Description

1969 Austin A60 Cambridge Estate

No Reserve

Ultra-rare Farina estate; running and driving; recent brake overhaul; use and improve

A familiar sight on any UK road in the '60s and '70s, the evergreen Farina-styled Austin A60 is now virtually extinct thanks to the ravages of tin worm and their prowess on the banger-racing circuit.

It was never intended to last as long as it did and BMC assumed that demand would drop after the launch of the front-wheel drive 1800 series, however this did not happen. The Longbridge plant struggled to cope with manufacturing both types and A60 Cambridge production had to be moved to the factory at Cowley to be built alongside the Morris Oxford, MG Magnette, Riley and Wolseley badge-engineered equivalents to relieve the situation. Production of the Austin A60 finally ceased in 1969, although its Morris equivalent, the Oxford, continued through to 1971.


If a regular A60 Cambridge is a rare sight today, when did you last see one of the charismatic Estate versions? - we can't remember. They are robust and straightforward, and spares are plentiful and cheap thanks to the B - Series power plant and commonality of parts across many BMC models.


This April 1969 model was sold new by H J Evans, Bath Road, Birmingham to its first owner who lived in Warley. They took it back to the supplying dealer repeatedly for service, the Passport to Service book showing no fewer than 17 stamps to 1985, by which time it had covered 40,864 miles. There are also 17 old MOTs and some interesting original brochures on file.


One of its owners must have been highly organised, as bills dating back to 1969 are sorted by year - right up to 2010! It comes with a new keepers slip but no full current V5c, although it does have its old style V5 and Experian records it as having two previous keepers, with changes taking place in 1990 and 2010.

Its current owner has done some work to the brakes, although we don't know what exactly what and the car has been running and driving on site. We did notice the gearbox was quite noisy, although functioned fine.

Obviously it would benefit from some cosmetic attention, but it is a long way from a basket case and could be used and improved as time and funds allow. We rather like the idea of a B-Series upgrade - perhaps to 2.1-litre spec with an overdrive and disc brakes? - which would turn it into a rapid and highly usable car indeed.

The rear seats fold in a very clever manor, making it a most practical classic, and one which has caught our eye as one of the more quirkly lots in the sale...

For more information - contact matthew.parkin@brightwells.com