Equipment & Specs
Right-hand drive, 4-speed manual transmission, air conditioning
Description
Let us introduce the
Vanden Pla Princess 1300. Vanden Pla was founded in the late 1800s as a Belgian manufacturer of carriages and other vehicle bodies. The company later established a base in the United Kingdom and built its reputation by receiving orders from luxury car manufacturers such as Rolls-Bentley.After the war, following various changes, it operated as a division of Austin under the BMC umbrella, responsible for manufacturing various models—all of which were luxury versions one class above their base models.
In 1962, Austin released a compact sedan called the ADO 16, and Vanden Pla, along with Wolseley, was tasked with producing luxury versions based on it.The result was the Princess 1100, which was meticulously hand-assembled, one car at a time, at Princess Cars’ Longbridge plant.
The exterior, featuring the same luxurious and majestic front grille and fog lamps as previous Vanden Plas models, gave it a sense of luxury entirely distinct from ADO16 models produced by other brands. The dashboard made generous use of high-quality walnut wood panels, and wood capping was also applied to the upper edges of the door trim.
The seats, of course, are upholstered in the finest Connolly leather, reflecting the craftsmanship honed in previous large luxury cars. Furthermore, the backs of the front seats incorporate a fold-down walnut picnic table for rear passengers, resulting in an interior that rivals that of a chauffeur-driven car—despite the vehicle’s compact size.
In 1967, a model with a larger 1.3-liter engine was introduced, further enhancing the driving experience. The base model, the ADO16, was designed by the genius engineer Alex Isigonis—who also designed the Mini—and styled by the Italian firm Pininfarina; every model in the lineup went on to achieve great success.Even among them, this Princess stood out as exceptionally unique, and its superb build quality earned it the nickname “Baby Rolls.”
This particular vehicle is believed to have been imported from the UK in Heisei 4. Since then, it has been meticulously maintained by successive owners—not only the body but also the engine and suspension—making it a truly exceptional example. The torque-rich engine, smooth suspension and ride quality, and luxurious interior evoke a special sense of emotion in the driver.It features a combination of dark blue—almost black—exterior and gray interior. While automatic transmission models are relatively common, a 4-speed manual model like this is quite rare these days. We
highly recommend that you come see this car at our dealership.
