use it and cherish it –  the same way its  previous owners did.

 

You would expect to be paying towards £6k for the majority of classics of this quality in this condition and mileage.

 

However our reserve for this delightful Vanden Plas does not start with a six. a five or even a four. With a reserve this low it is hard to see how you could go wrong really!

 

VIEWING

 

We will. of course. be happy for serious buyers to view the car by appointment and with reasonable notice. although we will always do our best to accommodate. prior to auction end. However. please bear in mind the expected final price above.

 

If you are unsure of being able to acquire the relevant funds equal to the expected final price you should question. for both our sakes. whether you should come to view.

 

Please be sure that this is the vehicle that you want before you bid. If you have any doubt come and see it first or at the very least telephone. However. if you require someone else to sanction the purchase. i. e. your wife's permission. please get it before you come to view.

 

If you do want to view or ask for any more information please call David. on 07771 567567 or e-mail via ebay. We really are very approachable and welcome any questions about the vehicle.

 

ORIGINAL V RESTORED - OUR VIEW

 

We endeavour. on the whole. to offer original. genuine. exceptionally low mileage and unrestored cars from the 1970. and 1980. .

 

Almost all cars from this era have had a little paint rectification carried out at some time during their 20-40 years. However there is. of course. a huge difference between rectification of paint work and total vehicle restoration.

 

Paint rectification at the factory post production line or. indeed. by the supplying dealer was common in the 70's and 80's when most cars were sprayed by hand as opposed to today's automated processes. From time to time we will offer a car that has had some paint rectification for these reasons or perhaps to localised areas following parking mishaps etcetera.

 

Occasionally we may offer a car that has had rather more paint rectification although we will always endeavour to make this known in the description. It will be very rare however for us to offer a car that has had a full restoration. and only then if we have satisfied ourselves of the quality of the work.

 

It is becoming extremely difficult to obtain an unrestored 20-40 year old car. By and large they were just not built to last in the 70's and 80's. However. if you do find an original example that's survived the chances are that. if looked after. it should last for many more years. after all it will only have lasted this long because it will have had little use and been extraordinarily well cared for previously. The same. unfortunately. is far less likely to be able to be said for a car that has under gone renovation.

 

We think that you simply cannot beat a straight original example of any item. There is a school of thought that believes that if you take something apart and then put it back together you are just recreating that item in a false attempt to make it as it was in its former glory. and that no matter how well a vehicle has been restored it can only be original once.

 

Whereas we know that many restorations are done to the highest standards we believe that there are far more that are not. Who really knows what skulduggery may lie beneath a car that has possibly covered hundreds of thousands of miles then been restored at least one time or maybe even more than once! In our view if a car has required restoration then by default it must have become worn out. tired and have most probably been neglected.

 

It is interesting to note that of late we have sold some of our finest original quality cars to some of that particular Marques top and best known restorers - not for them to restore but for them to keep! Even they know. in their hearts. that one thing is for sure - a car that has been the subject of restoration. no matter how good will. almost with out exception. lack the spirit and soul of an original example and probably cost 3 times as much to complete and be worth less than half the an original example when done!

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

By Bidding on any item it will be deemed that you have read understood and accept these conditions.

 

ZERO RATED BIDDERS OR BIDDERS WITH A RATING OF LESS THAN 10. please read the conditions that apply to you below.

 

Contacts. location

The vehicle is in South West Oxfordshire. 15 minutes from the A34 at Oxford (M40 from London or Birmingham) or 20 minutes from Swindon East Junction of the M4.

Mobile 07771 567567

E-mail via ebay

Before you enter a bid

Please be sure that this is the vehicle that you want. that you are happy with and understand the description. that you understand the rules of ebay and that you have read these terms and conditions.

 

Description

We have included a full and honest description and photographs which many people will feel happy to buy from. The description endeavours to be as informative as practically possible but is not. obviously. meticulous with regard to every individual part or area of the vehicle and is intended to represent an overview and not a thorough condition assessment report.

 

There are some General proviso's regarding vehicles. and the parts that make them up. that are decades old. all vehicles and their components deteriorate as soon as they leave the factory. just some to a lesser degree than others.

 

This is not a new vehicle. or a vehicle that has been restored using new parts so most of the parts will indeed be decades old. Common sense. giving consideration to its age and mileage. should prevail. Any references to condition should be taken in the context of age of vehicle. This is not necessarily a reflection on this particular vehicle but advice about classic cars in general.

 

If you require any further information regarding specific areas please just ask. BEFORE YOU BID.

 

Finally so confident are we that our description is a fair representation of the vehicle that if. on collection. it is not and there are obvious serious imperfections or serious faults. not previously mentioned. we will not expect you to proceed. However please do not interpret this genuine good practice offer as a way out of not paying. or paying less for a vehicle that you have legally bought for the amount bid at the auction end.

 

We are a business selling on ebay it is important to us to maintain our good seller's reputation and ensure that our customers are completely satisfied. Therefore it is  positively not in our interest to deliberately miss-describe the vehicle. Which brings us on to:-

 

Our one negative feedback

 

If you look at our feed back over the last  eight years up it is exemplary. Positive feedback for over 100 classic cars and comments that we are very proud of.

 

We list here just a few extracts. "The car was exactly as described"  "VERY ACCURATE DESCRIPTION"  "Car Was As Described & Its Beautiful"    then praise about us - "100% satisfied An outstanding seller & a true gentleman" "Completely trustworthy excellent seller with knowledge and passion" "honest and professional"  "The man is a perfect Gent - excellent car. delighted with entire thing top marks" "I think I have dealt with one of the best sellers on E bay if not the best" .

 

. and so on - high praise indeed. We have listed here just a few. there are many more similar reviews that can be viewed in our feedback section.

 

Most will be happy to buy from us as a seller with such previous quality feedback and most likely won't feel the need to read further. If you are a little unsure though because of the one negative feedback you may want to read on.

 

The vehicle in question was a Motorhome converted when new from an early eighties Fiat van. As budget vehicles intended for commercial use the quality of the actual paint finish when new sometimes was less than perfect. Runs in the paint. often an "orange peel" surface finish.

 

For this vehicle in our listing under the bodywork section we said:-

 

"For a 30 year old Fiat. as we say they were renown for corrosion. Y is remarkably rust free with just the smallest of hardly visible areas of surface only oxidisation in one or two places.   

 

The vast majority of the paint remains factory applied complete with unintentional but standard 'orange peel' effect. considered acceptable in the early eighties on Italian built vehicles intended for commercial use.

 

We have had our body shop attend to a couple of areas of surface only rust such as around the rear vents and in a couple of other places. "  

 

We had then clearly stated that there was some fresh paint and that there was some surface rust (oxidisation) remaining in one or two places.

 

The camper sold. The buyer who was in the Motor trade. selling and restoring Italian sports and prestige cars arrived. He inspected the camper and said he did not believe that the paint was factory finish. In the main due to the orange peel.

 

In this case the buyer was more accustomed to factory  paint finish on Ferrari & Italian sports cars than the very different finish on commercial vehicles still using dated 1960's paint finish equipment.

 

We gave the buyer the option not to continue or continue at a reduced price and invited him to suggest what that price might be. He further examined the vehicle and chose to continue at a much reduced (thousands of pounds) price and a trade deal at that reduced price was agreed. The buyer took the camper.

 

After returning to his premises the buyer emailed us asking that we take the vehicle back. He listed a number of faults that had been found when the vehicle was inspected on his ramp including rust on the exhaust. spilt gear leaver gaiter. damage to roof lining. brake fluid that was not clean. We do not rebuild cars or generally sell restored ones. These issues and others mentioned are the type of things that you will find with un-restored original cars that are decades old. Despite this we are reasonable people and do not want anyone to be unhappy. We agreed to make a full refund.

 

Instead of just accepting this the buyer then made further demands which were unreasonable. Enough was enough. No we said.

 

In reaction to this the buyer threatened to leave us negative feedback  unless we agreed to make a full refund before the vehicle was even returned. We talked to ebay. they have told us that they do not support threats of negative feedback being used in this way. Although there is an email trail detailing all of the above those emails had been sent directly between us and the buyer. not through ebay. Therefore ebay. quite rightly. would not be able to act on them.

 

We have subsequently spoken to our body shop who give us assurances that when they worked on the areas mentioned in the listing there were no additional coats of primer between the top coat and the factory primer in these areas and only the one top coat. The paint finish on the inside of the vehicle matched that of the outside with exactly the same density of Orange Peel effect. We have seen the same Orange Peel effect on other makes of commercials from the seventies and it was the same on the original internal paint on an identical camper that we owned. All of which would support that our description was indeed correct. in any event though a substantial reduced had been made.

 

In the last communication with the buyer we said that we were still prepared to discuss this further in an attempt to resolve that matter. He chose not to and left the. unjustified. feedback.

 

Photographs

All photographs in the listing are taken by us using a digital camera. They are recent and are often taken just hours before the listing is posted. Other shots may be available please just ask and let us have an email address. All photographs are copyrighted and may not be used elsewhere without our express written permission.

Test drive

You will be able to take the vehicle on an accompanied test drive before you pay for it but will only be able to not proceed if you find a major mechanical fault that has not been mentioned in the description.

When you bid

By bidding you are agreeing and legally bound. if your bid is highest and the reserve is reached. to unconditionally buy the vehicle for the price that you have bid.

Negative. zero rated. international bidders or bidders with a score of less than 10 please call or e-mail before you bid with a landline number and address. We accept that just because you don't have a high score does not mean that you are not serious. but we do need to check you are real. that you clearly understand the rules and your intentions are good-you hear of some horrible tales!.

 

Far be it for us to tell you how to go about bidding. However. over the years we have had some bitterly disappointed bidders who placed there best and final bid just to late.

 

We understand why you might leave your bidding until the final few seconds however please at least make sure that you are signed in to your . . bay account. one of our customers recently missed a car that he had searched for for years because when he went to bid he had been logged out and had not left himself time to re enter his password!

 

It may be to your advantage to take independent advice on the best way to bid. You are welcome to call 07771 567567 after the auction end should your bid not have been successful.

Reserve and buy it now price

As is the way with auctions. we will not normally divulge the reserve price or issue a buy it now price. if we do from time to time we will state so in the description.

 

In fairness to all bidders we will not end the auction early and let it run its course. except on the very rear occasion of the vehicle being advertised elsewhere.

 

Please. do not ask what the reserve is set at we really are unable to say any more about the reserve than we already have under the value section.

 

 

If you are the winner

The Successful bidder should contact us within 12 hours of auction end. Preferably  by email. via ebay. and by telephone 07771 567567.

 

An invoice will be issued for the full amount via ebay with instructions how to pay the deposit via Paypal.

 

All buyers must pay a £200 Deposit via Paypal or cash within 24 hours of end of auction.

Payment

In all cases the balances. after the £200 deposit above or any additional deposit below. must be paid within 7 days of auction end.

 

The total Balance to be paid by Cash U. K pounds on collection or bank transfer prior to collection. We will transfer the money back should we not proceed for misrepresentation reasons as outlined above.

 

If you are unable to provide the above we will require an additional deposit of 10% of the sale price paid in cash or via Paypal within 48 hours of the auction end. You will then be able to give us a personal cheque or bankers draft provided they are drawn on a U. K bank either of these will need to be cleared and funds drawn against them prior to the vehicle being released. Sorry there can be no exceptions and deposits are not refundable.

Collection

The vehicle must be collected within 7 days of auction end unless otherwise agreed. We will assist you with collection where we can and will email full directions on how to find us.

 

Please give us as much notice of required collection time and date as possible. If you are delayed its not normally a problem please just let us know. We would ask that you ring us when you are an hour or so away from us.

We reserve the right to charge for storage if the vehicle is not collected within 7 days of auction end.

 

A mechanic does check our vehicles over before sale at ground level. as we have said though we are not restorers and this is not a vehicle that has been rebuilt.

 

Please remember that the vehicles we sell often are many years old and some of them have had very little or even no recent use. Despite our best endeavours to ensure they don't. span >  occasionally things can unexpectedly go wrong. Our advice would be to allow plenty of time for your journey. especially if you are catching a ferry and it may be a good idea to have AA or RAC cover. this is not a reflection on this particular car just good general advice for any older/classic car user.

 

We are happy to pick up the buyer from Oxford or Swindon Station; delivery of the vehicle or collection of the buyer from elsewhere may be possible at extra cost – just ask. We will always try to be flexible and help where we can

 

AIRPORTS. Provided that the reserve price has been met we do offer a collection service from Birmingham. Luton. Heathrow or Bristol Airports. subject to suitable times. We charge a nominal £25. 00 for this. For costs where the reserve has not been met or other locations please enquire.

 

Delivery. we do have a tow vehicle and are able to hire a trailer big enough for most cars. please enquire.

General

Non paying bidders will be reported to ebay and may be referred to an international debt collection agency.

 

The successful bidder should ensure that the vehicle is insured by them at auction end.

 

Bidders from outside the U. K. welcome but please call before bidding.

 

Descriptions. terms conditions and pictures used in this listing are copyrighted and my not be used without the authors express permission.

 

Items bought at auction do not have warranty.

 

You will not be disappointed with this vehicle so please start your bidding now- best of Luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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