1927 Austin 20/4 Open Road Tourer

Lot details
Registration No: UN-REG
Chassis No: 15257
Mot Expiry: Aug 2004

'You can buy a car, but you invest in an Austin', proclaimed Herbert Austin's copywriter. The founder of the once great Austin marque being knighted in 1917 for his company's contributions to the WW1 war effort and it is worth remembering that between the wars, by selling very large numbers of his cars to overseas customers, Austin contributed greatly to the then great British motor industry accounting for a staggering 25 per cent of global car exports.
Top of the Birmingham manufacturer's range in the 1920s was the alloy-bodied Austin 20 Open Road Tourer, which had 3 rows of seats and could therefore accommodate up to 7 adults. The example being auctioned here, which has only just returned to its native shores for this auction from the Far East, is believed to be the only such Big Austin with alloy bodywork in existence.
Owned by the Mackenzie family in New Zealand for many years, it was apparently gainfully employed at the family's Walter Peak 'Sheep Farm Resort' in Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, South Island. According to the history file, the 1952 dated NZ Registration Document number for the vehicle was 388643 and when it was apparently still in totally original condition it was then sold to Alexander Emslie in the 1960s and it was he who carried out a total ground-up rebuild which was completed in 1971. Spending most of its time post-restoration on display in the Queenstown Motor Museum, 15257 had only been driven some 3140 miles by 1992 when acquired by the current owner and shipped to Singapore, where it remained unused for many years, always being preserved in sheltered quarters.
In 2002, however, the car was taken out of hibernation, repainted and recommissioned. After passing an LTA mechanical inspection, the equivalent of the UK's MOT Test, the car was assigned a new chassis number RSVG 01997 (as stamped on the nearside chassis arm in front of the radiator) by the local Land Transport Authority who also issued it with the current registration EZ 9339 T as confirmed by their July 1 2002 dated Singapore Registration Book number 310163. We understand from the vendor that throughout this Singapore residency, the rare Austin travelled less than 100 miles.
Currently, the condition of both the chassis and the extremely capacious bodywork, painted in coffee and burgundy, are seemingly very good, with the 20hp 4-cylinder engine, said to be of 3.4-litre capacity, and the electrical equipment reportedly also being good. The red interior has a lovely patina and the car drives exactly as one would expect it to and it has easily gained a current UK MOT certificate.
This is your opportunity to acquire a really fine touring rarity from the 1920s that is also entirely fresh to the Euro-market.
Please Note: Since the writing of this catalogue description we have been made aware that there is at least one other alloy bodied Big Austin in existence. Also we have stated the engine size incorrectly in the catalogue as it should be a 3610cc four cylinder. We are also led to believe that the year of manufacture is 1927 and not 1926 as in the catalogue.