Description

1932 Austin 12/6 Harley

From a deceased estate; rebuilt engine; last driven 18 months ago; transferable number; smart and luxurious pocket limousine with rear footrests

First registered in London in November 1932, this Austin 12/6 Harley is a most handsome machine that any enthusiast would be proud to have in their garage. An old green logbook shows that it had three Staffordshire owners between 1969 and 1976, our vendor acquiring it to join his collection in 2013 from a gentleman who had owned it for the previous 30 years.
Ten old MOTs show that it covered some 2,000 miles between 1984 and 2010 and it has only done another 650 miles in the last 10 years. An invoice shows that the engine was rebuilt in November 1982 at a cost of £507 so it is unlikely to have done much more than 3,000 miles since then. We are told that it was last driven 18 months ago when the oil was also changed. The paint and brightwork are in good condition, as is the interior with nice maroon leather upholstery, good carpets, rear foot-rests and a smart cloth headlining.
On offer here from a deceased estate, this lovely Harley retains its original (transferable) number MV 4251 and also comes with an original parts catalogue. It will no doubt benefit from some precautionary recommissioning before venturing forth once more.
MODEL HISTORY
Introduced in 1931, the Austin 12/6 was a development of the earlier four-cylinder 12 and continued in production until 1937. It followed a vogue among British car makers in the early 1930s for small capacity six-cylinder engines, initially having a displacement of 1.5-litres, though this was later increased to a 30bhp 1.7 unit. At first there was a three-speed transmission but a four-speed was an option from 1932 and became standard in 1933. This gained synchromesh on third and top in 1934 and on second in 1935.
The chassis was very conventional with semi-elliptic leaf springs on all wheels and rigid axles front and rear. There were a range of bodies on offer starting with a fabric-bodied saloon and a pressed steel six-light saloon called the Harley. For 1932 the short-lived fabric saloon was dropped but open two and four-seat tourers were added. A further saloon with a boot, the Ascot, was added in 1934 and the Harley was dropped in 1935.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com