The Austin Princess: In 1947 Sir Herbert Austin purchased Vanden Plas in order to build a luxury car - and the Princess Saloon was born.

The first two Princesses went to the Queen (then Princess) Elizabeth in 1952 and the last saloon was built in 1957. The Queen subsequently purchased two more Princess saloons because she liked them so much.

The Limousine version continued to be made until 1968, badged "Vanden Plas Princess" under the Austin company, who marketed the vehicles as their flagship car, ahead of Jaguar and Daimler. As the BMC days come to a close, it was decided to cease production of this grand old vehicle from the range and the last was built in 1968.

Only 1500 were ever built. Each one took about four months to hand-build by a small team dedicated to that one car. The frame is wood, built on a steel "box style" chassis, with panels constructed of aluminium.

FOR THE MORE TECHNICALLY MINDED

The 243 cubic inch (about 4 litres) straight six engine runs strong. The design was virtually unchanged from 1938. With a single barrel Stromberg DVA 42 carburettor, a well tuned Princess get about 20 miles per gallon, not bad for a vehicle that weighs about 2.5 tons. Eleven quarts of oil are required to keep the engine well lubricated. The whole thing rests on coil springs at the front and leaf springs at the rear.

The workings are neither metric or imperial, but Whitworth. With a 132 inch wheelbase, the Princess was designed for luxurious motoring. The car is only one inch short of 18 feet long, 6'2" wide and 5'10" high. The rear doors are hinged at the rear to allow graceful entry and egress.