Lot Ended
Description
Much recent expenditure; few owners; lots of history; one of only 902
made and perhaps 50 surviving; transferable number plate; a handsome example of
this refined and sporting saloon
The last car
ever made by Armstrong Siddeley before they shifted their focus entirely to aero
engines, the Star Sapphire is widely regarded as the finest of all the quality
motorcars made by this illustrious firm of high-tech engineers.
While it looked similar to its 346 predecessor
(developed with input from the great WO Bentley), the Star Sapphire was a
significantly more advanced machine that bristled with cutting edge features.
Under the bonnet lurked a 4-litre straight-six engine producing 165bhp and bags
of low-down torque, providing this ‘gentleman’s carriage’ with enough muscle to
reach a genuine 100mph, a prestigious benchmark for luxury cars of the
era.
A Borg-Warner three-speed auto ‘box was
standard, featuring an advanced ‘intermediate gear hold’ lever on the dash that
allowed the driver to hold second gear up to a chosen speed from 20mph –
65mph.
To manage this power, Armstrong Siddeley
equipped the car with several firsts for the brand, including servo-assisted
Girling front disc brakes and Burman recirculating ball power
steering.
The interior was a masterclass in
British craftsmanship with burr walnut dash and door cappings, the finest
Connolly leather upholstery and plush Wilton carpets. Other luxury features
included adjustable arm rests and steering column, map reading lights, concealed
door hinges, independent heating and ventilation for the rear passengers and a
rear-window demister, all real novelties at the time.
Awarded the Gold Medal in the ‘Four-Door Coachwork’ class at the 1958
Earls Court Motor Show (ahead of the Jaguar MkIX and the Austin Princess), the
Star Sapphire was also rapturously received by the press. Autocar
declared that it had “few equals, even beyond its price range”, with “Rolls-like
civility” and “staid coachwork which gives no hint of the high performance and
the virtues of a good sports car”.
However, such
quality did not come cheap and at £2,645 the hand-built Star Sapphire was almost
£500 more than a Jaguar MkIX, £700 more than a Jaguar XK150 and £1,000 more than
a Humber Super Snipe. When the management realised that they were actually
losing money on every car sold, production was brought to a halt in July 1960 by
which time only 902 saloons had been made, along with 77 limousine
versions.
Dating from the last year of production, this Star Sapphire Saloon is
number 640 of the production run and was first registered in Oxford in March
1960. It has had just eight owners since, all detailed in old registration
documents on file.
The 7th owner was a
Mr R Sladden of Market Harborough who acquired the car from St Andrews
Automobiles of Chelmsford in December 2018 for £15,450. He was to keep the car
for the next seven years and looked after it regardless of cost, spending a
small fortune to get it in tip-top mechanical order using parts supplied by the
owner’s club.
Work carried out up to 2023
includes: complete new wiring harness; suspension overhaul with new rear
springs, shocks and bushes; brake overhaul with new front discs, rear wheel
cylinders, servos and master cylinder; Burman steering box rebuilt; new starter
motor; complete new distributor; coolant hoses; engine mountings; fuel pump;
Viper sports coil; diff pinion oil seals; rear lamp set; wiper motor; complete
new exhaust system; time clock uprated to quartz spec plus a host of other minor
items.
A tune-up and compression
check in January 2021 showed 150 – 155psi across cylinders one, two, three, four
and six, while cylinder five showed 130psi, the sign of a healthy engine (135 –
150psi is considered optimal).
More recently, in 2024 it had
new front shock absorbers; power steering overhaul; new anti-roll bar links;
track rod end boots; polyurethane king pin trunnion bushes; uprated electric
cooling fan operated by a chrome switch under the dash; auxiliary power outlet
discreetly fitted inside the glove box. You get the picture, this car has been
loved.
Always in regular use, 14 old
MOTs show the mileage gently rising from 46,798 in June 1993 to 66,310 in March
2018, the odometer currently showing 75,385 miles. An original owner’s handbook,
workshop manual and spare parts catalogue are also included and the original
wheel-changing kit and complete tool kit are still present in the boot.
Our vendor acquired PUD 920 in June last year as a stablemate for his
Rolls-Royce 20/25, but sadly a recent knee operation means that he can no longer
comfortably drive either of them, hence their appearance in this sale (the Rolls
is Lot 33).
As you can see in the photos,
this stately Sapphire is in good shape for a 66-year-old, with the odd
cosmetic blemish here and there, and has been running nicely as we have
moved it around on site, with light power steering, a notably smooth ride,
healthy oil pressure and bags of effortless grunt from the 4-litre engine.
The cream atop the pudding is the eye-catching
original number plate, PUD 920, which is transferable and doubtless has a value
of its own – not that you would stoop to that...
Believed to be one
of only around 50 still surviving in roadworthy condition today, this rare and
luxurious saloon now needs an enthusiastic new owner who can reap the rewards of
all the good work so recently carried out.
Consigned by
James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com