Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R - Rolls Royce Engine!

[@JOHNRGRAY]

What a wonderful classic. I remember these when they first came out. 👍🏾

[@IVAN-bs5bq]

So do I and they were shite then and still are !

[@russcooke5671]

RIP VAN WINKLE.

[@robertp.wainman4094]

Beautifully styled radiator grille and lovely de-finned rear wings. Modern leather seats will never wear as well as these.

[@clive3100]

Back in the day, my dad had a wealthy friend who would visit who had a gold/black one. He would let me as a young boy sit in it and it was classy indeed. One of my school friend's dad had a Wolseley 6/110 which was very nice too, although not of course with the 4 litre RR engine.

[@Creepycottages]

My Mom had a metallic blue one with red lining. Red leather interior, and ours had a Webasto sun roof. Nice Reg. I remember AOK 917B. We went to North Wales from Birmingham many times in the late 60's early 70's and climbing the infamous Dinas Mawddwy mountain was a breeze! I remember it only seemed to use 2 gears on the automatic. I think there was a manual overdrive but not certain. I also remember the 4 fan belts and the RR on the aluminium rocker cover. Beast os a car.

[@wigs1098]

All automatics on the 4 litre R.

[@michaelarchangel1163]

@@wigs1098 I think he meant to say a manual override, to keep the car from changing down to 1st gear.

[@michaelmontagu3979]

My mother liked these and owned 3 in the years they were in production.

[@patricksmith4424]

It might be a roller under the bonnet, but it looks darn like a merc from the rear!

[@mrdunns3338]

At my boarding school in Tynedale, late 60s, the housemaster had one. It replaced his bright yellow Triumph Spitfire that fell to bits. When we were in the 6th Form, he'd take loads of us up to a remote pub for a couple of pints, no seatbelts or anything like that in those days, half a dozen of us bouncing around in the back. Very comfortable and the leather was a novelty back then. Happy daze.

[@troo_story]

I'll bet you were on the way back (happy daze). 🤣

[@expressoevangelism80]

If I had one, I’d definitely keep it ‘nice and tidy.’ How classic. Beautiful.

[@Lemma01]

I think i can remember standing in the rear footwell "playing shop". But the interior was red. I'm 55 years older, now. Lovely.

[@thoriginalyogi]

My brother has one, not quite as shiny, but shes a nice old tub. He swapped a mk1 triumph 2000 and some cash with a Birmingham classic dealer in about 1998, personally, I'd have kept th triumph, but he'd had triumphs for years, and I think he fancied a change. It gives him hours of happy fettling in his lockup, so thats a bonus too....

[@TheByard]

Along with my first father-in-law we owned a 4ltr & 3ltr saloon plus two VP full height limos working in North London doing weddings, funeral and company hires. I loved driving the 4ltr it had extra smooth acceleration. I was told the RR lumps were built for the army Champ jeeps, but the order was not completed so another use was made for the engines.

[@carlarthur4442]

I had a 3 litre worsley very similar to that car with all the luxury that come with a car of this calibre, lovely to drive , but you got about 12 to the gallon , and as petrol had gone up in price at the time too ( £1.99p per gallon ) its was uneconomical to run so I sold it on for £60 . The first owner was Sir , Alfred Mc Alpine he used it as his runaround work vehicle. 😊 happy days , thanks for the memories.

[@cliffwheeler7357]

@carlarthur4442 I think you are possibly referring to the WOLSELEY 6/110? which was introduced in 1961 and Withdrawn in 1968.

[@denishoulan1491]

I worked on one of these when I was an apprentice back in 1974. We decoked it and boy did it need it. It had been a mayors car which I suppose why it was so carboned up. We certainly worked on a huge variety of cars back then.

[@royhammond2232]

My Dad had a black one, he used to delight in “booting it” and feel the pull of that lovely engine. Nice car to ride in

[@tomsurrey2252]

I was a young apprentice electrician... sold my Wolsey, for £45, an bought this car, 4lR, for... £110, from a builder, what a car! Built like a tank, haha of, that was circa 1970.

[@scopex2749]

My late Dad used to have the Standard Vanden Plas Princess when I was little. I redeemer sitting in the back with my colouring books on long journeys to holidays on the walnut tables!

[@Mike8981]

Lovely memories

[@gary7360]

My father worked for vanden Plas in Kingsbury for many years as a toolmaker. As did my uncle converting the cars for hmh the queen by taking g the roof off and turning it into a landerlette the standard of the interior was amazing all the walnut facia was of the same veneer and the leather was all conoly

[@johnhunt7069]

So did I from about 1965 until 1969. I was involved with building the Limousine chassis prior to the Body Shop Dept. building the body onto the chassis. I went to the Customer Service Dept. until I moved to Basingstoke

[@gary7360]

@@johnhunt7069 the family name at vanden Plas was hockett wally and arthur

[@yuglesstube]

I wonder what it's worth?

[@patrickkelly7085]

That was the most exstensive car review i have seen on KZbin, thank you.

[@stevie-ray2020]

Owner/s have really looked after this car, which makes this example exceptional!

[@clyneheretic]

These Princesses were based on the Austin A110 Westminster body.

[@simonf8902]

Yes. But they took the fins off.

[@andunabu3238]

I thought that, my Dad had a Westminster, good machine

[@clyneheretic]

@@andunabu3238 always admired them - always wanted one - never happened ☹

[@commandertopgun]

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL & STUNNING -LOVE IT-NICE VIDEO

[@christophervan6966]

Eye-watering fuel consumption but divine class

[@keztrucker7478]

Only one question. ....is it "nice and tidy " ? 😃

[@patrickkelly7085]

I think he said it was, nice and straight too/

[@mercmush]

😂

[@boboneleg]

The first automatic car I ever drove, I was 19 at the time and had never driven an automatic at that time. I thought it was a big old bus and preferred driving a Hillman Avenger !! Oh how times have changed, I wish I could drive one now :)

[@ENZEEVIDS]

nice and lovely puddle of oil on the floor beneath the rear main area, pretty nice though. i used to work on these when i was doing my apprenticeship.

[@pcno2832]

The little wheels look so lost in the big wheel arches. I know wheels were generally smaller in 1965, but it makes me wonder if there were other wheel options for this family of cars. It is one hell of a cool looking car; I had no idea they put Rolls engines in these.

[@IconicIronicUK]

For some reason they changed from 14" to 13" wheels on the later Westminsters, Wolseley 6/110s, and the 4 Litre version of the Vanden Plas. I'm not sure why because they do look a bit lost and it is quite common for people to source and fit the earlier 14" wheels.

[@colinbarron4]

I remember reading somewhere that the pop star Lulu owned one at one point. The Rolls-Royce engine in this vehicle was originally designed for use in armoured vehicles.

[@patrickkelly7085]

Yes LuLu used to shout about it.

[@parrotraiser6541]

An honest look at a nice luxury barge. Still very dignified. I believe the motor was originally built for the military Austin Champ, (Jeep-like vehicle), so it should be rugged.

[@yorkiegilly4355]

A nice car - But have to say the Wolseley 6/110 & Austin Westminster were more value for money than the Vanden Plas ?. Was in the Morris owners club by the 70s after my Mk2 Jag got a little pricey to run and after a run of Farina smaller engine Wolseleys and a 1500 saloon I was hooked . But the surprise how good the 3 litre engine was in the 6/110 after buying one from my mates Dad who was a Funeral Director ,what started a buying relationship that lasted some years .The big saloons had wood door cappings , picnic tables , Leather seats and most of the goodies that made the bigger saloons special . And my favorite classic British car followed ,a Austin Westminster which was a true gem with a semi auto box that you could use in manual or auto mode ,one car out of dozens that I truly miss . My last car off the Funeral Director was one of the last Chrysler [Hillman] Avenger estates in Dracula"s Cave Black with chrome roof rails, built to special order ,I wonder if she is still on the road ?. Happy [classic] motoring .

[@jamesbond8608]

Why the hell do people ruin lovely pristine wings by fitting stupid wing mirrors. totally ugly🤮

[@chrisbray4322]

My father had one of these cars only mod was he had a tow bar fitted , towed a ski boat , happy times.

[@simongee8928]

The yellow coach line stripe would have certainly been hand painted. 😊

[@robertwillis4061]

Back in the early 80's was in a scrap yard with my father for his Morris Marina. There was one of these, with nasty damage to the front. It had dark red leather interior. My father told his friend, who bought the rear seats and turned them into a 2 seater couch.

[@bobdobalina2931]

You failed to mention that it's had a respray or at the very least work done on the nearside rear arch as there's overspray inside the arch. The black paint has been over-polished as there's some flat spots on the boot, roof and bonnet despite you having waxed it. Cars always look better under artificial lighting so they'll probably be more visible in the sunlight. The nearside sill looks like it's been tacked on. Very nice car though, could easily be brought up to an excellent standard.

[@messylaura]

yeah, tell tale signs of clear over spray on the side windows

[@russcooke5671]

True mate my dad said never buy a car in the rain or the middle of an hurricane.

[@briansr.5219]

It is already in excellent condition !

[@lioncurlew]

​@@russcooke5671or at night

[@lioncurlew]

​@@briansr.5219Not quite

[@22pcirish]

One drop of rain and the metal moths will be gorging themselves! 😂😂😂

[@yuglesstube]

Now that's a superb car .

[@FredtheDog...]

lovely car !!

[@cliffwheeler7357]

The model before the 4LitreR was designated the Vanden Plas Princess, NOT the Austin Princess. The Austin Princess range was introduced in 1947 with the A120 Mark 1. The Austin Princess was in production until 1959 with the Mark 3 and the short lived Mark 4. The final use of the “Princess”name was for the Princess 1800/2200 of 1975-78 and the Princess 2 1700/2000/2200 of 1978-81.

[@John-bv2ft]

Great classic

[@sicks6six]

my school car park had cars like this in it, Wolseley's, Cambridge's etc, all the teachers had this type of car except the hippy teacher who had a split screen beetle. this car looks like it has had a lot of local paintwork jobs done to it, take a magnet with you if viewing it,

[@richardshiggins704]

Eton ??

[@andrewallen9993]

@@richardshiggins704 😁

[@a60chickenchaser]

A Rolls engine also used in army scout cars etc.

[@tedthesailor172]

I recollect seeing one of these with a genuine Rolls Royce radiator...!

[@davidhayes4814]

These cars were very special when they were made. Highly priced when new, compared with their base model, but possibly worth it, in that there were not many decently powered luxury large saloons at the £2K price point at that time…… apart from Jags. Move on half a decade, then you had P5B as well as the Jags. Cars like the Alvis TF in the 60s, were astonishingly lovely and fast …… but twice the price …, Aston Martin money.

[@mr-wx3lv]

Ooh. I do like those 👍

[@richardmumford2708]

Beautiful

[@eathan323]

Lovely old car in good condition for the year ready for a little light restoration to bring back to a good standard really has no right to be around after 58 yrs but it is and will make a nice car very rare

[@zambotv8150]

Stunning

[@chriscondell603]

Always a good idea to be sitting in the vehicle when starting the engine as a rule.

[@clivepacker]

This was my family car growing up. In white with red leather interior.

[@patrickkelly7085]

Our family car was a Austin A35 van and if it rained all of the occupants had to wear Wellies, in breezy weather the trafficator was permanently in the turn right position it caused mayhem at roundabouts.

[@cupidstunt22]

I'd say thats very tidy and quite nice

[@TinWhistleTV]

Very nice indeed.

[@wollaminfaetter]

Sweet! 😍

[@p24hrsmith]

Made really good banger racers

[@stevenc5227]

I presume Rolls Royce engine equates to Rolls Royce running costs, then again i suppose it would be a hobby car, rather than a daily driver, a little bit rough in places ( Sills ) need more work, thought i saw a few dull patches on the paintwork, other than that a rare car today indeed.

[@user-ou3wo1xk4j]

The Rolls-Royce engine was originally designed for military use and by R-R standards was crude. The body was a modified Austin Westminster and like all Farina designs very prone to rust particularly under the front wings and chassis cross members just behind the front wheels. The sills suffered severe corrosion as evidenced by the poor welding on a replacement sill. The Austin Champ was a Jeep type vehicle. Designed by a committee (so it was rumoured) and was vastly over complicated. The engine was a 4 litre 4 cylinder Rolls-Royce. At one time I ran one in off road trials. A big heavy lump would be the best description. The car in the video. It's a 1965 model (C suffix in the index number) I worked on one of these at a BMC dealers in the latter half of the 1960s. Nice in their day, the King, then Prince Charles, had one, not a young mans car I would have thought. If that particular car made £6000 + and having seen the VISIBLE condition of it I would say the buyer overpaid by £4000 for it. To bring it back to showroom condition would cost at least another £7000. The leather work alone, perhaps £2500. one would need to want that car very much indeed to justify spending that amount on it. Financially not viable.

[@petegazzard8296]

Lovely cars, but not this one, as somebody else pointed out, its been resprayed but they missed the rubbish welding under the door Cill (sill?) Also no half competent interior trimmer would fit that glove box lid. First winter, it will be rust City. Not a good advert for this garage.

[@rolandveshengho3913]

You missed the main meal......purring along almost effortlessly....an armchair for sixties European autobahns.

[@clivewoolley4492]

Nice to see NO plastic.

[@user-xr6rq6uc1f]

My grand parents car 175 hp. Great car on the country highways in Australia. It is only car outside Rolls Royce with a Rolls Royce engine.

[@2mikelim]

The front looks like a mg magnette and the rear a 65 merc 220se with its fintails!

[@heartofoak45]

I nearly bought one of these in 1966, but I must have had my 'sensible' hat on that day and decided the running was a bit too much. Nowadays I only wear my 'irresponsible' hat, because life is too short. Am I not correct in saying the engine block was Rolls Royce but the top of the engine was BMC?

[@aclendinning]

I learned to drive in my fathers one.

[@bobeden5027]

When was it re-sprayed?

[@mahatmacoat7215]

I think this was a static car featured on a driveway in one of the Endeavour episodes.

[@christophercumings6827]

How much did it sell for?

[@dereklwashington1132]

I'd rather have this than a new 100k car that you see coming and going

[@ThreenaddiesRexMegistus]

Beautiful stately old car! It’s not showing the usual abrasion damage from women’s diamond rings on door handles and glass.

[@SWright1978]

Looks like a Volvo 164 mated with a Mercedes W112! Growing up in the UK they always seemed incredibly frumpy. The sort of thing that a dentist or a bank manager would drive. Older used ones were worthless.

[@martinmcdonald4207]

Blast. Damn thing!

[@1258-Eckhart]

Frumpiness tends not to date, unlike the American brashness of a Humber Imperial.

[@djrichylaurence8991]

Wouldn't mind one.

[@hp-rw2fy]

mu Dad had one of these in Black with Red leather same C reg.

[@jimmyfleetwood1118]

What people don't realize about the "Rolls-Royce" engine in these is that it's an adapted industrial engine, and not related the RR car engines.

[@nickhorne5135]

Nice car but has that sill be welded on by a pigeon :-)

[@stevenclarke5606]

A blind one at that, it’s a dreadful job !

[@RebelsInc969]

My dad had one of these, he had a bet with a guy in a pub that it would do 80mph in 2nd gear what the guy didnt know was it had an overdrive so my dad put it into 2nd accelerated hard then put it into overdrive & it purred all the way upto 80mph my dad one the bet lol 👍

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

Looks like it has some rust bubbling in the sills which you did not point out. Nice colour combination but terrible fuel mileage and not practical to drive today.

[@MH-fb5kr]

Looking under the car, he didn’t even mention several drip spots.

[@Radivbass]

Väldigt li Volvo 164 i fronten...

[@Charles-Windsor88]

I had one of these but the owner had removed the engine which he marinised and used in a launch He then had a Chevrolet 350 small block fitted and a Toyota Supra 5 speed gearbox Nice car to drive but changing the engine had upset the balance a bit so l drove it carefully. He claimed the fuel economy was slightly better than the RR engine but l'm not sure Was a rather hungry car around town

[@gca259]

This car needs a 4 litre engine just to shift the weight of the filler its covered in...

[@rovercoupe7104]

Looks a little like a Silver Shadow. M.

[@richardteale3217]

Hi, is the car still available and if so what is the asking price. Thank you.

[@wbsons9956]

Yes it goes to auction on Saturday.

[@soloperformer5598]

From memory when I worked for Crypton this brilliant Rolls Royce engine was an absolute pig to set up correctly.

[@bobeden5027]

how much?

[@daveberry2177]

alot of them died on the banger track, they were a great tool, but a shame really

[@richardteale3217]

May I ask what she fetched .? Lovely car my dad had one fifty five years ago.

[@wbsons9956]

This car sold in our September auction last Saturday for £6,000 plus buyers premium.

[@richardteale3217]

@@wbsons9956 lovely car for the price . Thank you for replying .

[@mrz5705]

Vanden Plas: pronounced 'Plar' as in car.... tut, tut.

[@wbsons9956]

That’s a common misconception it’s a very British mannerism to leave the S in Plas as silent. Vanden Plas is actually a Flemish phrase. The S is pronounced.

[@Greebstreebling]

KZbin comments eh? Here's mine ...my dad had a Wolseley 6110 circa 1965. Similar kind of vehicle, but no roller engine of course. Petrol was 7/- per gallon, about 35P in modern money. Still, capitalism is doing great things for us ...or is it?

[@paulandersen8396]

How many other cars have had RR engines?

[@peterduxbury927]

How many Rolls Royces made today, have a Rolls Engine?

[@marcusrawlinson5024]

It's a, 4 litre VdP version of the Westminster not the Princess. Thanks for the walkaround.

[@htimsid]

The Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre is based on the Westminster A99 and A110, as are the Wolseley 6/99 and 6/110. The 4-litre R is a further development of the Vanden Plas theme using the Princess 3-litre as a basis.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

On the underneath shot, it looks like it's leaking oil or water. I doubt it's from air conditioning. Yes a very nice car.

[@jasperedwards2713]

theres many cars that look like that even wolsley 1660 even morris austion riley

[@Visionery1]

0:08, Vanden Plas, pronounced Vanden Plah. ;) We owned several Austin Westminsters, very similar to this and the Wolseley 6/110.

[@rovercoupe7104]

If I had the space and the money I’d buy it. M.

[@bobmitchell8012]

Those tiny little wheels look like they belong on a billy cart, a much bigger nice set of wheels would transform the look of this car.

[@david.m.304]

Nice presentable car and easily restorable for a Vanden Plas enthusiast, however, I'm sorry but the presenter was speaking too quickly, Icouldn'tunderstandalotofwhathewassaying!! Still, many thanks for sharing, it brought back memories!

[@21stcenturyozman20]

Spoke too fast? Well, he is a car salesman after all. It's part of the trade, surely.

[@david.m.304]

Hmmmmm. Okay, good point. At my age it may also be my ailing hearing as I'm 71 years old (feel 80+ though! Not in the best of health.) Point taken, many thanks and do take care. @@21stcenturyozman20

[@danschubring7957]

What is the model year?

[@wigs1098]

He said 1965 at the start.

[@alanmole7292]

Rolls Royce engine from an Austin Champ.

[@wigs1098]

The 4 litre R motor is a 6 and is all alloy, unlike the Champ motor which is a 4 and only had an alloy head on early versions and cast iron later, with a cast iron block from the start.

[@alanmole7292]

@@wigs1098 I stand corrected! Was it the six cylinder generator engine repurposed?

[@stewartbrown8115]

The 6 cyl B60 was used in the Ferret

[@danschubring7957]

Ali-Mini-um?

[@mrkiplingreallywasanexceed8311]

Great sales video😬

[@ks-eq3yx]

It's Vanden Plarr.

[@lackodhr.5303]

❤️🤗👍💯👍

[@edwardrodgers9383]

You don't the hand - the camera will do!🥴🧐

[@gjhunt916]

Dad had one of those, and it’s Vandan plars, not Vanden plass. Nice for it’s time.