1925' Vauxhall 23-60

1925 VAUXHALL 23-60
Chassis no. OD1303
Coachwork by Jackson, Jones & Collins

Quite possibly the ultimate vintage touring car, the Vauxhall 23-60 impressed many motoring journalists of the period, with its powerful overhead valve engine of just under four litres providing lively acceleration and cruising speed, whilst the proven, high-quality chassis and of course excellent four-wheel brakes, enabled handling to match, It is no wonder then, that the model was a success, finding buyers all over the world who appreciated the quality and reliability, that these cars had become so well known for.

The car I am now pleased to offer for sale, is an exceedingly elegant and well restored example, according to known records, it is the newest surviving 23-60 and may well be the last of the model ever built by Vauxhall. Supplied in chassis form in 1925, to Vauxhalls leading agent Boyd Edkins, the chassis was then bodied by Jackson, Jones & Collins, a top- quality Sydney coachbuilding firm, known for constructing beautiful coachwork on Rolls Royce, Hispano-Suiza, Minerva and of course a handful of Vauxhall.
In the case of OD1303, a subtle re-working of the standard Kington body was achieved, with a gentle rise from bonnet flutes to the rear end, a rakish sloping windscreen, all whilst maintaining a gentle barrel to the body with handsome wings and running boards, the finished coachwork a beautifully proportioned delight.
Whilst the earliest owners of OD1303 remain unknown, it is likely, that it originally resided in the rural western NSW, In the 1970s, the Vauxhall was purchased by David Manhart, who then embarked on a chassis up rebuild and restoration of the car to a very high standard, subsequently covering high distances across Australia, both rallying and even occasionally racing the car in VSCCA events!
Purchased by the current owner in 2015 whilst residing in Australia, he continued to enjoy OD1303 entering many VSCCA touring events and vintage Vauxhall rallies, in 2017 the engine was tired and having always kept the car in a highly maintained state, the decision was taken to completely rebuild the engine , this work was undertaken, by the highly regarded Vauxhall marque specialist John Kent of Crankstart Engineering, this included a fully refurbished head, with hardened valve seats, new aluminium con-rods, new high compression pistons, all new white metal bearings on the crankshaft, timing-chain, new clutch etc , the list goes on and files of the full receipts can be sent if required, these bills total just under forty thousand pounds.
In 2018 OD1303 returned to the UK for the first time since it was built and has continued to provide the owner with enjoyable and reliable touring, more recently, the car has been looked after by Vauxhall specialist James Gunn of Ecurie Fusil, who overhauled the rear axle.

If you are looking for a high-quality vintage touring car, then OD1303 must surely be worthy of further investigation, rebuilt and maintained to high standard with a no expense spared attitude, it remains a highly capable touring car, with tasteful blue interior and the added bonus of an Auster screen for rear passengers along with a full tonneau, hood and side-screens, it is a car that could be used in all weathers, with no loss to comfort.
Happily cruising at 55-60 miles per hour all day long, the current owner has just enjoyed a trip to VSCC Prescott, covering well over 100 miles very easily, of course one might want to use the car more sportingly as it once was in Australia, Indeed the Autocar headline of November 1922 was titled ‘On the Road and Track with a 23-60 Vauxhall’ OD1303 would be an ideal candidate for the excellent VSCC Longstone Long-Car race, and of course you could drive it there and back!