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Re: austin eton for sale For Sale (1937) Is there something wrong with the body?

The one you're looking at Mark appears to be on a much longer chassis than the 12/4 Eton that I assume Derek is referring to? It doesn't look homemade to me. Is it not some specialist contemporary body created for a specific purpose back in 1937 - perhaps a one off?

There could be a clue in its registration which I think is BCO - if so it's a Plymouth registration allocated between May and October 1938 - a Royal Navy connection perhaps, hence the unusual length of the body?
It can't be BGO as that was a London registration issued only during July 1934.

I'd ask the seller if he knows anything of the cars previous / early history - has he any old buff log books

Assuming the registration is BCO 382, it doesn't appear to be on the DVLA database, so has probably been off the road for some considerable time.

Here's a 1937 12/4 Eton sold by Car & Classic - definitely shorter wheelbase than the one you're looking at.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C544958

Jeff.

Location: Almost but not quite, the far North East of England

Re: austin eton for sale For Sale (1937) Is there something wrong with the body?

Jeff Taylor

There could be a clue in its registration which I think is BCO - if so it's a Plymouth registration allocated between May and October 1938 - a Royal Navy connection perhaps, hence the unusual length of the body?
It can't be BGO as that was a London registration issued only during July 1934.



From information below, even with a Plymouth registration it wouldn't have been a Royal Navy car.

1921 - 1949
All military vehicles were registered using the Middlesex codes and displayed a civilian AND military registration. (It is unusual to find the original civilian registration as most of the Middlesex codes were re-issued after 1949, when the new military numbering system was introduced. Hence, why the photos show the age-related Scottish or Welsh codes.)

RAF - followed by up to 6 digit serial

RN - preceded, or followed by, a serial

Copied from:-

http://nice-reg.co.uk/number-plates/number-plates/military-number-plates.html

Location: Oxfordshire

Re: austin eton for sale For Sale (1937) Is there something wrong with the body?

The advert states that the car is a 14/6 which would explain the longer chassis. I do not think there is a factory body of this type on the 14/6 chassis. One's mother in law might reasonably take offence.
Regards,
Stuart

Re: austin eton for sale For Sale (1937) Is there something wrong with the body?

The proportions do look very odd; and if that is a dickey seat, where are the steps to climb in to it? Still, stick the mother in law in there, and one wouldn't be able to hear her complaints!