Postscript..

There is Austin DNA in Amy's replacement. Some tiny piece somewhere!

Nissan wouldn't be what they are today if Austin hadn't partnered wih them to build Somersets in the 50's

Slight difference, Amy's top speed, 55mph. The 350z, 155mph!! Eeek! 

The end of the journey......

 She stayed around a few days more than intended, so  I took a couple of final pics during the week, partly to just go out and look at her. I confess I just started her up and sat in her with the engine running one day! Just to get that one last feeling and classic car smell! 

But finally, Amy was picked up today and off to her new home. Not much else to say. 

Bye girl.

Amy's Last Day

After small touch of rain yesterday evening, I woke up to a beautiful sunny Spring day this morning. In theory today is Amy's last day with me. She should be on her way by tonight, so unless anything changes, today is my last driving day - and what lovely weather for it. I just COULDN'T let Halfords be her last trip!

So she's done the School run first thing this morning around 8:15. Sunny shot outside St. Crispin's School, which of course embarrassed my daughter because all the kids walking in at the same time were looking!

Slightly different weather to the last time she was pictured outside the 1950's School.

(it was built around the same year that she rolled off the production line)

Then taking in the view at the office one last time around 10 minutes later. Away from the modern tat this time - standing out on her own! I pictured her there again, despite saying that a couple of weeks ago it would be the last picture at work! Of course I was never going to resist one more shot - my daily driver (sort of) to the last! 

Figured I'd at least take a different angle for the last one and catch the Spring blossom and the glorious blue skies.

Then lunchtime came, by which time Amy had been paid for and I suppose technically no longer mine. So I took it a little early and made a scenic "memory lane" route home with pictures on the way.

Stopped at Popes Meadow, where she has been before to walk the dog, but not pictured there. I had made a point of picturing her wherever she went pretty much, so I was glad that I remembered that I had missed this one. That fills the gap!

Then a last journey home picture in the fields around town, this where I took her for a Christmas jaunt back in 2015. Same place as then, just taken facing homeward bound.

Went into town, where she has lived for nearly 4 years to take a couple of pictures there too. An updated Broad Street picture, where I recreated an old picture from 1955 a couple of years ago.

And did another last circuit of town to see if I could get a shot outside of the Town Hall in Wokingham. The space was blocked by a bus and a car on first pass, but free the second time around! This on the other side to where I had pictured her on Boxing Day just gone. The archways used to house fire trucks back in the day when they were horse-drawn! Very historic building, way before Amy was made.

And then home again (no, no need for another shot of her in the same place on the driveway AGAIN, just because its the "last time arriving home"!). But there IS a last shot of the Speedo! It shows that I did an extra 100 miles or so after she ticked over the 40,000 target, that also confirms that I have done just over 5,000 miles behind her wheel (she had about 35,100 showing when I got her, and she has just over 40,100 showing now) So that appeals to my nature that I definitely did 5,000+ miles in her:

Just waiting for her to be picked up and taken away now, can't drive her now as the insurance company confirmed that now the car has been paid for, my insurance is not valid for driving any longer. So I just have to look at her sitting on the driveway until then. ;-(

Amy's Last Night

As with my purchase of Amy, I won't mention any personal details of the buyer, but in summary someone viewed Amy today and made an offer, which I accepted. Weirdly enough, same as with the person who I bought her from, this guy also had another Somerset and is a member of the Austin Counties. Strange sense of circularity in that.

Amy is a better, more solid car than when I bought her, but cosmetically she had started to deteriorate. Her restoration was done over 20 years ago, so not surprising. Therefore I was satisfied to recoup some of my money invested in her, but didn't expect to gain all of that back. That wasn't the point. I had a GREAT time with her, and what price can you put on that enjoyment and what other type of vehicle can you expect to buy and be able to sell 3½ years later for roughly the same money?

So all in all I am very pleased. I didn't enjoy the  time wasters so much - there were a fair few! But I also had a couple of  nice chats and exchanges too. Finally the chap eventually buying the car was also very pleasant to deal with and, reading between the lines, I suspect he's going to get her bodywork fixed up. I'd love to see her in the future to see how she turns out. That will put her up into the next bracket.

I guess that I won't really see her again, but a nice thought though!!

But on a sadder note, tonight is probably to be her last night with me.

And there is just enough rain around to seem like tears!

Won't be getting the White Lion and Pinewood double header in after all, c'est la vie! She should be paid for and picked up by the end of tomorrow and that's where the story ends.

Each drive could be the last - final destination, Halfords???!!! Plus Classic Car Weekly

Doing a lot of the "pop to the shops" journeys in Amy, because who knows, I may not have her any day now. She has been to Halfords many times before to get Oil, bulbs, WD40 etc.. But never photo'd there. She's been snapped at the Swimming Pool, the Kebab Van and Tescos - so why not Halfords. Although not an auspicious last photo if that is the way it pans out!

She was also featured on the cover of last week's Classic Car Weekly - I forgot to go out and buy that one, I had figured they had just passed Amy over because nearly a month had gone by since Brooklands. Oh well - at least I can download the pic for posterity!

The phone has rung more since she went up for sale in print, so there is something to be said for "old media" still,  the only problem being is they printed the wrong price. So although it generated lots of enquiries, the potential buyers were put off by her "crusty bits" - they were expecting better condition at that price.

I wasnt really thinking of doing anything else but placing her online, it was only because the guy approached me at Brooklands and did a feature, so I cant complain about the wrong price cos it was great to see her on the cover and it was free. So it's worthwhile considering good old fashioned newspaper ads - just get the price right!

*Now Sold* 1954 Austin A40 Somerset for Sale

I will not delete this post as it is a personal record, but I have now dated it 12th April, which is when she was listed for Sale @£3,795 - that was when things got moving.

This post was created some time ago and pinned to the top of this Blog, but as of this update (18th April) - Amy has now been Sold

See below for sale details, kept for posterity:

I mentioned in a post over a year ago that I would probably reach my Classic Car Journey's end in 2016.

That was written in 2015 and the reasons I listed then remained sound, just delayed the decision by a year!!

I didn't get to enough shows in 2016 for my liking so I at least wanted to attend the Brooklands Austin Morris day one last time. For a strange reason I also want to see the mileage tick over to 40,000 before parting ways. But truthfully I was probably just finding excuses to put it off now.

I paid £3250 for her getting on for 4 years ago. Lot of work done, which is documented very openly in this blog, and she is a better car for it, the only deterioration/concern for me is the bodywork, some bubbles have got bigger and will need some cosmetic attention if she continues to be kept outside. Probably OK to be left as-is if she gets a garage to live in. Also lots of useful spares that I either already got with her in the first place, or collected over time. (set of front brakes i.e. drums, shoes, cylinders, back plates, springs etc, crown & pinion, inlet manifold, short engine (turns over), cylinder head with small crack but confirmed suitable for unleaded conversion, all other parts except valves to make a complete engine, gear box unknown condition, fuel pump, original distributor and new points , cap and condenser for refurbishing, new and original coils, original dynamo for refurbishment if preferred. Spare gaskets, bulbs) Also probably some less useful spares!! Rusty old front bumper, bonnet and boot lid, wheels, rusty old hub cap!!

Original service manual, Cassell's Book of the A40, and DVLA history from 1974, plus some other Austin memorabilia also willing to sell with the car,

(quick reference of the work I have done can be seen on the About Amy page and link to Flickr album of lots of photos is here ).

Flowing Spring Classic Car and Bike Breakfast Meet

I was looking for new meets that I could attend, partly to get some good use out of Amy before she is sold, but partly to advertise her too. I looked at the Barkham and District website for some clues and found this one, at a pub between Reading and Henley called the Flowing Spring. They do a classic car and bike meet every second Sunday.

What a great pub! Down by the river, made all the better by glorious sunshine and lots of REALLY nice cars. All sorts. I wish I'd taken a picture come to think of it, there was a mint Mini van parked next to a HUGH Caddy! Talk about little and large!

As far as Amy was concerned, I buffed her up nice and she purred there and back. Had a couple of coffees and a nice chat. Sweet.

Again, days like this make me question whether I need to sell her or not!! But when sensible head goes back on, unfortunately, the answer is still yes I do. Either way - looking forward to a White Lion / Pinewood double header at the end of the month!

Distant siblings from Longbridge c. 50 years between my Austin and the MG Rover, but both rolled off same the production line. (well same place anyway!) Obviously the '50s were happier times for the factory.