Seriously?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

I know this one isn't a Volvo (but we often go on tangents here). I was curious about the other offering from the motor trader selling the red 240 saloon that keeps dropping in price (a long way to go yet though). The dealer has a very rough Austin Ambassador for sale at £1,695:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195493671...cAAOSwp1tjg1mQ

... it had been off the road for so long there is no MoT history recorded for it (so I'm guessing at least since about 2010). This motor car is only worth scrap value, but that seems to be this motor trader's comfort zone .

Hmmmm, interesting! The lack of MoT history suggests it went off the road pre-2006 which is how far the history usually goes back. Last change of V5C was 7/1/22 suggesting the dealer bought it then. It's had 6 previous owners according to ebay which in ~23 years (1983-2006) is one every 4 years ish.
Blows my first theory of it being bought new at retirement and run until they gave up driving and then left to the widow until her demise.
Sadly some muppet has converted it to single carb and added a manual choke (should be twin carb 100bhp with FASD - Fully Automatic Start Device on HLS/VDP models) and the number plates look very new which suggests it possibly had a cherished plate on it which was sold separately. Could explain the lack of MoT history on that registration.

There is a small but fiercely loyal following for Princess/Ambassador models, wonder why none of them have snapped this up? Price wise i think it's £700-1000 overpriced, the sheer rarity of the car and particularly this model do give it a premium but it is a restoration case for sure.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Hmmmm, interesting! The lack of MoT history suggests it went off the road pre-2006 which is how far the history usually goes back. Last change of V5C was 7/1/22 suggesting the dealer bought it then. It's had 6 previous owners according to ebay which in ~23 years (1983-2006) is one every 4 years ish.
Blows my first theory of it being bought new at retirement and run until they gave up driving and then left to the widow until her demise.
Sadly some muppet has converted it to single carb and added a manual choke (should be twin carb 100bhp with FASD - Fully Automatic Start Device on HLS/VDP models) and the number plates look very new which suggests it possibly had a cherished plate on it which was sold separately. Could explain the lack of MoT history on that registration.

There is a small but fiercely loyal following for Princess/Ambassador models, wonder why none of them have snapped this up? Price wise i think it's £700-1000 overpriced, the sheer rarity of the car and particularly this model do give it a premium but it is a restoration case for sure.

Thank you Dave, I thought you might know about this sort of motor car, that is fascinating.

I'm amazed this one might be worth £600-£900 (I thought it might be weighed in for £200 scrap), and that it might be worth restoring. The Princess/Ambassador followers must be a hardy bunch.

In a similar vein, I came across this 1979 Allegro Vanden Plas:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255862291...Bk9SR9ywo5WcYQ

... I think the last MoT ran out about 5 years ago, so a bit longer than the seller implies since it was last used. It is an rough as a badger's arse, and I'm a bit alarmed that the seller claims it is now tax and MoT exempt - there is no way that has been roadworthy in years.

Is this one scrap value, or would it also be worth restoring?

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Othen

That 5 cylinder 2 stroke Kawasaki made £22,250 at auction. I thought that a pretty reasonable price.

I'm wondering whether I should have bought that 5 cylinder Millyard Kawasaki: it is too late now, but I think it would have made me quite happy

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Thank you Dave, I thought you might know about this sort of motor car, that is fascinating.

I'm amazed this one might be worth £600-£900 (I thought it might be weighed in for £200 scrap), and that it might be worth restoring. The Princess/Ambassador followers must be a hardy bunch.

In a similar vein, I came across this 1979 Allegro Vanden Plas:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255862291...Bk9SR9ywo5WcYQ

... I think the last MoT ran out about 5 years ago, so a bit longer than the seller implies since it was last used. It is an rough as a badger's arse, and I'm a bit alarmed that the seller claims it is now tax and MoT exempt - there is no way that has been roadworthy in years.

Is this one scrap value, or would it also be worth restoring?

Accusations of masochism have been levelled at BL Wedge followers Alan, that is true!

I've had a couple of Ambassadors, a 2.0HL and a 2.0HLS plus my dad had one of the first as a company car.

More accusations of masochism go to Allegro owners too but they ride amazingly well for a small car and the 1500 engine makes them quite nippy. As the one you've found is a VDP and still has its picnoc tables intact, it may well fetch a surprising amount.

Appears to be up together mechanically (notwithstanding the brake problem mentioned by the seller) but it's a few cosmetic bits that let it down.

A fairly easy resto and an easy colour to paint (they left the factory with a multitude of different shades of Sandglow so won't matter too much about an exact match as long as the car is all one colour) plus good support from the owners club and various autojumbles should see it doing the show circuits fairly quickly.

Originally Posted by Othen

I'm wondering whether I should have bought that 5 cylinder Millyard Kawasaki: it is too late now, but I think it would have made me quite happy

It would have terrified your neighbours too!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Accusations of masochism have been levelled at BL Wedge followers Alan, that is true!

I've had a couple of Ambassadors, a 2.0HL and a 2.0HLS plus my dad had one of the first as a company car.

More accusations of masochism go to Allegro owners too but they ride amazingly well for a small car and the 1500 engine makes them quite nippy. As the one you've found is a VDP and still has its picnoc tables intact, it may well fetch a surprising amount.

Appears to be up together mechanically (notwithstanding the brake problem mentioned by the seller) but it's a few cosmetic bits that let it down.

A fairly easy resto and an easy colour to paint (they left the factory with a multitude of different shades of Sandglow so won't matter too much about an exact match as long as the car is all one colour) plus good support from the owners club and various autojumbles should see it doing the show circuits fairly quickly.

...
It would have terrified your neighbours too!

Strangely, I'm quite attracted to the idea of an Allegro project (not as much as the 5 cylinder 2 stroke Millyard Kawasaki).

This one seems to be doing quite well for a cooking motor car:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255846593533

... nearly £2,500 with a few hours of the auction to go, that is sort of 240 money.

[Moomoo]

Originally Posted by Othen

Strangely, I'm quite attracted to the idea of an Allegro project (not as much as the 5 cylinder 2 stroke Millyard Kawasaki).

This one seems to be doing quite well for a cooking motor car:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255846593533

... nearly £2,500 with a few hours of the auction to go, that is sort of 240 money.

My brother had a 1750 SS Allegro, it was a hoot , when it was in the mood but it had all the traits of its ilk.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Othen

Strangely, I'm quite attracted to the idea of an Allegro project (not as much as the 5 cylinder 2 stroke Millyard Kawasaki).

This one seems to be doing quite well for a cooking motor car:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255846593533

... nearly £2,500 with a few hours of the auction to go, that is sort of 240 money.

This Allegro didn’t get any more bids and so finished the auction at £2487, not meeting its reserve. I have no idea how much the seller was expecting, but that seemed quite a healthy price to me.

These are pretty ugly motor cars, and the engineering is nothing special, but they do have a certain charm (to me).

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Strangely, I'm quite attracted to the idea of an Allegro project (not as much as the 5 cylinder 2 stroke Millyard Kawasaki).

This one seems to be doing quite well for a cooking motor car:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255846593533

... nearly £2,500 with a few hours of the auction to go, that is sort of 240 money.

Nice, but better to go for a 1500 or 1750 to gain the 5-speed box and extra power and torque. You are likely to be luckier with the colour as well, rather than having a Mobile Turd.

Originally Posted by Moomoo

My brother had a 1750 SS Allegro, it was a hoot , when it was in the mood but it had all the traits of its ilk.

If memory serves the 1750SS was a limited run "sports" version with twin headlamps, a fancy set of go-faster stripes and (most were) silver paintwork. Twin carb 1750 engine, put out about 95bhp i think so was quite a lively performer, at least for the day. I believe its successor was called the Equipe, pronounced "A-keep" if you were posh, "equip" if you weren't and "Eck-wipe" if you were ridiculing it.

Granted the Allegro was styled my Mr Magoo, Stevie Wonder and Helen Keller but at least they met for the exercise, unlike the Maestro where not only did the styling committee never meet, they were never told they were working on the same car!

That said, they are surprisingly nice to drive, you don't really see the outside from behind the wheel (although early models with the square "Quartic" wheel the outside might be preferable!), they're very comfortable and ride very nicely, courtesy of the Hydragas suspension.

[Dippydog]

Friend of mine in the '70s had a 1750 SS pretty nippy for its time,his was white with a black vinyl roof[posh or what] In the mid '80s I had a 2L HLS Ambassador which was written off after being hit by a drunk driver in a Transit van actually a very good car that I liked a lot.A chap round the corner from me has a 2L HL Ambassador that he uses as a daily driver.

[Bob 1967]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

There is a small but fiercely loyal following for Princess/Ambassador models, wonder why none of them have snapped this up? Price wise i think it's £700-1000 overpriced, the sheer rarity of the car and particularly this model do give it a premium but it is a restoration case for sure.

When these came out, I lost my mind.
I thought they bore no relation to the Princess I had the pleasure of being a passenger in, on way to holiday in Rush Co. Dublin (before it became a housing estate )as a young boy.
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19288/lot/503/

My father was a Chauffer and coach driver at the time.
We were asked " Is that a Rolls Royce? " by the locals.
"No" we replied proudly "It's a Princess".
We had fun doing the Royal Wave as we passed!

That thing looks like an inflated Fiat Ritmo.
I'd buy it just to crush it.