Austin Twelve Mulliner Tourer

Key facts

Year

1927
Country

Great Britain
Capacity

1,861cc
Cylinders

4 cylinder
Valves

Side valve
Output

27bhp at 2,000rpm
Performance

55mph
Price new

£195 (chassis only)
Owner

National Motor Museum Trust
Manufacturer

Austin Motor Co. Ltd, Longbridge, Birmingham

Austin’s popular Twelve was available with a variety of different bodies, including several from independent coachbuilders. This attractive tourer body is by Mulliners Ltd of Bordesley Green, Birmingham and is the only known surviving example of one of their tourer bodies on an Austin chassis. Mulliners were particularly known for building Weymann fabric bodies on Austin Sevens. This car was one of 14,000 Austin Twelves built in 1927, the model’s most successful year, but was not registered for road use until August 1928.

This car had three owners from new, including the secretary of a preparatory school in Gerrard’s Cross who bought it in 1937 for just £15. It was used for many tasks while at the school, including towing the grass mowers on the playing fields and transporting camping equipment to France.