The Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 346; An Appreciation

One of the stars of the 1952 London Motor Show was the Sapphire 346. “Truly a car of character” stated Armstrong Siddeley and this was not an exaggeration. Their latest model arguably marked a high point of the Coventry firm’s post-war output; a car for the motorists who could afford £1,728 3s 4d and regarded the Daimler Regency as a little too staid and the Jaguar Mk. VII as a tad too flamboyant.

The 346 was powered by a 3,435cc S6 OHV engine, and buyers could choose from a four-speed all-synchromesh manual box or, for an additional £30, a Wilson electrically-controlled pre-selector. In addition, Armstrong offered the Sapphire with either four or six windows - the former was far rarer, and only 381 of the 7,697 examples featured this bodywork. The Motor managed to obtain an impressive top speed of 100 mph from the twin-carburettor Sapphire. It was also less expensive than an Alvis TC21, a Lagonda 2 ½ Litre, and the Bentley R-Type.

One memorable advertisement claimed a gentleman owner would be impressed by the 346’s “unobtrusive good looks” and “smooth, silent, surging acceleration”. As for the female owner - “Each time you experience its air of authority and dignity, you hug yourself a little tighter”. Notably, the copywriter did not expect madame to take the wheel regularly, with the memorably awful line “And (if you ever get the chance), how pleasant to drive the Sapphire”.

By 1954 the 346 could be ordered with twin carburettors, and in the following year the Mk. II boasted flashing indicators and larger power-assisted drum brakes. Options now included adjustable rear shock absorbers, PAS, electric windows and Rolls-Royce-built GM Hydramatic transmission. One famous owner was Ian Fleming. In 1954 he ordered a Sapphire from Pass & Joyce Ltd. of London, who proudly billed themselves as “England’s Largest Armstrong Siddeley Distributors” – telephone MUSeum 1001 to arrange a test drive.

Fleming’s grey 346 was registered PGY 411 on 1st November, and he specified manual transmission. It succeeded a Riley that developed costly problems out of warranty. The Bond author found his Sapphire to be a “fast, comfortable car, but one which made me feel too elderly when it was going too slowly and too nervous when it was going fast”. He sold it in early 1956, and today the Armstrong is believed to live in Australia.

The Star Sapphire replaced the Sapphire 346 Mk. II saloon in 1958. In March of that year, Bill Boddy of Motor Sport stated, “Certainly amongst Coventry-built quality makes Armstrong Siddeley is a name still very much alive and on the map”. In reality, the market for such cars was under threat from the products of Browns Lane, yet the 346 is a very special motor car. It was formal enough to make an impression at a board meeting, yet its road manners were so invigorating that you would be tempted to give the chauffeur the day off. And its performance was more than enough to leave any young Arthur Daley types in their Ford Zephyr-Zodiacs both shaken and stirred.