Barons
Summer Auction
Epsom Downs Racecourse - Tuesday 14th July 2020
Listed with guide price: £17,000 to £20,000
Keith Belcher has scanned the listings and there is no sign
there the car was sold today.
Listing
says "Mileage is 97,106. The vendor purchased this car
in April 1987, it is an original Factory car, which many are
not. Date of build 4 to 7 April 1975, first owner British Leyland
themselves (Management Car Plan, Truck and Bus Division, Leyland)
from 1975 to 1978. There have been three registration
numbers over the years to allow for cherished transfers. Unfortunately,
the vendor's efforts to obtain further history from other owners
proved fruitless, and very limited paperwork came with the car,
so the then recorded mileage of 49,424 can't be warranted. He
has wanted to keep the car as original as possible, but it was
obvious soon after purchase that serious work was needed, and
in 1989 Marden Coachworks carried out major bodywork repairs,
including replacement of many major panels, They then repainted
the car in the original colour, a long time ago now, but full
photos are available.
The vendor
is not a mechanic so all servicing etc., has been carried out
by garages, normally MG specialists, and since he came across
them in 2006, by Robin Lackford Engineering in Cowfold (MG 5
star and 5 spanner.) Over recent years the performance of the
car has deteriorated, so in 2018 it was agreed that an engine
rebuild by a specialist would be worthwhile and that at the
same time other work could sensibly be carried out. This was
put in hand and was extensive and expensive, with the total
cost £15,000+. In the event the engine rebuild required
a good used engine block to be sourced and then cleaned and
machined, as the old block was found to be unserviceable. (The
former engine number is of course still shown on the Heritage
Certificate, but the new number is now recorded on the V5C by
the DVLA.) Other specialists were employed to overhaul the gearbox
and overdrive unit, and the wiring looms were replaced.
With regard
to the car overall then it is 30 years since the major bodywork
and the interior of the car is looking a little bit tired so
it is likely that a new owner will want to do some work, but
the end result of the recent mechanical work is that the car
is now running beautifully again, it is a joy to drive, and
is proving very reliable. After over 30 years of ownership,
it is now the third car and is not being driven as much as it
deserves or needs so with real regret it has been decided that
it should be sold. It has the benefit of a new MOT, and being
an Historic Vehicle does not require Road Tax. Full service
records and MoT certificates since purchase by the vendor are
provided". |
Our
Pricewatch review
"An original Factory car"
Our copy of the MG Factory production records show the car was
originally produced as a rubber bumper model in Tahiti
Blue 2429 and despatched to BLMC, Truck & Bus Division
at Leyland for a "Mr Burnett". So at some stage it
has had a respray in Damask Red. Original registration number
not know as Mr Burnett did not register the car with the V8
Register. The listing information says he had the car "from
1975 to 1978".
Registration number 234 WHT
The car was registered with the V8 Register in the 1970s as
Damask 2429 with this VRN by an owner in Plymouth in Devon but
with no information on any previous owner(s) or mileage. So
it seems the body colour change had already been made. There
are no notes on the copy of the Factory records that a body
colour change was made at the Factory prior to despatch to Mr
Burnett.
Registration number changed to HRV 110N
The current registration with the V8 Register was made in August
2016 by a Club member in Surrey. The listing says "in
1989 Marden Coachworks carried out major bodywork repairs, including
replacement of many major panels, They then repainted the car
in the original colour".
So it seems the respray was in the colour as purchased, Damask,
and not the original Factory colour, Tahiti Blue.
Current condition - the listing says "
the major bodywork and the interior of the car is looking a
little bit tired so it is likely that a new owner will want
to do some work" and the Baron star ratings show
ratings out of 5 of bodywork 3, paintwork 3 and interior 2.
The engine (has had a major rebuild) and electricals are both
5.
We have not been able to inspect the car (other than the photos
with the listing) but it seems the car would be rated as Condition
2 Plus but would need expenditure on restoring the bodywork
and interior to get the car to Condition 1. Our Pricewatch price
guide released in May 2020 shows a rubber bumper Condition 2
at £13,503 and a Condition 1 at £18,598. So Condition
2 Plus would be around £16,000 but we have not inspected
this car so it can be no more than an indication.
Our Pricewatch volunteer Keith
Belcher has scanned the listings
on the Barons' website and there is no sign there the car
was sold today so possibly it did
not make its reserve. That may well have been case as £17,000
was the lower figure of the guide price range shown in the auction
listing.
Interior
Photos:
Barons' listing for this car |
