Vanden Plas Princess#R

{{Infobox automobile

| name = Princess 3-litre (1959–1960)
Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre (1960–1964)

| aka = Austin Princess 3-litre (Australia) [https://www.flickr.com/photos/aussie-car-adverts/28184298804 1961 Austin Princess 3-Litre Saloon BMC Aussie Original Magazine Advertisement, www.flickr.com] Retrieved 8 October 2019

| image = Vanden Plas 3-litre first registered February 1961 2912cc.JPG

| caption = 1961 Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre

| manufacturer = BMC

| production = 1959–1964

| engine = 2.9 L C-Series I6 (1959-1964)

| class = Full-size car

| layout = FR layout

| body_style = 4-door saloon

| successor = Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R

| predecessor = Austin A105 Vanden Plas

| designer = Pininfarina

| related = Austin Westminster
Wolseley 6/99

| length = {{convert|187.75|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}

| width = {{convert|68.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}

| wheelbase = {{convert|84|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} 1959–1961
{{convert|86|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}{{cite magazine |title = Used Car Test: 1964 Vanden Plas Princess R|magazine=Autocar | volume = 128 nbr 3761| pages =50–51| date = March 14, 1968}} 1961–1964

| height = {{convert|59|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}

}}

The 3-litre was largely identical to the Pininfarina-designed Austin A99 Westminster and Wolseley 6/99 which used the same chassis and body. The Princess was given its own identity with a special Vanden Plas grille (fairly square, with a thick surround and vertical slats), round headlamps, and horn grilles on the front. The interior was lavish in typical Vanden Plas style, featuring burr walnut wood trim, leather seats and panels, and high-quality carpeting. A division between the driver and the rear compartment was an optional extra. Initially, it was powered by BMC's 3-litre C-Series engine, developing {{Convert|108|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}.

A Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre with automatic transmission was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1961 and had a top speed of {{convert|99.3|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. It could accelerate from 0-{{convert|60|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} in 16.1 seconds while fuel consumption of {{convert|21.1|mpgimp|L/100 km mpgus}} was recorded. The test car cost £1,467 including taxes.{{cite magazine |title=The Vanden Plas Three-litre Princess |magazine=The Motor |date=5 April 1961}}

This model was replaced in 1961 by the Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre Mark II. Styling was similar but the wheelbase was two inches (5 cm) longer and anti-roll bars were added to the suspension at both ends of the car. The engine was uprated to {{convert|120|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}. Better brakes were fitted, and interior improvements included built-in drop-down "picnic tables" for the rear seat passengers. Options now included "Smith's air-conditioning".

This model was discontinued in 1964 and replaced by a new Rolls-Royce powered model.

File:Vanden-Plas_Princess_3-litre_MkII_head.jpg|Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre Mark II

File:Vanden-Plas_Princess_3-litre_MkII_tail.jpg|Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre Mark II

File:Vanden-Plas_Princess_3-litre_MkII_rear.jpg|Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre Mark II

{{-}}

{{Infobox automobile

| name = Vanden Plas Princess R (1964-1968)

| image = Vanden-Plas_Princess_4-litre_R_front.jpg

| caption = 1967 Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R

| manufacturer = BMC

| production = 1964–1968

| assembly = Kingsbury, United Kingdom [https://www.vpoc.info/cars/vanden-plas-princess-4-litre-r Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R, www.vpoc.info] Retrieved 8 October 2019
South Africa

| engine = 3.9 L Rolls-Royce IOE I6

| class = Full-size car

| layout = FR layout

| body_style = 4-door saloon

| successor = None

| predecessor = Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre

| designer = Pininfarina

| related = Austin Westminster
Wolseley 6/110

| length = {{convert|187.75|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}

| width = {{convert|68.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}

| wheelbase = {{convert|86|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}

| height = {{convert|59|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}

}}

The Vanden Plas Princess R with its Rolls-Royce all-aluminium 175 bhp engine was announced in August 1964. With an unusually high power to weight ratio the car gave easy cruising at 90+ mph and was capable of 112 mph.

In addition to exterior alterations, the R featured an 6 cylinder aluminium Rolls-Royce FB60 engine, a short-stroke version of the B series engine: 4, 6 and 8 cylinder units of which more than 30,000 had already been produced. The 6-cylinder engine weighed only {{convert|450|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}.Rolls-B.M.C. Marriage Proving A Happy One from Our Motoring Correspondent-Crewe, Feb. 28. The Times, Monday, Mar 01, 1965; pg. 7 The engine resulted from more than two years technical collaboration between BMC and Rolls-Royce, and featured a cubic capacity of{{convert|3.909|L|cuin|0}}. Over-square: bore was {{convert|95.25|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}, stroke {{convert|91.44|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}; with a 7.8:1 compression ratio its output was {{convert|175|bhp|kW PS|abbr=on}} @4,800 rpm. Twin SU carburettors were fitted. Both block and head were aluminium, tappets were hydraulic self-adjusting operating on overhead inlet and side exhaust valves. The counterbalanced crankshaft ran in seven bearings.Display Advertising BMC. The Times, Wednesday, 19 August 1964; pg. 7; Issue 56094

The 4-litre R featured polished walnut fascia padded top and bottom, leather upholstered seats with fully reclinable backs and deployable polished picnic tables for the rear passengers. A new automatic transmission was provided, Borg-Warner model 8, its first use in a British car and Hydrosteer variable ratio power steering accompanied wider tyres. Externally the fog lamps were moved up by the grille, and rear tailfins were replaced with small corner-ridges.Rolls-Royce Engine In New B.M.C. 112 mph Saloon. The Times, Wednesday, 19 August 1964; pg. 5; Issue 56094

The background to the pricing was that from April 1961 tax relief on company cars was allowed only up to £2,000.

The new car was priced on a par with the Jaguar Mark X (albeit only the manual transmission model of the Jaguar{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}) and 50 per cent more than its apparent predecessor the 3-litre car. It was a major change of market positioning aimed at the growing prestige and executive market in Europe and the United States. However, its close appearance to its predecessor and its pricing (near to that of the Jaguar, which was bigger with a far more advanced chassis design and more prestigious, though itself without a useful market in the United States), resulted in slow sales.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

• £1,346 (discontinued Vanden Plas Princess Mark II)
• £1,994 Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R
• £2,022 Jaguar Mark X
• £5,517 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III

Joint production aimed at 12,000 annually, though actual production was never more than a fraction of this. Final assembly and hand finishing took place at the Vanden Plas works in Kingsbury London.

The Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R remained in production until 1968, just ahead of BMC's merge into British Leyland. 6,687 vehicles were produced at Kingsbury and an additional 312 C.K.D. kits were exported to South Africa bringing total production to 6,999 units. It was the only mass-produced civilian vehicle from another manufacturer ever to use a Rolls-Royce engine.

The late Queen Elizabeth ll owned an estate model of the Vanden Plas Princess, with an estimated production of 4-7.

File:Vanden-Plas_Princess_4-litre_R_head.jpg|Front view showing newly positioned fog lamps and wider tyres

File:Vanden-Plas_Princess_4-litre_R_tail.jpg|Rear view showing new horizontal lighting arrangement

File:Vanden-Plas_Princess_4-litre_R_rear.jpg|Rear three-quarter view showing revised roofline

This car was a result of a joint BMC / Rolls-Royce project for a smaller Bentley code-named Java. Prototypes were made using the Austin-engineered central portion of the Vanden Plas, with restyled Rolls-Royce and Bentley panels front and rear. Neither of these models made it into production. Rolls-Royce withdrew from the venture. They had been covering the possibility that the survival of their motor car division might depend on providing a relatively compact mass-produced Rolls-Royce. However 1965's introduction of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was a success.{{Cite web|date=2016-12-04|title=When Rolls-Royce and Bentley worked with BMC on new luxury cars|url=https://www.aronline.co.uk/concepts-and-prototypes/rolls-roycebentley-collaboration-with-bmc/|access-date=2020-12-07|website=AROnline|language=en-GB}}

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Princess

Category:Luxury vehicles

Category:Cars introduced in 1959

Category:Cars introduced in 1964

Category:Cars discontinued in 1968

Category:Rear-wheel-drive vehicles

Category:Sedans