The Leyland Princess Was So Close, Yet So Far. (1977 2200 HLS Road Test)
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- Опубліковано 13 гру 2022
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After the commercial failure of the ADO67 1800 Landcrab, British Leyland entered the 1970s with determination to compete with Europe's best; the Harris Mann-designed Princess combined radical wedge styling and comfortable hydragas suspension with dependable, proven B-Series and E-Series engines. Pitched against European executive rivals from Audi, BMW and Citroen, the Princess was offered as an Austin, Morris or Wolseley to maximise appeal. Did its lack of hatchback, infamous unreliability and outdated mechanicals stop it being a great car? Phil took a drive in this beautiful scrappage scheme survivor to find out!
Thanks to Ian for loan of his fantastic Leyland Princess.
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I had a 2200Hls at 17. Super smooth ride, same autobox Borgwarner type 35 as in the Jag 4.2 same battery as in a Rolls!? Duel circuit brakes, twin su carbs, pre-engaged starter, engine originally from the Landcrab, Worsley. 2200Hls Auto only, engine 'assembled' at the Rolls-Royce factory!
I had a 2.2, as a one month extended hire at the beginning of 1979. Drove about 4000 miles in it for work & didn't want to give it back - absolutely loved it.
I cannot believe it nearly got scrapped. That is the nicest Princess I think I have ever seen. And I love those wheels.
Thank you. They are Stag wheels and I am really pleased how they turned out on it.
I’m thinking it’s nicer and more sorted than any that ever left the production line.
@@iancross4631 I thought dolly sprint wheels, then thought they looked wider. I forgot stags had similar wheels until I saw your comment
Yes stag alloy wheels really do suit the car
My dad had one of these and it was really comfortable with a great ride and an amazingly spacious and plush black interior.
Nearly a victim of the car scrappage deal!?! I dread to think how many potential classics were lost in the purge of 2009. It was an absolute travesty. 😥
There are lists online if you fancy tormenting yourself... :(
@@ClassicsWorldUK 😭
I'd be surprised if any, by 2009 these were definitely enthusiast's cars so I can't imagine any
@@ClassicsWorldUK I don't think i could take the pain
So many. May the architects of the scrappage scheme go to hell
At my age 75 I remember them well, a friend had one and let me drive it, just smooth luxury, loved it and those looks so much better than todays boring cars.
Excellent video. A taxi company near me ran Princesses, Ambassadors and Montegos, one Ambassador ran to 750,000 miles, most of their cars averaged around 90,000 to 100,000 miles per year.
The taxi companies near me when I was a kid in the 2000s always used British 80s cars like metro cabs and I think ambassadors and author old rovers most of the companies and the drivers owned the cars for decades with out major problems.
I was talking to a taxi driver about what happened to all the old taxi cabs and all the British companies that made taxis and he said in the late 2000 and early 2010s they were told to swap then for new cars because of safety and pollution.
Now they have to buy more expensive foreign cars that have to be completely replaced every 2 or so years because the foreign companies only make them last a few miles and don't make them so that they can be cheaply repaired.
I remember it was the car used by “Terry & June” in the Tv series, which featured in several of their comedy situations..
All credit to the owner - that is one pristine motor. Good looking too, dare I say it! 😁👍
We agree, Ian's done a top job! He's @balterleycross on Twitter if you want to see more of it ;)
I went all over the UK and France on numerous occasions on holidays when I was a kid in my Dad's 2200HLS. It was a lovely smooth quiet car with big soft seats, squishy ride and tons of room inside, great for long trips. It did have its faults, mainly the power steering, but it never seriously let him down. Alas, rust took it in the end and he replaced it with an SD1. This one looks stunning in black with those wheels, its a credit to its owner and I'm glad people still care for these cars.
To John j. Replaced the Princess, with an SD1? Two stylish cars!
@@nygelmiller5293 My Dad was a stylish guy😁 After the Princess he had 2 x SD1's, then an 825i, then 2 x 827's!
@@johnj3577 I agree with you. Your Dad WAS a stylish guy@
2200 . Broke my heart and bank account. Like my then wife, good looking and so much trouble! Never forgotten either!!!!!!
Very nice indeed. The black example here is a real beauty - that definitely did not deserve to be scrapped! Back in the day, I didn't like the shape of the Princess, but it has grown on me enormously in recent years. Maybe the design was years ahead of it's time, as you say - it might even work now (that drawing of the mk3 Princess looks fabulous, even if it did end up as the rather less impressive Ambassador).
I'm presently greatly enjoying watching 'Seaside Garage' in Denmark renovate one here on UA-cam. Luckily it's been fairly well looked after over the years. As well as being a nice car to own and drive, it's one that will get some attention at classic car meets, despite not being 'concourse'.
Loved our Austin Princess 1800 HL S reg. She would go anywhere, we lived in the Lake District back then when my daughter was little...driving through snow regularly was never a problem as the car handled so well. Miss that car good times.
I had the Morris 1800HL with the twin headlights and styled bonnet, in Lunar Blue. Terrific car, stylish, enormous room, a beauty.
Great video. I had a 1981 2.0HL and ran it for 4 years doing nearly 80,000 trouble free miles. Supremely comfortable and the O series engine had a bit of beef about it. Probably one of the best cars of the 25 I have had over the years.
This brings back memories for me - my dad had an earlier example and as a family car was comfortable and spacious. The rear windows on ours smashed twice whilst driving (body twist?) and the front bump stop went MIA in France whilst towing the caravan, 5 up and a boat on the roof ! fixed with a tennis ball tied into suspension! a few reliability issues so he traded it in for a Cortina GLS - that felt rubbish ! towed well with "plenty" of power but then he traded that in against another Princess 2. That was much better. His next car was a MG Maestro 1.6 with the twin carbs which was great too with the digital dash. Only issues was hot running on that - overtaking one time it suddenly stopped and he had to free wheel to the side of the road ! He upgraded that to a MG Maestro 2.0 EFi which was so much smoother and powerful. He was a BL fan for many years - previous to that we had 2 of the Landcrab 1800 and a couple of Maxis too. they all travelled well and gave us many happy holiday trips.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. The first car I ever bought was a Princess 2.0 HLS, automatic, power steering and webasto sun roof. My neighbour was selling her cheap, and it looked completely different to all the cortinas and cavaliers out there. That car took me all over England and Scotland. Like you said, not fastest car and yes, she was thirsty, but a lovely comfortable ride. And a spacious interior. Great car really 👌
Sounds like you love the Princess as much as Phil does, Dave!
"She was thirsty but a lovely comfortable ride"
For a minute I thought you were talking about my girlfriend......
What a nice reminder of the time my dad took me to look for a new car in -77. We went to different dealers here in Norway and after a day of many offers we ended up liking a -74 german Ford Taunus 1.6L(Cortina) and a almost brand new Princess with the 2200. 10 year old me was all in for the Princess and my dad was also very tempted to go for the british luxury with just a few miles on the clock. But - when we went back for a longer test drive a few days later several electrical issues showed up, and the car didn´t react to the throttle as it should. Back at the dealer they filled up the carb with oil, wich seemed a bit too exotic to my father. He then asked a mechanic he knew wich car to go for, and chickened out to my great sorrow. German Ford it was, and it served us well.
A few years back now I got to service a rough running Princess and I had it run as smooth as any engine I´ve layed my hands on. It was litterally possible to balance a coin on it at idle.
I like the video format on this channel. It's long enough to contain some details, but not too long that one can't take a look in the morning before going to work. Thank you!
Glad to hear, Alexandre! Hope this video put you in a good mood before work :)
My Dad had one when i was a kid, loved it :) The one in this video is a stunning example
As a yank who will never see one of these in the metal, I remain oddly fascinated by this car.
Think of them like a slightly simplified big Citroen. Aerodynamic, lots of space, fluid/gas suspension.
It was one of those cars that promised so much and delivered so little. The quality of materials was awful, but it rode and handled well and was very comfortable. The engines were just dull. The body shape was fine, but it needed an Italian to tidy it up a bit. The Ambassador was just uninspiring and dispensed with the originality of the Princess, though it was a bit better made. If you havn't got a decent engine though, you may as well pack up and go home. That is the heart of any car ( until EVs came along I suppose)
A brilliant design, built by untrained spiteful monkeys.
I had both a Princess and later an Ambassador. Very spacious.
Equivalent cars like the Ford Cortina (Pinto equiv.) were preferred in some ways.
One of those cars which, like the NSU Ro 80, still looks modern today.
@Eric Hurt Hydragas on Wedges. Uses Nitogen gas as the springing medium rather than the Rubber of Hydrolastic.
Jeffery Smith I had a 2200.HL.automatic it was a beautiful. car. Mine had an LPG adaption, and with both tanks full would do over 600 miles
Fantastic shape and ride
Gosh, what a beautiful Princess! Those Triumph wheels really suit it! It’s a pity that BL didn’t have the same idea!
Thank you! It is my pride and joy.
@@iancross4631 Oh, I SEE!Those wheels were ones I hadn't seen on a Princess before, because you thought of fitting them YOURSELF! Very well done!
In the early 80s, one of these was the only taxi on Anglesey, it ran 24 hours a day, I never heard of it breaking down, excellent reliability!
For us in Australia and New Zealand, it became clear that there was poor quality control of parts....as if it was decided that the customers "down under" weren't a priority.
What might have been good cars, soon became smoking piles of rolling junk.
Annoying when the owner was a retired person who had likely brought it as their final car
Not surprising then, that Japanese cars quickly took over the markets.
That example is actually beautiful.
My Dad had 3 of these from new. He said he liked the carpets!
This looks like the Princess i had back in late seventies. Didnt have any bother with it for a few years but the cam belt broke and wrecked the engine. I really liked it.
Great video! I have a 1980 2000HL and she’s still taking me out and about for Sunday drives and just done a 600 Km trip around the country. She’s so comfy!
Excellent! Good to hear from another Princess driver.
I had two Princesses. The first one was an 1800 and pretty scruffy. I had a few issues with it, collapsed front suspension that happened at walking pace, worn carbon clutch release bearing, windscreen wipers coming loose and getting tangled up with each other, and the drivers side window glass falling down into the door (the latter two were on 70mph dual carriageways)! And it was slow and cumbersome.
A few years later with my marriage on the rocks, I sold the small family car in exchange for a newer second hand 2200 automatic and some cash. I had seen the car in a dealership that sold small economical cars. It had obviously been a part exchange deal and I thought it would be a challenge for the dealership to sell on. So after seeing it hang around for a few weeks, I made an offer and we had a deal.
I loved that 2200. It was a completely different car, 3 speed auto box, straight six engine, twin carbs and power steering. Despite what the review states that the 0-60 was slow-I found that it surprised many other drivers when you floored the pedal and took off from the traffic lights. It was after all a large car.
The interior and boot space was huge, and it was a very comfortable ride in the front and back seats.
I took 2 adults, plus 2 small kids and one teenager along with two tents and all the camping gear on a road trip from the south coast of England, up the west side of the country to the Lake District, Loch Lomond, Isle of Skye, across to Inverness, then Edinburgh and down the east side of the country via Nottingham and York and back home. We did 2,221miles in 10 days!
The car never missed a beat although I manually tweaked the ignition timing (by ear) by lake Windermere as I had noticed the car was pinking very slightly. We drove over Honnister and Hardknot passes in the lake district and the car had no trouble at all, it was a great trip. It cost me an awful lot of money in petrol though!
Regarding luggage space, these cars were tall and wide. With the old 1800, I used to sell home made wooden toys at craft fairs and steam rallies etc. When the carbon clutch bearing went on that earlier car, I hired a Mk 5 Ford cortina estate as we had booked a show. On the face of it it was a big car, being an estate, but in reality I had to leave stuff at home as I could not get as much in it compared to the Princess!!!
That is a wonderful story.
Spot on. I remember driving one in the 80s. I thought it was great. Loads of space and really comfortable. I still like the shape too.
My father imported a princess from England to Ireland. I never liked these cars as a young fella. But it was a nice car to drive. Thanks for the memories.
My Dad had a Princess then two Ambassadors (all company cars). Used to holiday in the UK and drove up to Scotland, The Lakes and down to Bath, Cornwall. Never had any breakdowns. Had the Vanden Plas edition with the electric windows, so I was a happy kid.
The alloy wheels suit this Princess very well. I love them.
My first csr at 17. Everyone said get the cortina for sale next to it. But I wanted something different. My princess vanden Plas. I loved it
An article that has brought back memories. In August 1975 my father bought the Morris 1800 version of this car (I always preferred the Morris/Wolsey grill & bonnet). I remember thinking it looked a great car but as you say "build quality" wasn't a word in the BL Vocabulary, Within 2 years the sills & flanges of the doors & boot skins were all showing signs of rust & as the car was white, it looked awful. Later when doing my A Levels my geography teacher has the 2200 HLS in metallic blue & darker blue vinyl roof & velour seats. It looked amazingly classy.
A friend of the family had one of these gifted to them brand new as a wedding present. They drove it until it was literally falling apart and even then they could not bear to get rid of it. They were redoing their drive way at the time it was finally condemned and they had the builder dig down far enough so they could bury it under the drive so it was always there at their house.
Actually, my memory of these cars is that motoring journalists were not ecstatic about the looks. More than a few put their opinions in a way that said they thought the styling was somewhat weird, without actually using the word 'weird'. At the time family saloons were of little interest to me as a buyer. However, several years down the way, on a fortnight's summer holiday back in the UK from my work in South East Asia, I needed a rental car. Rather than pay eyewatering prices from the usual hire car suspects, I chose a company called Rent a Wreck. Their cars weren't wrecks, but mostly somewhere between 4 and 6 years old, as I recall. Mine was one of these wedges, with the 1.7 engine. Can only say I was well surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Roomy, comfortable.., you could drive lots of miles without feeling knackered at the end of the journey. The engine was adequate, without offering any thrills. It did the job.
A little side story to this. My ex had been staying at my house till shortly before I returned. She'd had a few parties, and had left behind a bunch of refuse filled black bags in the garage. First thing I did was to load these into the wedge, and take them to the nearest tip. Unfortunately, one or more of the bags had milk bottles, which leaked their rancid contents into the car. I spent half my holiday cleaning and cleaning inside the car trying to rid it of the smell, but it just kept returning, albeit slightly less each time. Eventually, it was time to head back to Asia, and I drove down to the Rent a Wreck people. Parked up, and went into their office... "Just returning the car...". "Thank you, how was it..?" "Oh, it was great, I really enjoyed it.."
Put the keys on the counter, and made it out of there as briskly as I could.
Have to say, the styling stands up very well today,
God bless the person who protects this beautiful car . This one is stunning
Agreed!
Had a ‘79 1.7 model in my early twenties, made a great (cough) passion wagon with a nice big back seat, very comfortable drive over long distances and did well as a tow car.
Cars like this look more exotic on today's roads than the cars that are actually sold as exotics.
Had one as a daily driver 1982 one of the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven 2.2 auto
Thanks for such a balanced and fair review - and I agree, dismiss the Princess at your peril. My Dad ran one of the last of the bunch, an '81 HL. In five years of ownership (and he bought it second-hand in '86) it never let him down. Quiet, comfortable, smooth. And it held its own on the motorway too.
As a little kid, I liked them, even had the BL Princess brochure. In junior school!!
My dad was a mechanic back then.sadly passed now. Wwnt to buy one couldn't get one. Ended up buying a sd1 v8. Yes different class back then. Still smile about it now . Ps was 8 back then.
I remember my dad having the Wolsely Princess. White, black vinyl roof, dark blue velvet type seats. It was very plush, nice reading lights in the back 2.2. I think. Rode very smoothly and reliable (as far as I can remember).
Yes, the rear reading lights are there in this HLS too!
My Dad had the Wolsley six auto, when it broke. I went out and purchased a Princess for without him know. Many years ago now but will always remember his reaction. He spent more time polishing it and driving.
To Kevin Thacker. MY dad also had the Wolseley automatic, but it was the 1800. Our favourite most comfortable car! To replace it later with a Princess, was just TWO OF THE BEST.
Had an Ambassador VDP back n the 80s. A lovely car to drive.
Looks great, I always have good memories of them as a passenger when I was a kid, the local Taxi company used them and I travelled hundreds of miles in the back of these and Cortina's, whilst my heart is still with a Tina and owned lots when I grew up I have no bad things to say about the Princess, even if I never owned one, the 1750 Maxi II is another massively underrated car IMO.
Definitely agree on the shape still working today.
I remember working for a company in Somerset in the 80's who had 2 aging company cars, a Ford Cortina 2.3GL Ghia auto and an Princess 2200 auto . I went on a course in Leeds and borrowed both cars separately for each week and they both broke done on the way to Leeds so I remember seeing Leeds for the first time from a Breakdown truck and then the second time from a breakdown truck, on both occasions. Both smooth cars though!
Beautiful clean example there & the Triumph Stag wheels really suit it
I liked the Princess then and I still like it now, as Phil said the issue was they arrived with the 1.8 B series because the O series wasn't read and the 2200s suffered from the driveshaft fouling on the chassis on full lock because the engine and transmission were set 2". Too far back in the engine bay. Another example of BL rushing a car to market and failing to find/address problems that should have been discovered during development, coupled with a chaotic marketing policy and endless restructuring which only served to confuse customers and you have a large part of the reason that the car was not as successful as it maybe should have been.
I still like them though.
That's not a B, it's an E.
the benefit of nostalgia - at the time these were antiques, I remember their image was a grandad's car, nothing as glamorous as an SD1.
That car is imaculate
I remember these being a common sight in the seventies, haven't seen one in a very long time.
Wonderful appraisal,couldn’t agree more with your understanding and outcome
My brother-in-law bought a brand new Princess. A few days later it was back at his local garage for something and the mechanic said, "I think you'd better have a look at this...", and showed him the underside of the floorpan.........just bare metal totally devoid of any underseal!
That doesn't sound terribly likely given that that the entire body shell would be painted at the same time. Whilst I can absolutely believe thst the car was lacking underseal as this was applied much later, it would not really be possible for the underside to be 'bare metal'. In 1981 a friend of mine bought an Allegro 3 and the dealership asked him if he wished for underseal to be applied as part of the PDI and my friend said no he would rather apply it himself. This may give a clue to the origin of your story. Bare metal. No sorry I don't buy that.
@@mtamin1 Maybe I should have been more clear. When I said "bare metal" I meant It just had the body paint and void of any underbody sealant.
@@Bulletguy07 I don’t think that was unusual back then.
My dad got a brand new Ital and the first cold morning of winter it failed to start, there was no anti-freeze, just plain water and the block had cracked. Good old BL and Red Robbo!
Much nicer than most cars today I used to see lots of this in 1977
Totally agree with your summing up - an excellent car (better than the Fords and Vauxhalls) ruined by what we euphemistically referred to as "industrial relations". It also really suits those Triumph Dolomite Sprint alloys.
Great review! I've always loved the styling of the Princess. Its a shame that there are so few left on the road. Although, I'm so glad that example was saved from being scrapped. It certainly looks in great condition!👍
It is a bit of a survivor!
@@iancross4631 Definitely! Can't be many in that colour either.
@@Car_and_classic_lover I know of a base spec 1800 in black and a couple of Wolseleys, but I have never seen another in the flesh.
I bought an ambassador with 21000 miles on the clock and minicabbed it for another 90,000 . Older passengers liked the comfort and as the rear seat was big it was booked by the lads on party nights . It was slow , thirsty and had 3 new timing chains in my ownership . But reliable and earned me good money . But on cars its always luck of the draw .
A great product lacking the sec appeal that motorists wanted. Bold design and this one in black with those alloys really pops!
We ran 22ooHLS 2 in 1970/80ts and gave sterling service we had one drive shaft and power steering pipe apart from those faults we loved it
I had a 1.7 princess for several years it was a good car. I had no issues at all really comfy and bags of room inside.
Excellent article. Surprising that fuel consumption was so poor, usually BL cars, with SU carbs, were quite good on fuel. We never owned a Princess, although we bought the replacement for the Allegro (the Maestro, an F reg 1.6 L) and the Princess (the Montego). I had a G reg (post facelift, with unleaded engine) Montego Estate, a 1.6 L. one of the nicest looking estates ever built, a really good car, it did 32 mpg (good fuel consumption figures in the early 90s), and was mechanically pretty reliable, I used to do around 25K miles a year, by then I was self employed.
My Dad had a Princess 1700 HLS in metallic light blue, with full vinyl roof. Never quite sure why a vinyl roof was considered to be an expression of luxury and status, but all the big UK car makers did it back in the day.
I did get to drive my Dad's pride and joy on many occasions as a named driver on his insurance policy. As an 18 year old, driving the Princess, I felt that I had really come of age!
OK, I did ditch it once, no damage done thankfully. Not the car's alleged poor handling, more my youthful stupidity.
It was a very comfortable car to ride in, lots of interior room and velour seat covers which saved your posterior from the cooler elements of British weather, in the days before heated seats became the norm.
The build quality was a bit questionable, slightly weird clicky switches and all a bit plastic, dare I say cheap? But it was technically more advanced than its rear wheel drive rivals from Ford and Vauxhall and broke the mould of the 'three box design' conventionality.
Love the car featured in your vid. Keep going! Love and peace.
I saw somewhere that the market in the 70s would never accept the ride quality we get in cars nowadays. The level of roll was just accepted as the price of that comfort.
This is true. Everything today seems to have the concept of "Sporty" in the suspension. As if the ability to shave 0.7sec off your lap of the nurburgring is worth the filling-loosening crash when you drive over a slight bump on your commute to work.
Superb looking example. Bravo. An inspired choice are those Triumph wheels. They really finish the look.
Thank you, I have always liked the Stag style and it is fortunate they are a straight swap. A shame Leyland didn't think so!
I remember having the chance to drive one for a long-distance trip and it was amazing at the time. Well, compared to my split screen Morris 1000 which was my first car at 17 years old 🤣🤣
To Richard Giles. I expect there WAS indeed a contrast between such different cars!
@Nygel Miller definitely was, but I had a lot of fun with Morris. One winter, I was away for a few days and when I got home it was absolutely covered in snow. Cleaned it off and pulled the starter switch and it started first time unlike other new cars 🤣🤣
My late dad had this car, it was the last he owned before he we lost him in 1983. We were living in British Forces accommodation in Germany at the time and my mum sold it as she didn’t have a drivers license. I was devastated that we had lost my dad but also that we had to get rid of his car too. I had it in my head that I could look after it until I was old enough to drive, which at 11 years old would have been quite some time! Used to love watching my dad working on the car. Happy memories brought back with this video, thank you!
A company I worked for had a fleet of these in black again and all Chauffeur driven , I remember how beautifully comfortable the back seating was .
My dad adored these cars. I think I remember he had three.
Those wheels should have been fitted to ALL Princesses as they look great on this particular car.
And possibly colour coded too, just like the great Mercedes W123’s were
My dad had 5 and each and every one was a great car
I loved them as a kid
So good a car these were
That was going to binned off in the scrappage scheme!! That would have been criminal that!!
Agreed! We're glad Ian saved it
@@ClassicsWorldUK I am glad you have made it famous!
Looking good in black those stag alloys should of been a factory option 👌👍🏻
Agreed!
'should have'
Had a princess 2200 straight six, fabulous car. Luxurious lots of room and comfortable.. Had the automatic not the most economical but lovely to drive... Would tow amazingly. A proper British car ..
I did not like the car's appearance when it was launched but I now find it quite attractive. Life's funny.
If British designs could have been consistently blended with Japanese (rather, Asian) quality the UK could have prospered mightily. I still feel we have much to learn when it comes to producing reliable products.
I never drove a Princess but loved the styling and as a passenger in many a Princess mini cab loved the comfort of the seats and the ride.
To Nat Whilc. I've never even ridden in one, but would have loved to be able to afford to buy one, as soon as they came out!
My uncle owned every BL and Austin car ever made, apart from the Metro & Maestro as they were too small for him and my grand-parents, up to the MG Montego EFi.
He had a bright orange Maxi for years, and traded that in for a Princess and then an Ambassador from day they were launched and both were luxurious cars for their time. Such a comfy ride in the rear (where I sat!) and loads of room inside.
I remember the Princess as being a lovely wafty and posh car. I don't know why you couldn't find a picture of the mk.1 Cavalier, rather than the mk.2, when you were talking about the competition. The Ambassador was a competent, if uninspiring update, but the Montego was a step forward.
Had the ambassador model. Loads of room inside. Castle nut broke and had hell of a job replacing it. Suspension was great when it worked. Beige car with chocolate brown vinyl roof.
My dad had a land crab a wolseley that ran on 5 star petrol he then went to the princess range and had three of them all very reliable apart from the odd front hydragas displacer letting go and an alternator or two very roomy and comfortable my uncle had an Austin ambassador
Anyone else remember the advertising campaign for that year?
🎶 🎵The S plate special coming down the line,
The S plate special right on time,
Leyland cars, always looking great,
You can get them now with the new S plate...🎵🎶
Always wanted one of these as our family car, but my old man loved his maroon Marina 1.8 super though.
Family next door had one and I was always jealous of them going on their holidays. Wafting down the M5 in luxury en route to the Brummie Mecca that was Butlins Barry Island.
My headmaster had one. Not the reason I bought this one, but a very early memory!
I had a 1.7 in a copper colour, tbh never missed a beat for three years I had it with home servicing.
Reynard metallic 👍😉
A gorgeous example, particularly on those wheels. Dad bought a blue Princess 1800HL brand new in 1975 & it proved to be an utterly disastrous purchase. HRG 10N was rather hastily moved on for a mk4 Cortina estate...
What a beauty. I nearly bought one exactly the same, even down to the colour. Wish I had now - and that applies to a few of my 'nearly' car purchases. Hindsight is a wonderful thing...
I would like to know if mine has a 'sister' somewhere!
Nice looking car. It would have been a shame if that was scrapped.
My dad had a top of the range ambassador.
He loved it except it spent a lot of time in the dealers garage because the hydron-lastic suspension kept collapsing.
I learned to drive in a 1700 HSL , great car
Looks really good with those Triumph/MGB alloys...I think BL really missed a trick by not selling these with the option of a Hatchback body style,Torcars did a few aftermarket hatchback conversions.
With a better styled rear, more modern bumpers and hatchback from new, the Princess would have been in the top three best looking Saloons of the time. Those Stag Wheels really set it off with black Colour.
Yes, with those ingredients from the start it should have succeeded, if only they had had some to sell.
To Daniel James. Whenever something has a distinctive style - whether it's a car, or clothing, it's a matter of personal preference whether or not somebody likes it. This car divided opinion at the time, but I always liked it. The black ones are particularly stylish - specially with a contrasting gold stripe! Love the wheels, which I never liked on Triumphs!
You want a well built Princess, you find a New Zealand-built example. Same for most British cars from the 60's to 80's. The NZ built examples, from CKD kits, were almost always very well put together. There's a bit of a cottage industry in NZ finding and exporting these cars out to the UK and Japan.
My older brother had one,I thought it was very nice to be driven in
Top Gear deetroyed a beautiful example, it was so painful to watch. A car that had been cared for so well for 40 years, destroyed just for the fun of it. Anyway, I'm glad this one survived. They really seem to be nice, plush cars.
Back at in the early 80's a 5 year old (S plate) vermillion red 1800 princess came my way. It was my first car after passing my test. I paid £500 and was chuffed to bits.
I spent hours and hours at the weekend cleaning a polishing it. Oil changed every 3 or 4 months, spark plugs and points changed whether they needed it or not...
As a early 20's guy living at home the interior space was more than welcome when er...entertaining so to speak!
Immaculate example. Don't see many at classic car events. Interesting to see someone has fitted Triumph Stag alloys to that one.
Yes I haven't seen many around. I fitted Stag wheels as I always liked the style and found out they were a straight swap.
I had one of those. Loved it!
I had the Ambassador,I've had many cars,but I still say that it was the smoothest ride,when it worked🤷♂️🇬🇧
Had a Morris 1800 18-22 and a 2200 HLS manuals they were brilliant especially the 2200 hls
My grandparents had one of these when i was a kid in the 70's. My memory of it is always feeling really sick when in the back. Don't know why.