There is nothing quite like classic cars to invoke nostalgia and drive cherished memories of days gone by, and I for one adore them, writes Charles Hanson.
From time to time, exceptional motors steer into auction at Hansons. For example, this year a 1960 Mark II Jaguar 2.4 manual, owned from new with only 51,000 miles on the clock, was found under dust sheets in an outbuilding near Repton, South Derbyshire. It sold for £20,000.
And I will never forget the red P122 Porsche tractor, originally made in 1957 and restored by an enthusiast from Burton, Staffs. It turned heads outside our Derbyshire headquarters in 2017 and commanded a guide price of £10,000-£15,000.
These sporadic finds are wonderful but I would love to find more vintage vehicles. So often they end up tucked away for decades in barns and garages and, over time, their condition can decline. I want to build on the nation’s passion for vintage vehicles and rescue them all.
Thanks to Hansons’ new consultant Jim Ronan, a well-known classic car auctioneer with a wealth of experience, my dream is turning into a reality. Next year he will lead Hansons’ inaugural Classic Car Auction – and he is busy sourcing vehicles for the sale.
One discovery set to go under the hammer sweeps us back to one of the oldest names in the history of the motor industry – Vanden Plas. This well-known name dates to the end of the 19th century.
Jim has uncovered a rare 1959 Austin Westminster Vanden Plas in good, original condition, estimate £22,000-£25,000. This special car has been owned by the seller since 1999 and only had two former keepers prior to that. That’s three owners in 63 years – remarkable in itself. Motor enthusiasts cherish their cars for decades, sometimes a lifetime.
The 2600cc motor comes with a manual floor change gearbox with overdrive. According to Jim, the Vanden Plas is in exceptional condition and is potentially one of the best examples available.
Vanden Plas began in 1870 in Brussels, Belgium, initially making axles. It was founded by Guillaume van den Plas, a blacksmith, and his three sons, Antoine, Henri and Willy. In 1884 they moved from Brussels to Antwerp. With increased business they opened a branch in Brussels again in 1890.
By 1900, they worked with De Dion Bouton, Berlier, Germain and Packard. By 1908 Carrosserie Van den Plas had a workforce of 400 men producing 300 special bodies a year, and that increased to over 750. The French branch ceased production in 1934 while the Belgian business was active until 1949.
The coachbuilder’s name first appeared in the UK in 1906 when Métallurgique cars were imported with Carrosserie Van den Plas coachwork. The first Vanden Plas company in England was established by Warwick Wright – now Peugeot dealers – in 1913. They built bodies under license from Carrosserie Van den Plas Belgium.
During the First World War UK activities switched to aircraft production, and the UK business was bought by The Aircraft Manufacturing Company based at Hendon near London. In 1917, Vanden Plas (1917) Ltd. was incorporated.
After the war the firm struggled to get back into coachbuilding and in 1922 went into receivership. In 1923 the rights to the name and the goodwill were purchased by the Fox brothers, who incorporated Vanden Plas (England) 1923 Limited. They moved the business from Hendon to Kingsbury.
In the 1930s the company supplied coachwork to Alvis, Armstrong Siddeley, Bentley, Daimler, Lagonda, Rolls-Royce and Talbot. With the outbreak of war in 1939, coachbuilding stopped and the company returned to aircraft work, manufacturing the wooden framework for the de Havilland Mosquito.
In the immediate post-war period, times were tough for Vanden Plas. A failed contract with Rolls-Royce left them struggling for work and in 1946 Austin’s Leonard Lord offered £90,000 for the company.
Lord was looking for someone to design and build the bodywork for Austin’s new six-cylinder chassis, and saw Vanden Plas as the ideal candidate. The Fox family accepted his offer, and Vanden Plas became a subsidiary of Austin, with Lord taking over as managing director.
The new car was launched the following year as the Austin A120 Princess and a programme of steady development followed. In 1958, Lord reacted to market forces by sending a batch of 500 Austin A105 Sixes from Longbridge to Kingsbury to be retrimmed to coachbuilder’s standards and sold as the Austin A105 Vanden Plas. This exercise paid off and 1959 saw the launch of the Farina saloon-based Princess 3-Litre, with distinctive new front-end styling.
I am proud to bring to market rare classic vehicles. The aim is to offer classic, vintage and retro cars and motorcycles from all eras including pre-war, from an Austin 7 to the iconic Jaguar E Type and everything in between.
Hansons’ inaugural Classic Car Sale will be held in March, 2023 at Bishton Hall, Staffs. Entries are invited. Email [email protected] or telephone Jim Ronan: 0770 772 0020.
