Lot details
Registration No: OEH 550
Chassis No: C188887
Mot Expiry: Aug 2010

The Armstrong Siddeley engineering group was created in 1919 by the amalgamation of Armstrong-Whitworth and Siddeley-Deasy. Over its 41 year reign it produced some 30 models of luxury cars and for many years was also one of the UK's largest manufacturers of aero engines.

The very week WWII ended in Europe, the company introduced its first post-war models. Their names, Lancaster and Hurricane, echoed those of the immortal aircraft built by the group under the Hawker-Siddeley banner. These large cars - the Lancaster was a four-door Saloon and the Hurricane a Drophead Coupe - were initially powered by OHV 2-litre six cylinder engines, though by 1949 the capacity had been increased to 2.3-litres.

The latter were among the 18 Series models (so called because of their 18hp tax rating), the next of which - the Whitley - followed in 1949. The most common versions of the newcomer were the four or six-light Saloons. However, a long wheelbase limousine was offered, plus a Pick-up variant that was aimed at the Australian market. The 2.3-litre engine was mated to either a conventional four-speed manual or Wilson pre-selector gearbox. The front suspension was independent by torsion bars while the rear featured a live axle suspended on leaf springs. Braking was by a Girling hydro-mechanical system. Some 4,321 Whitleys are understood to have been built before the model was superseded by the Sapphire in 1954.

The Whitley offered is a right-hand drive example from 1950. It is a four-light Saloon equipped with the pre-selector gearbox. This attractive looking Armstrong is finished in Mint Green over Conifer Green. The seats are trimmed in green leather with white piping and, like the headcloth and doorcards, are said to be "original and unrestored". The tyres are understood to be "as new" and the car is MOT'd into August and taxed until the end of February 2011. The history file reportedly includes the buff log book, tax discs back to 1969 and numerous old MOT certificates. This charming period Saloon is apparently well known to the owners' club, and is said to have featured on the front cover of Sphinx magazine in September 2003.