Photo: Mecum
It's hard for true fans to ever get tired of classic cars, especially when they come as restored or customized beauties. But one can easily get tired of repetition, and seeing so many Camaros, Mustangs, and the likes has a cumulative effect that after a while begins to rob them of their appeal. Luckily, from time to time we do get a break from American classics. And today's break name is Armstrong Siddeley.
The name means nothing in today's world. It was used to designate a British company dealing with aircraft and motor cars from 1919 to 1960 when it went bust and started a series of mergers that eventually saw it dissolve into Rolls-Royce.
When it was active, the company produced quite a large number of vehicles, playing in various segments and coming in all styles imaginable. For instance, we've had the Short 17 sports saloon of the 1930s, the Hurricane dropheads of the 1940s and 1950s, or the Star Sapphire limousines of the 1960s.
Of interest to us today is something called the Station Coupe. That would be a weird mix of between a coupe utility and, in this particular iteration, a two-door pickup truck. Weird, but undeniably beautiful and a well-deserved break from what we usually get.
The car is listed by auction house Mecum for sale, and that's how we stumbled upon it. It comes in a cream exterior color that somehow feels just right to the era when it was initially built. True, the soft interior in red and brown is a bit of a letdown, but who knows, maybe someone is tired of leather too.
Generally these kinds of vehicles were sold in Australia, but this one somehow made it across the Pacific and landed in the States. It was very well cared for there, as you can clearly see, and seems to be in working order, mechanically speaking, as well.
The car packs under the hood a 2.3-liter engine in an inline-six configuration and is tied to a 4-speed manual transmission. They're probably both original, but restored, although their specs are not known.
The car's body, small bed out back included, is propped on a leaf suspension system at the rear and independent torsion bar at the opposite end. Hydraulic brakes front and mechanical ones rear take care of stopping power. The connection to the ground is made through steel wheels with small-diameter hubcaps.
The car is listed by Mecum for the Fall Special auction in Indianapolis with no mention of the expected price. We do know that back in 2022 the same car sold for just $13,000, making it a financially sound alternative to American engineering as well. We'll see how the hammer falls for it this time.
When it was active, the company produced quite a large number of vehicles, playing in various segments and coming in all styles imaginable. For instance, we've had the Short 17 sports saloon of the 1930s, the Hurricane dropheads of the 1940s and 1950s, or the Star Sapphire limousines of the 1960s.
Of interest to us today is something called the Station Coupe. That would be a weird mix of between a coupe utility and, in this particular iteration, a two-door pickup truck. Weird, but undeniably beautiful and a well-deserved break from what we usually get.
The car is listed by auction house Mecum for sale, and that's how we stumbled upon it. It comes in a cream exterior color that somehow feels just right to the era when it was initially built. True, the soft interior in red and brown is a bit of a letdown, but who knows, maybe someone is tired of leather too.
Generally these kinds of vehicles were sold in Australia, but this one somehow made it across the Pacific and landed in the States. It was very well cared for there, as you can clearly see, and seems to be in working order, mechanically speaking, as well.
The car packs under the hood a 2.3-liter engine in an inline-six configuration and is tied to a 4-speed manual transmission. They're probably both original, but restored, although their specs are not known.
The car's body, small bed out back included, is propped on a leaf suspension system at the rear and independent torsion bar at the opposite end. Hydraulic brakes front and mechanical ones rear take care of stopping power. The connection to the ground is made through steel wheels with small-diameter hubcaps.
The car is listed by Mecum for the Fall Special auction in Indianapolis with no mention of the expected price. We do know that back in 2022 the same car sold for just $13,000, making it a financially sound alternative to American engineering as well. We'll see how the hammer falls for it this time.
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