1937 AUSTIN 12/4 TAXI LANDAULETTE

Our vendor purchased this 1937 Austin 12/4-based Low Loader taxi with Jones landaulette body in 2016 for shows and events, but it has been little used recently due to ill health. It was registered in January 1937 and ran as a cab until the London Blitz of 1940 when it was commandeered as an ambulance. After the end of the Second World War, it was used as cab again until 1953. It passed through a number of hands, gradually deteriorating, until a company restored it for publicity purposes - although the date of this is unknown (but the colour was changed from blue/black in October 1995 so it may have been then). As a landaulette, the hood can be folded back in fine weather and also has an original taxi meter calibrated in shillings and pence. The taxi has been christened Florence after Florence Nightingale, due to its ambulance service. The vendor notes that the steering can be ‘wobbly’ at times but the vehicle is running and driving well, given its age. There's no MoT; the last expired in March 2014. However, as an historic vehicle, the Austin is now MoT-exempt. The odometer shows 9904 miles. Paperwork includes the V5C, two Austin 12 handbooks, The London Taxi book by Nick Georgano, invoices, MoT certificates back to 1976, photos and show memorabilia. There's also a ‘modern’ style taxi handbook on DVD.   

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