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Austin A30 — 1955

A delightful little charmer from the era of small people’s cars. Nicely restored and in good order both in detail and overall.

Tore Thallaug
Inspector
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Robin Gidebrant
Case manager
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"A beloved car with many names. In the UK, the Austin A30 was called The Peanut and Steel Teddy Bear. In Sweden, it was nicknamed the Meatball and the Tie Knot. A lively little fellow in well-restored condition. Pleasant to drive around in and fully functional. An interior detailing and a review of small details would lift the car another notch."

COUNTDOWN
CURRENT BID
04 SEP 14:50
25 000SEK
LOT NUMBER
LOCATION
18633
HUDDINGE
ESTIMATED VALUE
RESERVE PRICE
50 - 60 000 SEK
Not reached
PLACE YOUR BID (MINIMUM 26 000 SEK)
Non deductable VAT
SEK
Auction fee: 5% or min. 2900 SEK (incl VAT)
BID HISTORY
16265
01 SEP 23:21
25 000 SEK
42444
01 SEP 22:36
21 000 SEK
15050
01 SEP 21:34
20 000 SEK
3841
01 SEP 19:28
17 000 SEK
29205
01 SEP 19:16
16 000 SEK
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Tore Thallaug
Inspector
Send message
Robin Gidebrant
Case manager
Send message

"A beloved car with many names. In the UK, the Austin A30 was called The Peanut and Steel Teddy Bear. In Sweden, it was nicknamed the Meatball and the Tie Knot. A lively little fellow in well-restored condition. Pleasant to drive around in and fully functional. An interior detailing and a review of small details would lift the car another notch."

Description

This car was first registered for road use on January 1, 1955. The current owner acquired it through an auction house in October 2022, at which point it had been restored and was in good working order. It has been stored covered in a carport and has been started four to five times per year but only driven a few kilometers during the summer.

This spring, when it was started, there was a small fuel leak, but it was easily fixed by replacing the fuel hose to the carburetor – now sealed tight.

Included with the car is various documentation (including photos from the restoration), papers, and literature. Two sets of keys. Inspected and ready to drive.

Technical data

  • Year
    1955/1955 
  • Registration date
    1955-01-01 
  • Mileage
    67 000 km 
  • Registration Number
    CHM742 
  • Chassis Number
    A2S4L102791 
  • Kw / hp
    22 / 30 
  • Fuel Type
    Petrol 
  • Transmission
    Manual 
  • Interior finish
    Vinyl 
  • Colour
    Dark Green 

Condition

  • Mechanical condition:

    Started easily and the engine and drivetrain ran smoothly. During the restoration, the engine was overhauled. On a short test drive on smaller country roads and in a residential area, everything appeared to function well, including steering, clutch, gearbox, and other systems. The brakes worked properly, though they required a bit more pedal effort compared to today’s servo-assisted systems.

    The current owner has not noticed any faults except that the starter motor may “click” occasionally, but it always starts after a few attempts. It has not been inspected on a lift, but the body has been restored and rustproofed. From what could be seen, the vital components also appeared sound.

  • Interior condition:

    Pleasant vinyl interior with good comfort in the seats and rear bench. Door panels, trim, headliner, and textile carpets in nice condition. Steering wheel, controls, dashboard, and gauges all in good working order. All electrics appear to function well, including the trafficator indicators. Lap belts have been installed in the rear, as the previous owner used to carry grandchildren.

  • Exterior condition:

    Glossy and nice paintwork. Glass, chrome, trim, emblems, and lighting details in good condition. Attractive wheels with shiny hubcaps, fitted with good Goodrich tires.

  • General condition:

    As small “people’s cars” became increasingly common after the Second World War, the Austin A30/35 was one of the classic examples. This one is in nicely restored condition and spreads joy wherever it goes. A jaunty classic and an enthusiast’s car.

MOT (tech. insp.)

Fordonsstatus: Avst 2022-09-13
Ursprungsbesiktning: 1955-01-01 (typbes)
Datum i trafik första gången: 1955-01-01
Senast godkända besiktning: 2018-05-23
Besiktningsbefriad: Ja
Skattebefriad: Ja
Körförbud: Nej
Antal ägare: 9

Facts about the model

The Austin Motor Company manufactured cars from 1905 to 1989. The company was founded by Herbert Austin, who had a background at Wolseley. The factory was originally based in Longbridge outside Birmingham. After the First World War the company struggled financially, but things turned around with the small Austin Seven. The 1930s rolled along steadily, but Herbert Austin himself gradually stepped back due to age. He passed away in 1941. During the Second World War, production was switched to aircraft engines and airplanes. After the war, Austin quickly resumed car production and, among other things, acquired Vanden Plas. They also began their successful collaboration with Donald Healey, launching the Austin-Healey sports car, today an icon. In 1952, Austin merged with Morris to form BMC. In an increasingly turbulent era for the British car industry, BMC later became part of British Leyland in 1968.

Back in 1949, however, the first attempt at a collaboration between Austin and Morris fell apart. Austin therefore needed to find a competitor to the Morris Minor, which had been introduced the year before. At the Earl’s Court Motor Show, Austin presented its new small car project, the A30 (marketed as The New Austin Seven), a jaunty little car with a four-cylinder overhead-valve engine producing 28 hp. Production began the following May, with the first model being a four-door saloon bodied by Briggs in Dagenham. By that time, Austin and Morris had already joined forces within BMC, which led to extensive “badge engineering” across different models using much of the same technology. Thus, the A30 and the Minor were built within the same group – yet were direct competitors.

In October 1953, a two-door version was launched, which perhaps suited the little car better than the tiny doors of the four-door version. The following year, in August 1954, the Countryman estate and a panel van version were introduced. In September 1956, the A35 arrived with both mechanical and cosmetic updates, and at the same time a pickup was launched – though only just under 500 examples were built. The A35 received a larger 948 cc, 34 hp engine, conventional flashers instead of semaphore indicators, a larger rear window, among other updates.

By the end of the 1950s, in 1959, the last two- and four-door versions were produced, replaced by the new A40 Farina-bodied model. In 1962 the Countryman was discontinued, but the panel van version continued in production until 1968. In Sweden, the two-door version in particular became popular and was nicknamed köttbullen (“the meatball”) and slipsknuten (“the tie knot”).

In total, 223,264 examples of the Austin A30 and 280,897 of the Austin A35 were produced.

Location and viewing Information

Location: Huddinge

For viewing the vehicle, contact the inspector/case manager:

Tore Thallaug
+46 705 90 23 65
tore@bilwebauctions.se

Pick up

Collection must take place before: 2025-09-18.

NOTE! Payment (deposit to our account) must be made within 5 days and before collection.

Auction information

General information about the condition of the vehicles .
  • At this auction, many vehicles have been included in car collections and have been stored (mothballed) for a long time. For this reason, they are described from a collector's perspective and may need technical reviews and maintenance service - oil, battery replacement, new tires, brake review, etc. - before they can be used. .
  • During the auction days information about a vehicle may be updated up to the day before the auction ends. When you bid at the end of the auction period - and also if you have made an earlier bid - we therefore ask you to read the descriptions carefully, in case something has been changed due to new information.
Important to know before placing your bids!
  • Once you have called in an item and the reservation price is reached we want you to deposit the entire purchase amount into our client funds account before retrieval can take place.
  • When you need to retrieve a called in object we want you to examine it carefully. If you consider that the item does not match our description you do not need to complete the purchase. In this case the deposited purchase sum and the entry fee are refunded.
  • If you do not examine the item on the spot the call charge will be debited, but you do not have to complete the deal.
  • If you make the entire purchase exclusively at a distance you have 14 days to cancel, but must return the item at your own expense.
  • Your shipping costs and other costs are not reimbursed when the right of withdrawal is exercised. Swedish court applies.
  • For items that have not been collected within 14 days storage costs may be charged.

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