The Wedgister - Princess and Ambassador Records

[sdkrc]

FKV527Y

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-ambassador-2ltr-auto-/203272948760

Courtesy of @Shite Ron in the eBay thread

[adw1977]

On 07/02/2021 at 23:29, Dj_efk said:

The reg backs up the year, it would have been brand new though.

And not strictly a Princess, it has no script on the C pillar so it's either a Morris or an Austin.  Vinyl on the C pillar means its a HL, could be 1800 or 2200.

[High Jetter]

Didn't the label 'princess' come from the later, 'upmarket' version?

[MorrisItalSLX]

A couple more Australian cars for the register,

Another picture of 6FN464, but wearing a more current (Western Australia) number plate.

Unknown Reg, I believe this is owned by the same bloke who has 36222H (who is the same bloke with the Austin Kimberley featured in the HubNut review).

UNE112S, this one I have never come across before and is currently on eBay:  https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Leyland-Princess-wedge-1977-six-cylinder-2150cc-BW35-auto-Twin-carbs-Pwr-stg-/233894404743?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

Edit: The unknown reg car, 36222H (now 95536H) and the Austin Kimberley are owned by the same person:

https://youtube.com/channel/UCdVETBOlZbAmeAWWBEZczPw

[Wilko220]

Mate, I don’t know what time it is in Australia, but it’s too early in the morning here to be confronted with those wheel trims...

[MorrisItalSLX]

[steveb]

Have we had 

PPE 198R  a blue 2200 HLS 

KJN 88P a  bronze Wolseley 

Both i believe long gone 

 

 

[bezzabsa]

Now this is lush!!!!

[Wolseley75]

I couldn't see this one on the list.  Always had a private plate, but reg 01/09/75.  

[JeeExEll]

Old ad.

[JeeExEll]

Beer mats printed in 1975.  Rather odd product association advertising but it was the 70s.

[JeeExEll]

DVLA says no if they're P-reg.  Some possibly valid results if you make them N-reg.  All last taxed 1980s.

[Richard_FM]

HON...N was a Birmingham issue of March 1975.

It seemed to common to use 3 letter combinations with the next year letter for dummy plates for publicity pictures.

[High Jetter]

What, fakes? OMG!

[R1152]

I remember a contractor working at my secondary school when it started falling down (yes, really) c. 1980 - brown Wolseley, HMU 343N.

Can't remember what I had for lunch, mind.

[Mr Bump]

41 minutes ago, Richard_FM said:

HON...N was a Birmingham issue of March 1975.

It seemed to common to use 3 letter combinations with the next year letter for dummy plates for publicity pictures.

Usually the suffix was photographically updated to the newest registration to save having to take new pics. British Leyland were masters of this in their press advertising and brochures.

[greengartside]

13 hours ago, Mr Bump said:

Usually the suffix was photographically updated to the newest registration to save having to take new pics. British Leyland were masters of this in their press advertising and brochures.

Ford were also equally guilty of this, especially in the 80’s.

[Richard_FM]

I've got some good BL & Ford examples, along with some Vauxhalls with unissued Luton or Swansea registrations.

[vulgalour]

You lot have been busy finding new ones to add to the list, cheers!  I have been nibbling away at the archive offline, takes me a while to get everything lined up to get it updated here, but I am logging all the new finds as I go, even if it's just a reg number and an anecdote.  I'm amazed at how many cars keep appearing and that new survivors keep popping up is wonderful.  Really been enjoying seeing the in-period shots of wedges out doing their thing.

[Spottedlaurel]

A few with visible plates on old postcards I've scanned-in, that you don't appear to have listed:

PCX 642P 1976 Leyland Cars Princess 1800 HL, DVLA liability 01/10/85 (Settle)

OTY 773R 1977 Leyland Cars Princess 1800 HL, DVLA liability 31/3/84 (Darlington)

TFE 753R 1977 Leyland Cars Princess 1800 HL, DVLA liability 1/2/88 (Swaffham)

AGR 180S 1977 Leyland Cars Princess 1800 HL, DVLA liability 1/3/89 (Leyburn). Pretty much peak shite on this card, with bonus Hudson Terraplane.

TFT 884S 1978 Leyland Cars Princess 1800 HL, DVLA liability 1/2/88 (Hexham)

[bunglebus]

I love those shots. Probably at the time the photographer wished all those cars weren't spoiling the pictures of the buildings. Now we're dribbling over them

[Spottedlaurel]

A bit of sleuthing by someone on Flickr reveals that this Ambassador appears to have been VVM 126X, a 1982 2.0 HL with a liability date of 1/12/90.

Seen here outside the Ormescliffe Hotel, Llandudno.

[vulgalour]

Bonus hot Stanza saloon action in that shot too.  Nice.

[Spottedlaurel]

2 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Bonus hot Stanza saloon action in that shot too.  Nice.

Plus 2dr Cortina, Cherry at the back left and gentleman wearing jazzy trousers.

[vulgalour]

That gentleman is clearly Rupert the Bear without his fursuit on.

[High Jetter]

I'm sure that's not a Cherry, can't quite put my finger on what though. No-one else see the Mk 1 Cav?

[bunglebus]

Nope, only a 340

[adw1977]

On 26/02/2021 at 19:29, High Jetter said:

No-one else see the Mk 1 Cav?

Mark 2 Cav saloon at the right.

[colino]

My dad had a Princess, JGE 539T followed by an Ambassador TOP 229Y, but I realise we've never taken pictures of our own cars.  Too much time spent photographing sale cars or trying to forget them I'm not sure. 

[ETCHY]

On 2/22/2021 at 11:16 AM, JeeExEll said:

Old ad.

That was a brilliant conversion. The one I saw in scrapyard around 1987 was so professionally done it looked factory.

Sadly another BL "if only".