Almost Fully Loaded

Austin Mini Clubman Wood & Pickett Estate

Wanted Four Black Round Things

Toleman Hart TG185

Bird Breeding Champions Choice - Austin A35 Van #AAVB65216

Launched in 1956 the Austin A35 was an upgrade of the successful Austin A30 featuring a larger rear window and a painted grill in place of the A30's chrome item.



Two commercial vehicles based on the A35 were manufactured the extremely rare 1956 pick up, of which just 475 were built and the more successful van, seen here, which out lived all other variants being manufactured until 1968. An A35 van came to fame in 2005 after a model of a 1964 version carrying a 1953 tax disc appeared in Wallace & Gromit The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.



The name change to A35 reflected a more powerful 34 hp A series straight 4 motor which could power the compact car up to 60 mph in 3rd (top) gear, a whole 15 mph fast than the previous A30.



It is possible that champion budgerigar breeder James Simon W Hunt chose this particular vehicle as his daily driver, precisely because it's leisurely performance would not upset his birds in transit between show's.



After James, also a well known forthright commentator on Grand Prix motor racing, died in 1993 this van was sold at auction allegedly complete with a sprinkling of Trill in the boot and cigarette stubs in the ashtray. James old van has been in storage ever since.

James 1967 van, described as a runner in need of attention for road use, has come up for auction again at the Silverstone Classic on Saturday and is expected to fetch between £10,000 and £14,000 a price which reflects James better known career as 1976 World Grand Prix Drivers Champion.

Hope you have enjoyed today's champion bird breeders edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you'll join me again tomorrow for a Miami Mice edition of Ferrari Friday. Don't forget to come back now !

Wanting For Nothing Except A New Owner - Ferrari 330 GTC # 10653

Basking in the cool shade on a hot day at a Silverstone Press Event a couple of weeks a was this elegant Ferrari 330 GTC, though as we shall see less kind mortals than myself might have construed it's presence as a spoiler for a rival auction coming up at Goodwood Festival of Speed organised by Bonham's on the 1st of July.



Should one of the tyres on the four, originally optional, fetching Borrani wheels deflate this vehicle comes with a jacking bag to facilitate wheel changes.



Introduced in 1966 the Ferrari 330 was in production while it's predecessor the 275 GTB/4, with which it shared a common chassis features including wheelbase dimensions, oval tube construction and rear mounted gearbox attached to a transaxle, was still in production, both models went out of production in 1968, around 600 of the larger engine 330 models were manufactured.



The Pininfarina bodywork is a master class in simple, sexy, sixties elegance from just about any angle.



Not at all sure how the fuel cap works but it's hard to imagine it operation will be any less elegant than it's design.



This particular vehicle was originally imported to the United States in June 1968 and sold through US importer Chinetti after spending 20 years in New York it moved to sunnier climes with a new owner resident in Florida and thence back to Italy. This car was bare metal restored in Switzerland in 2001 and sold to a Dutch Collector with whom it remained until it's present owner acquired the car in 2009.



The car has been fitted with a 300 hp 4 litre / 244 cui Colombo V12 motor #07433 of the correct type, though originally installed in a 330 2+2.

As the man from Bonham's says this car want's for nothing except a new owner.

My thanks to Jonathan Gill of mpacreative, who facilitated my visit to Silverstone, don't forget Silverstone Auctions sponsors of the forthcoming Silverstone Classic Weekend will be holding their own Silverstone Classic Sale on July 23rd.

Thanks for joining me on today's elegant Pininfarina edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres', I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !