1939 Austin Eight Saloon

Lot details
Registration No: SSL 140
Chassis No: 7919
Mot Expiry: None

Herbert Austin formed his own company in 1906. During WW1, Austin expanded and prospered in the armourments industry - but, in peacetime, his reliance on the Austin 20 was to prove to be a commercial mistake and, by 1921, the company was in receivership. Realizing that he needed to appeal to a wider market, happily Austin was able to restructure and develop the Stanley Edge designed 1922 7 which became a solid seller.
Without the success of that 7, the 8 being offered here may never have been made at Longbridge in 1939. The vendor tells us it was stripped down and restored in the 1980s and has seen little use since. Documentation on file goes back to the 1970s and includes original handbooks. The saloon bodywork and blue over black paintwork are said to be excellent. The interior is described 'as new'. The 885cc 4-cylinder engine, electrical equipment and 4-speed manual gearbox are reportedly in excellent order. It is claimed that the Midlander performs faultlessly with opening front screen and fully-operational sunshine roof.