The Austin Princess is a series of large
luxury cars
A luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and associated status compared to moderately priced cars.
The term is subjective and reflects both the qualities of the car and the ...
that were made by
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
and its subsidiary
Vanden Plas
Vanden Plas is the name of coachbuilders who produced bodies for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. Latterly the name became a top-end luxury model designation for cars from subsidiaries of British Leyland and the Rover Group, ...
from 1947 to 1968. The cars were also marketed under the Princess and Vanden Plas marque names.
The Princess name was also used as follows:
* From October 1959, the name Princess was used on a deluxe version of
BMC's full-sized executive cars badged as an
Austin Westminster
The Austin Westminster series are large saloon and estate cars that were sold by the British manufacturer Austin from 1954, replacing the A70 Hereford. The Westminster line was produced as the A90, A95, A99, A105, and A110 until 1968 when th ...
,
Vanden Plas Princess
The Princess is a version of the Austin A99 Westminster produced by BMC from 1959 to 1968, latterly under the Vanden Plas marque.
The model was launched in October 1959 under the name Princess 3-litre. From July 1960, these vehicles bore the ...
and
Wolseley 6/99-6/110
* From October 1962, Princess was used on a deluxe version of the
Austin/Morris 1300.
* From September 1975, Princess was used as a name for mass-produced family cars in Leyland's
1800/2200 former Austin/Morris/Wolseley range.
Naming
![Voiture d'apparat Princess de la présidence de Malte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Voiture_d%27apparat_Princess_de_la_pr%C3%A9sidence_de_Malte.jpg)
The first ''Austin Princess'' A120 was launched in 1947 as the most expensive flagship model in the Austin range at the same time as the A110
Austin Sheerline
The Austin Sheerline is a large luxury car produced by Austin in the United Kingdom from 1947 until 1954.
The Sheerline was designed by Austin during the Second World War, but volume production did not begin until 1947 because of the commitment ...
(designed during the war) which body was built on the same chassis at Longbridge, the A110 produced 10 less horsepower being fitted with a single carburettor. Both cars always had bodies that were massive and heavy in appearance. The Princess (model code A120) featured a body by the coachbuilder
Vanden Plas
Vanden Plas is the name of coachbuilders who produced bodies for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. Latterly the name became a top-end luxury model designation for cars from subsidiaries of British Leyland and the Rover Group, ...
and was a large
saloon or
limousine
A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment.
A very long wheelbase luxury sedan (with more than four doors) driven by a prof ...
. The car was offered with two distinct interiors. The "DM" or limousine type had a sliding glass partition between the driver and rear passengers plus picnic tables, and the "DS" was the saloon. The saloons were successful as a top-executive car, many Princesses (and Sheerlines, for that matter) were bought for civic ceremonial duties or by hire companies as limousines for hire. The standard saloon weighed almost two tons, was 16 ft 9 inches long and 6 feet 1¼ inches wide on a 10-foot 1¼-inch (the short) wheelbase.
The Princess model was updated over the years through Mark I (A120), Mark II (A135) and Mark III versions, the largest variation being the introduction of the long-wheelbase version in 1952 with a longer body and seven seats: apart from that the bodywork and running gear hardly changed, nor did the
D-Series 4-litre straight-6 engine. The radiator was fairly upright in old-fashioned style and the car had separate front wings, but these cars were always more modern in style than the equivalent-sized
Bentley Mark VI
The Bentley Mark VI is an automobile from Bentley which was produced from 1946 until 1952.
The Mark VI 4-door standard steel sports saloon was the first post-war luxury car from Bentley. Announced in May 1946 and produced from 1946 to 1952 it ...
or
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud is a luxury automobile produced by Rolls-Royce Limited from April 1955 to March 1966. It was the core model of the Rolls-Royce range during that period. The Silver Cloud replaced the Silver Dawn and was, in turn, r ...
and, for the saloon, the price was just a little more than two-thirds of the Rolls-Royce.
From August 1957 the Austin part of the badging was dropped so it could be sold by Nuffield dealerships as "Princess". From May 1960, the Vanden Plas name was added in front of "Princess".
Austin Princess I, II and III
In 1947, Austin produced two virtually identical chassis, one for the A110 (later A125 Sheerline, built entirely by Austin at their
Longbridge factory
Longbridge plant is an industrial complex in Longbridge, Birmingham, England, currently leased by SAIC as a research and development facility for its MG Motor subsidiary. Vehicle assembly ended in 2016.
Opened in 1905, by the late 1960s Longb ...
) and the A120 (later A135) chassis used by Vanden Plas to produce the Princess at their
Kingsbury Kingsbury may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Kingsbury, London, a district of northwest London in the borough of Brent
** Kingsbury tube station, London Underground station
* Kingsbury, Warwickshire, a village and civil parish in Warwickshi ...
works (North London). Although Vanden Plas was by now wholly owned by Austin and much of the running gear and instrumentation was the same in the two cars, the Princess was the Austin flagship, with a higher specification leather, wool and
burr walnut interior.
The original Princess was powered by a 3.5-litre straight-six engine. This was enlarged to a 4.0-litre unit without further modifications. The Princess was often built to order. Customers could specify the colour required and a range of different setups were available. These included triple or single carburettors and twin or single exhaust systems. Whilst the sportier multiple carb version performed better, it achieved only 12 to 14 mpg. The single carburettor version gave slightly better fuel consumption. Performance was good for a car of its size, with a top speed of and acceleration 0 to 60 mph in 20 seconds.
In 1950, the Limousine version was introduced. The chassis length and passenger area were enlarged to enable a pair of drop down seats to be mounted on the rear of the front seats and a glass division was standard.
These early cars are now extremely rare, especially the saloon versions. Many of the saloons were converted for use as taxis in the late 1950s, fitted with
Perkins
Perkins is a surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon corruption of the kin of Pierre (from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England.
Another derivation com ...
diesel engines for better economy. The 3993cc 6-cylinder engine was also fitted, as a petrol option seldom taken up, to the Austin and Morris normal-control (i.e. "bonneted") WEK and WFK commercial vehicles.
During the life of this model (in 1952), Austin became part of the
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation Limited (BMC) was a UK-based vehicle manufacturer, formed in early 1952 to give effect to an agreed merger of the Morris and Austin businesses.Morris-Austin Merger Company Named. ''The Times'', Friday, 29 February ...
(BMC).
Austin Princess IV and Princess IV
The Austin Princess IV was introduced in 1956.
Offered in Saloon (DS7) and Touring Limousine (DM7) models, this replacement for the former Sheerline and A135 only stayed in the catalogue until 1959; 199 were built.
The engine was the
Austin D-Series straight six with redesigned cylinder head and was fitted with twin
SU HD6 carburettors. The power output was 150 bhp. A
GM Hydramatic automatic gearbox and
Girling power-assisted steering were fitted as standard.
The luxurious interior now featured redesigned dashboard with instruments directly in front of the driver rather than in the centre.
The last A135 Mark 3 had been priced at five times the price of an
Austin A30
The Austin A30 is a small family car produced by Austin from May 1952 to September 1956. It was launched at the 1951 Earls Court Motor Show as the "''New'' Austin Seven" and was Austin's competitor with the Morris Minor.
At launch, the car co ...
. The new IV had to be priced at 6.5 times the price of an Austin A30, at which price there was almost no demand. The name was shortened in August 1957 when the car lost its "Austin" designation, now being branded simply as the Princess IV so it might be sold by either
Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
or Austin dealers. ''The Times'' tested the Princess IV and reported on it at some length in early February 1959.
The Princess IV was discontinued in 1959 and replaced in the catalogue by a much smaller model, an upgraded
Austin Westminster
The Austin Westminster series are large saloon and estate cars that were sold by the British manufacturer Austin from 1954, replacing the A70 Hereford. The Westminster line was produced as the A90, A95, A99, A105, and A110 until 1968 when th ...
(
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
-designed Vanden Plas Princess see below), which retailed at little more than 40 per cent of the Mark IV's price.
An Austin Princess IV was road tested by ''
The Autocar
''Autocar'' (originally ''The Autocar'') is a weekly British automobile magazine published by the Haymarket Media Group. It was first published in 1895 and refers to itself as "the world's oldest car magazine". There are now several internationa ...
'' magazine on 3 October 1958, as No.1703 in the series. The engine was rated at 150 bhp (gross) and it returned a maximum speed of 98.7 mph, under the test conditions prevailing.
Austin Princess, Princess and Vanden Plas Princess Long Wheelbase Limousine (or Saloon)
The Austin A135 Princess Long Wheelbase Saloon (DS6) and Limousine (DM4) were introduced in 1952.
[ The GM Hydramatic 4-speed automatic transmission and ]Hydrosteer Hydrosteer was the name given by George Kent Ltd and Cam Gears Limited through Hydrosteer Limited of Luton, England, to its automotive power steering system. Initially Hydrosteer manufactured the Ross-Link system for commercial vehicles from 1953 ...
power steering from Princess IV were fitted from 1956 as options.[Graham Robson, The Cars of BMC, page 131] The marque name was changed from Austin to Princess in August 1957,[ and then to Vanden Plas][ from July 1960. The long wheelbase models continued to be built by hand in limited numbers as the Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre Limousine, until 1968. All now being parts of British Leyland, the Jaguar Mark X-based ]Daimler DS420
The Daimler DS420, also known as the Daimler Limousine, is a limousine made by The Daimler Company Limited between 1968 and 1992. The car was designed for official use and it was popular with chauffeur services, hoteliers and undertakers. It ...
was initially produced at the Vanden Plas works in Kingsbury, North London then replaced the Vanden Plas Princess within the new, slightly rationalised range. This had been foreseen in 1966 when British Motor Holdings
British Motor Holdings Limited (BMH) was a British vehicle manufacturing company known until 14 December 1966 as British Motor Corporation Limited (BMC). BMH was created as a holding company following BMC's takeover of both Jaguar Cars and th ...
(BMH) had brought BMC and Jaguar together, and stopped development at Vanden Plas of the potential successor car. The limousine was luxuriously appointed with much polished wood, optional mohair
Mohair (pronounced ) is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. (This should not be confused with Angora wool, which is made from the fur of the Angora rabbit.) Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster ...
rugs and radio with controls in the armrest. Among the long list of available extras were monograms and a flagstaff. The driving compartment was separated from the rear of the car by a division with an optional telephone for the passengers to communicate with the driver. The driving seat was finished in leather but the rear seats were trimmed in cloth, the usual arrangement on many luxury cars of the time. Though not as durable as leather, cloth was considered kinder to passengers' clothes. To increase seating capacity two occasional seats could be folded out of the floor.
The car had independent coil suspension at the front with semi elliptic leaf springs
A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, ...
and anti-roll bar
An anti-roll bar (roll bar, anti-sway bar, sway bar, stabilizer bar) is a part of many automobile suspensions that helps reduce the body roll of a vehicle during fast cornering or over road irregularities. It connects opposite (left/right) wheels ...
at the rear. The cam and peg type steering gear had optional power assistance.
An Austin A135 Princess Long-wheelbase Limousine tested by ''The Motor
''The Motor'' (later, just ''Motor'') was a British weekly car magazine
''Car'' is a British automotive enthusiast magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. International editions are published by Bauer Automotive in Republi ...
'' magazine in 1953 had a top speed of and could accelerate from 0- in 23.3 seconds. A fuel consumption of was recorded. The test car cost £2480 including taxes.
An automatic Limousine was tested by the British magazine ''The Motor'' in 1962 and had a top speed of and could accelerate from 0- in 23.5 seconds. A fuel consumption of was recorded. The test car cost £3,473 including taxes.
Sandringham Princess, Sandringham Museum - Norfolk. (6143755343).jpg, 1969 Princess at Sandringham House
Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk, England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there. The house stands in a estate ...
1969 Vanden Plas Princess Royal Limousine Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon.jpg, 1969 Princess at the British Motor Museum
The British Motor Museum in Warwickshire, England holds the world's largest collection of historic British cars, with over 300 cars on display from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust.
History
The creation ...
Stoffelijk overschot van prinses Wilhelmina overgebracht, de lijkwagen verlaat d, Bestanddeelnr 914-5734.jpg, Funeral of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World Wa ...
1962
Vanden-Plas_Princess_DM4_Motorhome_front.jpg, Princess DM4 motorhome conversion
Vanden Plas Princess 1100/1275/1300
The Vanden Plas Princess 1100 was launched in 1963 as a luxury variant of the BMC ADO16
The BMC ADO16 is a range of small family cars built by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and, later, British Leyland. Launched in 1962, it was Britain's best-selling car from 1963 to 1966 and from 1968 to 1971. The ADO16 was marketed under var ...
. Production of the Princess 1100 and subsequent 1275 and 1300 models ended in 1974[ with 43,741 examples produced.][Michael Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1945–1970, page 211]
Vanden Plas 1100 Princess 1966 - Flickr - mick - Lumix.jpg, Vanden Plas Princess 1100
Arklow, Co Wicklow - Ireland (4572826504).jpg, Vanden Plas Princess 1300
Princess (ADO71)
The final use of the "Princess" name was for the Princess 1800 / 2200 of 1975–78 and the Princess 2 1700 / 2000 / 2200 of 1978–81. This was not badged as an Austin on the home market (although it was badged as such in New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
), but was sometimes confused with one because for the first year of its life it was marketed (variously) as the Austin, Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
, and Wolseley 18–22 Series. It was succeeded by the Austin Ambassador
The Austin Ambassador is a large family car that was introduced by the Austin Rover Group subsidiary of British Leyland in March 1982. The vehicle was a heavily updated version of the Princess, a saloon car that had lacked a hatchback. Only the ...
in 1982 and thus marked the end of the Princess marque, although the Vanden Plas name continued as the most luxurious trim level in the Rover SD1
The Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of executive cars built by the Specialist Division (later the ''Jaguar-Rover-Triumph'' division) of British Leyland (BL), under the Rover marque. It was produced ...
range.
References
External links
1958 Austin Princess IV Saloon
{{British Motor Holdings and British Leyland cars, 1966-1986
Princess
Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince.
Princess as a subst ...
Cars introduced in 1947
Limousines
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Front-wheel-drive vehicles