Austin 12 New Ascot Saloon

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In the 1930s, the British car industry was busy producing cars specifically designed to fit into the Government’s fiscal Horse Power taxation classes.

Everybody followed suit, the likes of Austin, Morris, Ford, Hillman et al offering a range of 7, 10, 12 and 16hp models. Austin branched out, offering their 12hp models with a choice of four- or six-cylinder engines. Officially called the Light Twelve-Four and Light Twelve-Six, the latter’s six cylinder engine grew in engine size from 1933, meaning that it wasn’t really a 12hp at all, but that’s another story.

The Austin Light Twelve-Four could be ordered with a choice of six-light saloon bodies or as an open two-seater tourer. The range topping Ascot saloon gained a useful boot, eventually replacing the ‘boot-less’ Harley saloon altogether from 1935.

For 1937, the range was given a major overhaul, moving the engine forward to increase passenger space and uprating the engine to help cope with a slight increase in weight. Beautifully engineered and built to Austin’s usual high standards. this last version, the Austin Twelve-Four New Ascot, took the company through until the outbreak of war.

First registered in December 1937 (presumably in Dorset, judging by the JT registration number), this handsome New Ascot six-light saloon has been in the long term ownership of a gentleman who has now permanently emigrated to a banana plantation that he owns in Ecuador.

For the past few years the car has been kept in storage at a friend’s farm and, although the owner has no phone or internet connection in Ecuador, he has managed to get a message through to his friend that he now wishes to dispose of the Austin in order to raise funds for new equipment which is urgently needed on his plantation. Hence its appearance in our sale today.

Naturally we have been unable to contact the vendor ourselves so were rather light on information as the catalogue went to press. However, we have been assured that the Austin will be delivered in good time for the sale and we will update the website should any additional information about the car or its documentation come to light.

It certainly looks to be a nice original example in the photos we have been sent (and which we have reproduced here) and we will upload some new pictures of the car as soon as it arrives. As things stand, we urge you to bid generously in any case, as the money raised by the sale of the car today will be putting bananas in your fruit bowl tomorrow.