1927 Vauxhall 14/40 "Princeton" Tourer

Under the direction of the talented designer Laurence H.Pomeroy, who joined Vauxhall in 1905, the Luton Company earned a reputation for building some of the finest and most advanced sporting cars of the day and enjoyed success in various trials and rallies across Europe. In 1922, Vauxhall introduced the new M-Type 14/40, featuring a four-cylinder engine with a detachable cylinder head and spiral-bevel back axle. One notable feature of the new model was the extensive use of aluminium alloys in the castings while the suspension consisted of semi-elliptic front springs and cantilevered rear leaf springs. The 14/40 was intended to provide excellent value for money, positioned below the pricier D and E-Type models and was further modified in 1924 with the addition of a four-speed gearbox, being known thereafter as the LM. Other improvements included four-wheel braking, wire-spoked wheels and - from 1927 - the option a Wilson pre-selector gearbox. A range of coachwork was catalogued, including the Princeton Open Tourer offered here, the Bedford Saloon, Kimberley Limousine, Wyvern Landaulet, Grafton Coupe and Melton 2-Seater. In total, some 5,300 14/40 cars were made by Vauxhall between 1922 and 1927, a turbulent period in the history of the company which ultimately resulted in the takeover by General Motors in 1925. Australia was fortunate enough to receive a large number of Vauxhall cars in the 1920s, largely through the efforts of sportsman and local agent Boyd Edkins, who both raced and sold the cars with great success. With the rapid increase in prices on the sporting 30/98 models, the 14/40 represents excellent value for money and is a great proposition as a vintage tourer - beautifully engineered, well made and fun to drive.