1965 Austin Gipsy |

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1965 Austin Gipsy

This vehicle has now been sold - click ‘Register Similar’ below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Sold Price

£10,600

Mileage~12,000
TransmissionManual
Engine2.2L
LocationMauchline

SOLD

1965 Austin Gipsy

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Colin Bashford

Professional Consigner

Built as a direct response to the success of the Land Rover, over ~21,000 of these utility vehicles were produced.

The Austin Gipsy was launched in 1958 as a competitor to the Land Rover, the production only stopping when British Leyland were formed. It was a direct competitor to the Land Rover in terms of the build of the car, design and price point. Early cars featured independent suspension with rubber springs, a set-up that meant the car could travel at speed off-road, later models having the option of more traditional leaf spring suspension.

This particular car is from 1965, and was owned by the Home Office from new, stored in a bunker until 1997 as part of a ~100 unit order the government made. These vehicles were purchased for emergency use, this one covered just ~50 miles in the original ownership by the Home Office. Coming to market now from ~17 year ownership, just one former keeper registered, and a restoration in 2019, it's a stunning piece of history.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Colin after meeting William the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

I guess you could say I am an Austin Gipsy enthusiast, I'm lucky enough to own another three in total!

William picked this Austin Gipsy up ~17 years ago, with just ~50 miles recorded in ownership with the Home Office. He's covered some ~12,000 miles in his ownership now, and in 2019 restored the vehicle back to the condition you see it today.

Having restored this example, William doesn't like using it as much as it is in lovely condition, so now his others get much more use. William also has another chassis which he is working on at the moment, doing all the work himself, he certainly knows his way around an Austin Gipsy. He'll be happy to answer any questions about this car in the comments section below.

William

Vehicle Owner

William saved £1,800* when they
sold their Austin with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

A boxy, military inspired design with plenty of character, these utility vehicles were aimed at both the consumer and commercial markets.

Wheels and Tyres

The wheels looked to be in good condition with chrome hubcaps to finish them off and give a bit of class to the wheels. Around the rim on some of the wheels we did notice a small amount of surface corrosion coming through the paint.

The tyres are matching Camac items, they look in good condition with plenty of life left in them. Please take a look at the photos and video below to asses the condition of the wheels and tyres.

Bodywork

These cars came with traditional steel body panels. As you'd expect given the car had restorative work in 2019, we didn't notice any visible signs of corrosion on any of the body panels. In terms of panel fit, gaps etc, all look to be good for a classic utility vehicle of this era.

We've highlighted in more detail our observations through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take time to look through all the media files for a detailed view at what’s on offer, and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

The "Deep Bronze Green", military inspired paint looked to be in decent condition. The car was repainted in 2019 as part of the restoration work after ~10,000 miles in the current ownership. In direct sunlight we noticed a few swirl marks in the paint, we think these would be quite easy to polish out.

The paint did seem to be even in colour across the whole car, what you'd expect given the paintwork in 2019. Again, we have taken hi-resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the bodywork for yourselves.

Glass and Trim

The glass looked to be in great condition, we didn't notice any chips or cracks in any of the glass.

All trim around the car looked in great condition, William told us various pieces of trim had been re-galvanised. The roof has also been replaced with a new tan canvas covering in 2021.

Please take a look at the high resolution photo and video below to asses the glass and trim.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

A simple utilitarian interior, these cars were all about the rugged off-road nature rather than a cosseted cabin.

Seats and Carpets

As this is a utility vehicle, there are no carpets are present in the Gipsy, which is understandable. Instead metal floors with rubber mats on top. Both the floor and mats looked in good condition, with some wear to the rubber mats.

When re-trimming the roof, William had some leftover canvas so decided to cover the seats with it this year, they looked in great condition. Please take a look at the photo and video below to check the condition for yourself.

Dashboard

A simple yet effective dash is present in the Gipsy with analogue dials, big switches and some light indicators, all in working order except the radio which stopped working recently. William believes it to be an issue with a resistor.

Please view the photos and video below to see the dashboard.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The large, three spoke steering wheel reminds you what you are in, a classic off-roader. It seemed to be in very good condition with some slight wear.

The long gear stick rises out from the floor and displays 4 gears and reverse, the stick looks to be in good condition, very little wear was noticed.

Please take a look at the photos and video below to see the condition of the steering wheel and gear stick.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

A 2.2L petrol engine is at the heart of the Gipsy, all wheel drive and rugged build quality make it a great off-roader.

Engine and Gearbox

Producing ~72BHP, the engine has a good amount of power for a classic of this era, on the road it felt quite nippy, and running smoothly too.

The 4-speed box had no problem engaging gears. We didn't test the low-range box but William assured us it was working as expected too. Please view the "On The Road" video to see and hear the engine in action.

Suspension and Brakes

This car features the independent suspension set-up, with rubber springs, that allowed the car to be used at pace off-road. On our drive, the set-up ensures any bumps in the road are handled without issue, the rubber springs can give a bit of bounce too. The shock absorbers were reconditioned in 2020.

Brakes seemed to perform well, we didn't try an emergency stop but under normal braking conditions they appeared to work as expected. Please view the "On The Road" video to see how the suspension and brakes performed on the road.

The Drive

As mentioned above the Gipsy drove well on the road. It would most likely come into its own off-road though. At the national speed limit you really get the utilitarian nature of this vehicle, we didn't witness any unusual sounds during our drive. Please view the On The Road video to see the Gipsy in action.

Electrics and Other

The only issue with electrics William told us about was the radio not working, he thinks it is due to a resistor fault, everything else is working as it should do to his knowledge.

It's worth noting also that a high output dynamo has been fitted in this Gipsy, along with period Notek fog-lights.

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History and Paperwork

Living most its life in the hands of the Home Office in secret storage, it comes to market from ~17 years ownership with just 1 former keeper registered.

The car comes to market from an Austin Gipsy enthusiast, ~12,000 miles covered in the current ownership, it has had some restoration work in the past 2 years to bring it up to the standard you see today. There are a number of parts receipts for all the work William has put into it as well as prizes he has won at various show, even as recent as last month.

This Gipsy is a rare car, with an unusual history, on stand by incase of nuclear war at the Home Office. A truly unique piece of British history.

William will be more than happy to answer any questions in the comments below.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
26.07.22	Gearbox Service
18.04.2022	Service	10,675
28.03.2022	Seat Covering
15.06.2017	MOT	8,532
18.06.2016	MOT	8,045
04.06.2015	MOT	7,662
28.09.2013	MOT	6,848
12.09.2012	MOT	6,052
13.09.2011	MOT	4,885
08.09.2010	MOT	3,858
26.08.2009	MOT	2,434
21.08.2008	MOT	832
10.08.2007	MOT	88
03.07.2005	Auction Date	50