Description

1930 Austin 12 Taxi

Rare Austin-bodied Taxi with division; highly original; from long-term ownership

Old Taxis have a special following and this highly original example must have many stories to tell.....

It appears to have spent most of its life in the Staffordshire area, a buff logbook showing that it got petrol coupons during the war from the Midlands Region Ministry of Food and Power.

The logbook shows that it changed hands between 1943 and again in 1946, the car still residing near Leek, Staffs. Mr Wainscott was in possession of it by January 1968, just prior to our vendor's late husband acquiring the car which had been languising in a garage for the previous 20 years, presumably it had done very little since the War.

The car then moved to Putney, where it was pressed into service and moved to Herefordshire in 1975 where it has resided ever since. While driving on the South Circular in London, a policeman spotted the 1947 tax disc in the window which raised a few questions, but he was sympathetic and the Austin was allowed to continue on its merry way.

In the early 2000s, the car was given some renovation, but as the vendor's late husband had a more sprightly open Austin 12, the Taxi didn't get a great deal of use and was put away in the barn. It is last through to have run about 7 years ago...

As you can see, it does carry a few battle scars, but is essentially very sound, with the doors opening and closing nicely, and the original interior just begging for some hide food and a good clean up.

It will require a new set of tyres and some minor fettling, but still has a million miles left in it. The coachwork is unusal, having been produced with a division within the Austin Motor Works - all in all, she is a lovely old thing which would look perfect on any filmset or doing the Taxi run at Goodwood Revival.

We have not attempted to start the car, although the engine turns freely.

For more information - contact matthew.parkin@brightwells.com