Austin Princess Mk IV
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- (branded after August 1957 as the Princess Mk IV, and after July 1960 as the Vanden Plas Princess Mk IV)
1956 saw a new Austin Princess Mk IV. This thoroughly re-designed very handsome big modern styled car, the saloon replacement for the former Sheerline and A135 only stayed in the catalogue until 1959 finding very few buyers. It is believed only pre-production examples were built, each car handsomer than the previous one. There is an external link below to its sales brochures and a link to a photograph of the final dark blue pre-production example.
The last A135 Mark 3 had been priced at 5 times the price of an Austin A30. The new Mk IV had to be priced at 6.5 times the price of an Austin A30. At this price there was almost no demand for the Mk IV. The name was shortened in August 1957 when the car lost its "Austin" designation, now being branded simply as the Princess Mark 4. The Princess Mark 4 was shelved in 1959 and replaced in the Austin catalogue by a much smaller model, an upgraded Austin Westminster (Pininfarina-designed Vanden Plas Princess see below) which retailed at little more than 40% of the Mark IV's price.
The old-style long wheelbase Austin Princess saloon and limousine version scarcely changed at all. It had more "integrated" front wings in the modern style, but was little changed under the skin.
The Vanden Plas name was added to Princess from July 1960.
| Production | 1956-1968 200 made |
|---|---|
| Engine | 3995 cc 6-cylinder overhead-valve |
| Wheelbase | 132 in (3,353 mm)(long-wheelbase) |
| Length | 215 in (5,461 mm)(long-wheelbase) |
| Width | 73 in (1,854 mm) |
| Height | 70 in (1,778 mm) |
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