Footnotes

• General Manager of the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company, Herbert Austin set the Birmingham firm on the road to motor manufacture in 1896 when he designed its first automobile, a twin-cylinder tri-car. The first production Wolseley though, was four-wheeled and, like Austin's 1896 prototype, carried its single cylinder engine horizontally. Wolseley's directors did not share Austin's belief in the horizontal engine's virtues however, and he departed in 1905 to set up his own company at nearby Longbridge. Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, the first Austin cars were powered by conventional inline fours with side-valves arranged in 'T-head' fashion. Chain drive was a feature of these early Austins, but was supplanted by shaft drive within a few years. As well as the fours, Austin also marketed a single-cylinder model and a few sixes prior to WWI. Even in these early days the company was in the habit of using English place names for its various body styles. Austin had its own large coachbuilding department and offered a wide variety of complete cars.
  
  A model built from 1910 to 1915, the Austin 10hp was powered by a four-cylinder side-valve 'T-Head' engine displacing 1,616cc and producing 12.5bhp at 1,000rpm. The oldest Austin in the Patrick Collection, 'AJ 2397' has the optional extended (9') wheelbase to accommodate the occasional rear seat on what was otherwise strictly a two-seater. It is also fitted with a luggage rack over the dickey seat, an optional extra costing 7s 6d (32.5p). Other noteworthy features include Rushmore acetylene headlamps and Austin paraffin oil side lamps.
  
  The car was purchased by the Patrick Collection in 1984 from a Mr Thomas Hotston of Hampton-on-Thames. Apparently an older application, the paintwork is nicely patinated while the chassis appears generally very good. The engine runs well, firing quietly on all cylinders. An impressive collection of rally badges adorns the dashboard, while the button-back pleated seats show some signs of wear but are not torn. This charming Edwardian Austin is offered with (copy) chassis catalogue, old-style continuation logbook and Swansea V5 document.
  

Auction Notices

• Further research, courtesy of a 1912 Austin sales catalogue, reveals that the body style is a 'Melbourne', as opposed to the almost identical 'Coquette'. A copy of the Austin sales catalogue page is available to view in the document file.

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Category: Motoring / Motor Cars

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