HomeMediaSix pack of Armstrong Siddeleys featured at War Museum sale

Six pack of Armstrong Siddeleys featured at War Museum sale

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Rare 1935 Special Mk II Touring Limousine among Colin Hope's collection heading to auction | H&H Classics photos
Rare 1935 Special Mk II Touring Limousine among Colin Hope’s collection heading to auction | H&H Classics photos

Six Armstrong Siddeleys from the collection of the late Colin Hope, president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders and a trustee of the Beaulieu National Motor Museum, will be offered for sale at H&H Classics’ Duxford Auction scheduled for March 29 at the Imperial War Museum.

“The late Sir Colin Hope was a lifelong car enthusiast who had owned various Bugattis and Rileys before deciding to build a collection of Armstrong Siddeleys in later life,” Damian Jones, head of sales at H&H Classics, said in a news release announcing the consignment.

1925 14hp Mk II Cotswold Tourer
1925 14hp Mk II Cotswold Tourer

“He had an acute appreciation for Britain’s motoring heritage and was determined to champion Armstrong Siddeleys, a once great marque that is all too often forgotten these days,” H&H Classics noted. “These cars were his passion.”

Armstrong Siddeley, a British engineering company, was created in 1919 and became well-known for its aircraft engines and luxury automobiles. The company ended production in 1960.

Hope, who was 83 years old when he died in 2015, was chief executive at tire-producer Dunlop and later at Turner & Newall. His search for Armstrong Siddeleys took him to Australia and New Zealand in search of a cross section of the company’s pre-war models. His cars will be offered at auction with no reserve.

Those cars are:

  • A 1929 12hp Tourer in two-tone green over black and dark green trim, it was the company’s first mass-market model and offered six-cylinder performance and refinement against its four-cylinder competitors. Hope acquired the car in 1994, did a restoration that included new fenders and running boards, and put it away seven years ago in running order.
  • A 1925 14hp Mk II Cotswold Tourer in blue over black with black trim powered by a four-cylinder engine and built on an improved chassis with four-wheel drum brakes and semi-elliptic suspension front and rear. Hope obtained the car in 1993, replaced the fenders and running boards, and had the car repainted.
  • A 1928 15hp Tourer in red over black with maroon trim and powered by a then-new four-cylinder engine with side rather than overhead valves. Hope acquired the car in 1998 after it had been owned for 70 years by a New Zealand chicken farmer.
  • A 1926 18hp Mk II Short Tourer in dark blue over black with dark blue trim and propelled by a six-cylinder engine. The car was acquired by Hope in 1996 after undergoing restoration in 1993 at D&C Brooks.
  • A 1928 20hp Long Ascot Tourer in white over black with maroon trim and originally owned by the Earl of Duncie. Hope acquired the car in 1999 and had the six-cylinder engine was overhauled more than a decade ago.
  • A stunning 1935 Special Mk II Touring Limousine in black with green upholstery. The touring limo was unveiled at the 1932 Olympia Motor Show and is considered the most exotic of all Armstrong Siddeleys. Power comes from a 5.0-liter straight-six engine. Of 253 Siddeley Specials produced, only about 30 are known to still exist. This one was a factory demonstrator that Hope acquired and brought back to the UK in 1998.
Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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