The Vanden Plas Princess 1300, which participated as an exhibition vehicle
In Europe and the United States, swap meet events have long been effectively used as a “baton passing place” for old owners to pass on their beloved cars to the next generation of young people. The “SWAP & MEET in Myoko,” which was held for the first time on April 20-21, 2024, was modeled after such Western-style events. However, many entrants participated not for buying, selling, or exchanging, but for displaying their beloved cars and deepening friendship among owners, and this Vanden Plas “Princess 1300” participated as a “pure display car”.
The “ADO16” family achieved great success in the UK in the 1960s
As you know, many ethnic capital-based car manufacturers have been merging and merging in the UK for many years. BMC (British Motor Corporation), which was born in this way, became the largest automobile manufacturer in the United Kingdom in the 1960s. Within BMC, there were many brands such as Austin, Austin-Healey, Morris, MG, Wolseley, Riley, and Vanden Plas. This is the reason why the original Mini, known as the “ADO15,” debuted in 1959 as a sister model to the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini Minor, two popular car brands.
The Mini was the forerunner of the modern front-wheel-drive compact car, with its engine mounted transversely in the front and front-wheel drive, and at the time BMC was looking to build on the success of that format in the more advanced segment. Three years later, the Morris 1100 and MG 1100 made their debut in 1962 as passenger cars in a class above the Mini.
Followed by the Austin 1100 and the Vanden Plas Princess in 1963, and the Riley Kestrel and the Woosley 1100 in 1965, these sister models are often referred to collectively as the “ADO16,” the family’s formal name. This ADO16 family also enjoyed great success, especially in the UK in the 1960s.
He has always had the Mini around him since he was a child.
“About 50 years ago, my father drove a Mini, and I have always had a Mini around me since I was a child,”
said Mr. Takashi Miyaji, who attended the event in the Vanden Plas Princess 1300.
“My father was a founding member of the Mini Wings owners’ club and was actively involved in Club 305 and other events,”
said Mr. Miyaji. Incidentally, Mini Wings is an owners’ club established in 1972. Club 305 was a major Mini event held annually at Fuji Speedway from 1979 to 2009. If your father has been a Mini driver since those days, and you have been in that environment since you were young, you must have gone straight to the British road, right?
“No, actually, I didn’t.”
An unexpected answer from Mr. Miyaji. Mini cars had been around him since he was a boy.
“Mini cars are the best for both cats and shakuhachi! Mini cars are cute! I got a little tired of this trend.”
He also said that there was a time when he dared to distance himself from British cars such as the Fiat “Ritmo” and the Renault “Megane” and went for cars of the Latin style.
“As I got older, I thought, ‘Well, I like what I like,’ so I decided to be honest about it, and in my 30s I started driving a 12-inch Mini with a carburetor.”
He also enjoyed tuning the car in his own way, and once again entered the world of classic Minis.
His current car was found in England
Mr. Miyaji eventually reached the age of 60, and he wanted to enjoy the world of “authentic British historic cars” even more, so he started looking for a new car for his hobby. He expanded his search to the U.K., and just when he thought he had found the car he was looking for, it was sold at an inopportune time. He came across this Vanden Plas It’s a Princess.
“I found this 1973 Vanden Plas Princess 1300 in the UK. The price was higher than the market price, but I decided to buy it because it was in excellent condition.”
As Mr. Miyaji says, the car is in beautiful condition, not only inside and out, but also when you look into the underside of the chassis.
Princess is only about 6 months away from her debut on the streets of Japan
“I decided to buy the car and left the UK by boat in July 2023; it arrived in Japan in September and was delivered with a license plate number in November, so it has only been on Japanese roads for about six months. To tell the truth, this is the first time I have participated in a historic car event with this car.”
This is the first time for me to participate in a historic car event with this car. He hopes to actively participate in historic car events around the country in the future.
After some time when he consciously distanced himself from the transversely mounted double-decker A-type engine, Miyaji-san and the Vanden Plas Princess returned to the world of cars he was once familiar with. I look forward to seeing them again at some other event.
