RE: SOTW: Austin Ambassador/Princess
Discussion
My Grandad had the Wolseley version (only available for a year IIRC?) in Roman Purple with black vinyl roof.
It was unreliable (exploding suspension spheres being the most alarming thing), but thing is, it was a bold experiment, with many features comparable to a Citroen CX. Thing is, the Citroen was built almost as badly, yet look at prices for decent examples of each now.
It was unreliable (exploding suspension spheres being the most alarming thing), but thing is, it was a bold experiment, with many features comparable to a Citroen CX. Thing is, the Citroen was built almost as badly, yet look at prices for decent examples of each now.
I had two 2200 Princesses as company cars. The '76 model was okay for reliability by the standards of the day except that it had rusted through inside four years, but the 1980 HLS 2.2 Auto was the worst car for reliability I have ever had - never a single day from new without a fault. By 70,000 miles it was burning a gallon of engine oil in a 400 miles motorway journey. Mind you, it was looked after by Henly's - their Central School of Incompetence had many a graduate working in the workshop.
The 1.7 litre Ambassador was dire... 'nuff said.
The 1.7 litre Ambassador was dire... 'nuff said.
Princess was very advanced for it's day, if they had put the hatchback on from day 1 it probably would have been even more successful. Dad had a 1.7 'A' reg one. Ordered with power steering, they forgot to fit.
Other than that was a decent enough car. Did a deal and got a Montego as soon as it came out instead.
Might have to send him a link.
Other than that was a decent enough car. Did a deal and got a Montego as soon as it came out instead.
Might have to send him a link.
Zad said:
I can't believe this hasn't been mentioned yet.
John Shuttleworth's Austin Ambassador Y reg...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNCAcKybSfE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LroHr6aOo4
I can't believe it took over 4 hours for someone to post a link to Sheffield's finest!John Shuttleworth's Austin Ambassador Y reg...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNCAcKybSfE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LroHr6aOo4
The_Burg said:
Princess was very advanced for it's day, if they had put the hatchback on from day 1 it probably would have been even more successful. Dad had a 1.7 'A' reg one. Ordered with power steering, they forgot to fit.
Other than that was a decent enough car. Did a deal and got a Montego as soon as it came out instead.
Might have to send him a link.
The hatchback idea was thrown out by BL as they didn't thuink that a car in that segment should be a hatchback, despite the SD1, in an even higher segment being so. Still, that was probably a decision made by a completely different bunch.Other than that was a decent enough car. Did a deal and got a Montego as soon as it came out instead.
Might have to send him a link.
Incidentally, After the Austin/Morris brand was dropped, it didn't become brandless, it DID become Princess and so the models were for example, Princess 1800L etc. In hindsight, perhaps it should have just been a scaled down, FWD, SD1.
Massive soft spot for these, especially the Princess, my grandad bought a Metallic Brown 1800 HLS in about 78 (S reg, actually reg was XJA 733S, get me the Rain Man !), it had beige velour seats and he worked for Greater Manchester Tranport on the buses (lots of oil) so the plastic seat protection from the factory stayed on for a long time, not comfortable on the legs, long journey and got out shrink wrapped.
Anyway, it is easy to slag these as a joke, they sold quite well, due to the hydragas they were epically comfy and the leg room was nothing short of a limo, hat is stuff that isnt fueled by nostalgia, it did have good points !
My grandad passed it on to my mum as he had Angina and needed Power Steering by then, the tipping point him swinging up our drive and not getting enough lock on and demolishing our (brick) gatepost, the front wedgeiness acting like a big brown chisel, the gatepost was all over the drive but the Princess escaped fairly unscathed. My mum ended up with arms like Arnie piloting the thing, will never forget being stood watching her pulling into the drive with a look of grim determination on her face, a Fag hanging from her mouth as she berthed the thing.
It was fairly reliable apart from drive shaft gaiters which it spat out for fun, my dad had got it down to a fine art pretty much every MOT it needed one or two.
We went to the Silverstone Grand Prix in it, about 86, was an old banger by then but it got us there and when my dad went off to get some drnks whilst we waited to exit I entertained the other drivers by doing some superb handbrake turns until a car park attendant b
ked me 
It was last seem when my dad sold it, we dropped it off in some manky looking estate where a colleague lived, it dragged itself around for a coupel of months and then went to the scrappy, sad to see it go as had many happy times in that car, trips down to Dorset with my grandparents in the caravan, just me to be indulged and fattened up, their old Dog falling in Poole harbour and being helped from his trauma with a chip shop sausage, he rewarded my grandad by hocking it back up in three big partially digested chunks onto the carpet along with a good quantity of sea water.
My uncle went through a few of these as well, a "racy" princess two 1700 in bright orange and a black interior.
Little known fact (Edit: apart from in the article, oops) is the Princess was initially called the 18/22 range as there were 1800 cc an six cylinder 2200 models and a bit of a confusing range, there were badge engineered variants with slight differences, there was I think a Morris, an Austin and a super posh Wolesley, which got a different bonnet, the 2200 models got big single headlamps and the 1800's got twin round ones, I had a model 2200 in gold but it got sent to the vice in he garage, wish I kept it.
So, nobody is suggesting you buy one really, shed cant be a six cylinder BMW every week as there werent that many variants and most have either been done or are too expensive, the Princess is part of our motoring heritage and shoul dbe celebrated as many people of about 30 plus have some memories, they pop up on old tv shows like Terry and June and Fawlty Towers and I for one am glad someone is enthusiastic enough to save a few for posterity, it will never bee cool, fast or massively desirable, it wont drift and the satnav is rubbish but I for one rate this as my Shed of the Year, see the clue is in the name "Shed".
Anyway, it is easy to slag these as a joke, they sold quite well, due to the hydragas they were epically comfy and the leg room was nothing short of a limo, hat is stuff that isnt fueled by nostalgia, it did have good points !
My grandad passed it on to my mum as he had Angina and needed Power Steering by then, the tipping point him swinging up our drive and not getting enough lock on and demolishing our (brick) gatepost, the front wedgeiness acting like a big brown chisel, the gatepost was all over the drive but the Princess escaped fairly unscathed. My mum ended up with arms like Arnie piloting the thing, will never forget being stood watching her pulling into the drive with a look of grim determination on her face, a Fag hanging from her mouth as she berthed the thing.
It was fairly reliable apart from drive shaft gaiters which it spat out for fun, my dad had got it down to a fine art pretty much every MOT it needed one or two.
We went to the Silverstone Grand Prix in it, about 86, was an old banger by then but it got us there and when my dad went off to get some drnks whilst we waited to exit I entertained the other drivers by doing some superb handbrake turns until a car park attendant b
ked me It was last seem when my dad sold it, we dropped it off in some manky looking estate where a colleague lived, it dragged itself around for a coupel of months and then went to the scrappy, sad to see it go as had many happy times in that car, trips down to Dorset with my grandparents in the caravan, just me to be indulged and fattened up, their old Dog falling in Poole harbour and being helped from his trauma with a chip shop sausage, he rewarded my grandad by hocking it back up in three big partially digested chunks onto the carpet along with a good quantity of sea water.
My uncle went through a few of these as well, a "racy" princess two 1700 in bright orange and a black interior.
Little known fact (Edit: apart from in the article, oops) is the Princess was initially called the 18/22 range as there were 1800 cc an six cylinder 2200 models and a bit of a confusing range, there were badge engineered variants with slight differences, there was I think a Morris, an Austin and a super posh Wolesley, which got a different bonnet, the 2200 models got big single headlamps and the 1800's got twin round ones, I had a model 2200 in gold but it got sent to the vice in he garage, wish I kept it.
So, nobody is suggesting you buy one really, shed cant be a six cylinder BMW every week as there werent that many variants and most have either been done or are too expensive, the Princess is part of our motoring heritage and shoul dbe celebrated as many people of about 30 plus have some memories, they pop up on old tv shows like Terry and June and Fawlty Towers and I for one am glad someone is enthusiastic enough to save a few for posterity, it will never bee cool, fast or massively desirable, it wont drift and the satnav is rubbish but I for one rate this as my Shed of the Year, see the clue is in the name "Shed".
Edited by J4CKO on Friday 5th August 09:20
The Austin Princess and Ambarraser..hmmm cars designed to early before parking sensors were created. Ever tried reversing one of these things. All by touch ughhh
great piece of sculpture but cr*p car
In the 1980 in Custom car there was a candy pink custom princess with half vinyl roof like the lincoln town cars, cant find any pix atthe moment.
So here instead is a pix of an Ogle showcar the Glassback
[url]
great piece of sculpture but cr*p car
In the 1980 in Custom car there was a candy pink custom princess with half vinyl roof like the lincoln town cars, cant find any pix atthe moment.
So here instead is a pix of an Ogle showcar the Glassback
[url]firebird350 said:
Know what I'd love to do? Somehow get that gold Ambassador down to some chic harbourside in southern France - say Nice or Cannes - park it up (before dawn, obviously, so you don't get seen!) and then sit a few yards away on a cafe terrace, hiding behind wrap-around sunglasses, just to see it disappear before your eyes into a pile of brown powder in the salty air
EFA 
BL had so many brands ..
A neighbour had two Princess in a row as company cars .. they were real head turners in their day believe it or not. However that all changed when my dad got a new gold V8 SDI Rover in 1977, we were then the kings of the seventies cul-de-sac. Although it did need to go back to BL after a few months as it developed a huge rust patch on its roof, they said we can either respray it or stick brown vinyl finish to the roof. My Dad went the paint route .. the car was only 2 months old! The reg was TVR 787S .. may have been the subconscious start of my love of TVR's
A neighbour had two Princess in a row as company cars .. they were real head turners in their day believe it or not. However that all changed when my dad got a new gold V8 SDI Rover in 1977, we were then the kings of the seventies cul-de-sac. Although it did need to go back to BL after a few months as it developed a huge rust patch on its roof, they said we can either respray it or stick brown vinyl finish to the roof. My Dad went the paint route .. the car was only 2 months old! The reg was TVR 787S .. may have been the subconscious start of my love of TVR's
Edited by Jonny TVR on Friday 5th August 09:36
When I first looked at todays Shed I thought "what the fk" are they on. But, the more I think about it the more I like it.
For a bag of sand it would actually be quite fun to poodle around in one of these for a few months. A great nostalgia trip and a reminder of how cars used to be before the computer removed us from the mechanicals. A real two figured salute to all those in the "must have the latest" brigade.
Well done shed for opening my mind
k" are they on. But, the more I think about it the more I like it.For a bag of sand it would actually be quite fun to poodle around in one of these for a few months. A great nostalgia trip and a reminder of how cars used to be before the computer removed us from the mechanicals. A real two figured salute to all those in the "must have the latest" brigade.
Well done shed for opening my mind
Appreciate that none of the BL cars were the last word in quality, reliability and rust proofing but I dont see legions of other seventies cars hanging around rust free, gleaming in the sun ?
All the Italian stuff disintegrated even faster than the BL stuff, the Japanese stuff wasnt far behind but was at least reasonably reliable (by the standards of the time) and had really good heaters.
From germany you stillhad the Beetle which dated from the forties and rusted, badly, the Golf was a good car but rusted like anything else, BMW's were pretty rare on the roads then as were Audi's, most rusted away like any other car.
Fords and Vauxhalls were the mainstays of the seventies, they were more reliable than the BL stuff but hardly innovative being all live axles and they didnt get to the FWD party until years after everyone else, though the MK2 Escort is now celebrated, back then all I remember is my mates mums tragic yellow 1.1 "Popular" with fist sized holes in it, its only the hotter versions that really were worth the effort and most rusted away.
Lets not forget Lada's, Skoda's, Hillman's, Chrysler's etc etc, they were all pretty ropey !
All the Italian stuff disintegrated even faster than the BL stuff, the Japanese stuff wasnt far behind but was at least reasonably reliable (by the standards of the time) and had really good heaters.
From germany you stillhad the Beetle which dated from the forties and rusted, badly, the Golf was a good car but rusted like anything else, BMW's were pretty rare on the roads then as were Audi's, most rusted away like any other car.
Fords and Vauxhalls were the mainstays of the seventies, they were more reliable than the BL stuff but hardly innovative being all live axles and they didnt get to the FWD party until years after everyone else, though the MK2 Escort is now celebrated, back then all I remember is my mates mums tragic yellow 1.1 "Popular" with fist sized holes in it, its only the hotter versions that really were worth the effort and most rusted away.
Lets not forget Lada's, Skoda's, Hillman's, Chrysler's etc etc, they were all pretty ropey !
Memories - me and my Boss had a blow out in an Ambassador (Company car) on the M6 North, back around '84 - fast lane to hard shoulder in 0.01 nano seconds - scared the bejeezus out of us - and I seem to remember it was fitted with some early form of "run-flat" tyres (Denovos' ??).
Altogether pretty crappy cars - even for that period - Ford always did it better for me - my own steer was a 2.3 GLS Mk 5 Cortina - weapon !
Altogether pretty crappy cars - even for that period - Ford always did it better for me - my own steer was a 2.3 GLS Mk 5 Cortina - weapon !
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