Austin Princess

[Royale80]

I have always fancied a Princess.

 

There are two currently on  the bay. The one below needs restoration

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1979-AUSTIN-MORRIS-PRINCESS-2200-HLS-REQUIRES-LIGHT-RESTORATION/171909014840?_trksid=p2054897.c100204.m3164&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140407115239%26meid%3D214aafb505b64e30bf4eb4d20837173e%26pid%3D100204%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D30%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D201414542329

​

It comes with two new wings and four doors as extra.

 

There is also this one which looks mint

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/austin-princess/201414542329?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D5706f048f5024288a5fe7ceb72f4609c%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D171909014840

​

Relatives have had four Princesses when new/nearly new and the ride always impressed.

 

Only have to persuade the wife now!

 

Steve

 

[tooSavvy]

Marry a Princess, stick your bike in the back....

 

Job Done.... ??

 

 

TS

[bub2006]

Jesus when did the Princess come so desirable? Over 3k with 38 bids!

[Asimo]

I reckon these are much nicer with autobox.

 

At the moment the brown one is bid up to ten times the price of the green one.  Which makes the green one seem expensive.

[Zantimisfit]

Get a left hooker for the ultimate in exclusive golden veloury wedgeness....and then you also also have the pleasure of driving it back home

 

http://www.blocket.se/lund/Leyland_Princess_1800HL__British_Leyland__62009519.htm?ca=23_11&w=1&last=1#vi-carousel

 

[Zantimisfit]

...its on here n'all

 

http://www.klassiker.nu/video/british-leyland-ateruppstod-en-dag

 

 

[beko1987]

From what Ive read about from vulg, buy both so you have spare displacers...

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

The lower one of the two (is it brown or red? - either way it's 'emberglow') is rather spectacular. The Princess is a striking car.

[derskine]

The lower one of the two (is it brown or red? - either way it's 'emberglow') is rather spectacular. The Princess is a striking car.

 

You could say that...

 

[dollywobbler]

Get a left hooker for the ultimate in exclusive golden veloury wedgeness....and then you also also have the pleasure of driving it back home

 

http://www.blocket.se/lund/Leyland_Princess_1800HL__British_Leyland__62009519.htm?ca=23_11&w=1&last=1#vi-carousel

 

6908752248.jpg

 

Holy sweet Jesus. A Princess with HEADLAMP WIPERS!!!! Want level beyond critical.

[vulgalour]

The second one is as good, if not better than, the advert claims.  It really is a gem and one of the better ones you could buy out there.  Displacers are the Achilles heel of these cars, everything else that goes wrong is standard classic car issues.  Buy now while they're still cheap.

[Christine]

Pump the top half of the displacer up with silicone bath caulk or PU rubber ,and ultimately it will go to solid rubber... like a Mini !

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Jesus when did the Princess come so desirable? 

 

'Twas ever thus M'boy.   It was the car buying public that were out of step.

[anonymous user]

 

 

I love that banner, "The problems of buying a used car stop here"

 

is there really small print underneath saying until you've bought it, or just have the same problems when you buy a new one

[Dippy]

It's nice to see people appreciating these cars, the prices have only probably risen as there are now so few left.

 

The good cars at 3-5K are better value than the projects as you will have so spent that by the time it's done especially if you can't do the welding or paint yourself.

 

I bought my wedge from the seller of the green car and he was a nice guy to deal with and is thinning down his collection so he is just left with a couple.

[Pete-M]

Anyone who pays £3k for one of these needs sectioning.

[Richard]

Holy sweet Jesus. A Princess with HEADLAMP WIPERS!!!! Want level beyond critical.

 

You must have missed this thread http://autoshite.com/topic/21523-a-selection-of-fine-pre-owned-vehicles-from-southern-sweden/

[Zantimisfit]

Are you bidding on the red one then? Up to 42k and still not reached its reserve. They cant have been much more than that new

[purplebargeken]

Thinning down his collection? What an unusual concept, not one that I am over familiar with. 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Anyone who pays £3k for one of these needs sectioning.

 

 

As much as I like them, I have to agree. 3 grand buys a seriously nice car these days, not a BL relic that was worthless when 5 years old. 3 Grand buys a 500SEL Mercedes, a stunning E32 750i or any number of once expensive and desirable saloons. There are exceptions - the pre production prototype that the Princess club are restoring will of course have a reasonably value because of what it is. I like the Princess for what it is - an unusual old car with a lot of good points but they're £1000 tops to me. Probably why I'll never own another one.

 

I hate it when old cars like this get expensive - it defeats the object of actually having one.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Thinning down his collection? What an unusual concept, not one that I am over familiar with. 

 

 

Madness if you ask me. I now have seven cars as I bought another one last Saturday.

[vulgalour]

I love my old Princess and I'm delighted prices are on the climb because it means more of them stand a chance of surviving.  It is a double edged sword, all the same, because if prices continue to rise - £4-5k is pretty normal now for a clean low mileage example - it will mean spares will get more expensive and they're not the easiest thing to come by as things stand at the moment.

 

With a bit of luck the bubble will burst and Princesses will stay in the £1-3k budget (depending on condition) for road legal examples and parts will remain affordable.  If parts become too expensive I will have to sell mine as I won't be able to afford to keep it going.

[Squire_Dawson]

Not even 10 years ago people struggled to give these, Allegros and Marinas away for free. Time hasn't made them any better cars. I can't understand why they fetch so much these days.

[Uncle Jimmy]

When they get to about £6k I'll buy one...

[Uncle Jimmy]

I think they're all rather unfairly maligned; all cars back then rusted and we're unreliable. The Princess was rushed into production and suffered for it. A nice looking design; needed a bit more powah and better development.

[Royale80]

Morning all,

Not bidding just yet-see what the green one gets to.

 

Lots of my family had the Princess 2x1800's, a 2000, and 2x2200's.

 

I always remember them as supremely comfortable-especially the 2200HLS with front arm rests-they always "seemed" better than the contemporary Cortinas (may have my rose tinted glasses on now!).

 

Thee 2200's alaways had a lovely engine tone on them!

 

Steev

[mouseflakes]

Pump the top half of the displacer up with silicone bath caulk or PU rubber....

 

...or a dead Stretch Armstrong...

[Craig the Princess]

Not even 10 years ago people struggled to give these, Allegros and Marinas away for free. Time hasn't made them any better cars. I can't understand why they fetch so much these days.

I think the reason is the price 5/10 years ago was depressed as a.) there were lots more ropey ones around and b.) all the jokes were still in peoples minds all-agro etc. Their value now is still below the equivalent Ford so I don't think it is unsustainable.

[Zantimisfit]

I think the reason is the price 5/10 years ago was depressed as a.) there were lots more ropey ones around and b.) all the jokes were still in peoples minds all-agro etc. Their value now is still below the equivalent Ford so I don't think it is unsustainable.

Echo that. There were quality and image problems but in many ways a car like the Princess was a much more capable design than the equivalent Ford or Vauxhall. I guess it is about nostalgia and things coming back into fashion....dont believe me? Look at a rear three quarter view of an Audi A1.....its an Allegro!! I guarantee you they had posters of the Allegro all over the wall of the design office at Ingolstadt. Guarantee it! 

[MarvinsMom]

Echo that. There were quality and image problems but in many ways a car like the Princess was a much more capable design than the equivalent Ford or Vauxhall. I guess it is about nostalgia and things coming back into fashion....dont believe me? Look at a rear three quarter view of an Audi A1.....its an Allegro!! I guarantee you they had posters of the Allegro all over the wall of the design office at Ingolstadt. Guarantee it! 

except the allegro is the better looking and more desirable car!

 

just goes to show, harris mann  was onto something 40 years ago.

 

the fact that the princess is starting to rise out of bangerdom suits me just fine, and the allegro, maxi and marina all coming up too is a good thing. i too think that all they were unfortunately much maligned cars, and are much better than their reputation/pub bores will tell you. over the years as a family and myself had a few of them. they were great family cars. yes they were rusty, and sometimes didn't want to go but most cars from the 1970s-early '80s were.

 

plus it will hopefully bring up the metro and monstro plus stop or slow down the engine raping of the a-series FWD cars for mini's (i own a mini but would never EVER engine rape something else rarer and unusual for its engine)

 

only thing is i would love to own an allegro, preferably a series 3 1275.... so i need to get on saving up my pennies. before the nice ones get too damn expensive!