Austin Princess Hearse

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The first Princess was launched in 1947 as the flagship model in the Austin range.

Based on the Austin Sheerline, the Princess had imposing saloon or limousine bodywork by the coachbuilder Vanden Plas and was typically bought for civic ceremonial duties. The Princess was updated over the years through Mark I, II, III and IV versions, the variations being fairly minor: the bodywork didn't change much until the MkIV version with its integrated front wings, nor did the 4-litre straight-six engine. By 1959 production of the saloon had come to an end but the limousine version soldiered on until 1968 when it was replaced by the Daimler DS420.

The car had independent coil suspension at the front with semi-elliptic leaf springs and an anti-roll bar at the rear. The cam-and-peg type steering had optional power assistance. When tested by The Motor in 1962, an automatic limousine had a top speed of 86mph and could accelerate from 0 to 60 in 23.5 seconds with 15.8mpg economy, the car costing £3,473 including taxes.

One of the main specialist uses of the Austin Princess was as a hearse (the restrained lines of the car making it ideal for this sombre purpose) and the Halifax firm of Woodall Nicholson usually carried out the conversion, having made horse-drawn hearses and carriages since the 1820s. 

The Austin Princess Hearse achieved fame in the 1960s with a number of high-profile appearances. A 1964 Princess Hearse carried the body of Sir Winston Churchill from Festival Pier on the River Thames in London to Waterloo Station during the great man’s state funeral in January 1965. This car was later sold by a Scottish antiques expert to an American businessman for £3m in June 2000!

It also became a rather unlikely automotive star in the movies on more than one occasion. An Austin Princess Hearse, registered TLH 858, is seen following a Lotus Seven in the opening sequence of the 1960s television series ‘The Prisoner.’ Perhaps more famously, the Beatles used a modified Austin Princess Hearse (registered GNH240 and owned and driven by John Lennon) in the 1973 film 'Imagine' created to promote Lennon's album bearing the same name. This car was sold at auction in Las Vegas in October 2005 for $135,000. A similar Princess Hearse (possibly the same car) also appeared in the 1965 Beatles film ‘Help’. It seems therefore that Austin Princess Hearses are highly collectable classic cars with movie star appeal – best to put in a bid or two for this one whilst they are still affordable!

First registered in Worcester in November 1964, this hearse was acquired for the Stondon Collection in 2009 and had just two former keepers, according to Experian, the previous owners keeping it for 24 years. An online check reveals that the car was last taxed and on the road in 2006. At the time of cataloguing no paperwork for this vehicle could be located.

One can only wonder which personnages may have been carried to their final resting place in this sombre machine - and only hope that one of them turns out to have the same stature as Churchill or Lennon... 

Please note that the proceeds from the sale of this vehicle are being donated to Help For Heroes.