A Day at the 2023 Beaulieu Autojumble

On arriving at the 2023 Beaulieu Autojumble, I was greeted by a Hillman Avenger Estate belonging to the museum's Chief Executive, Dr. Jon Murden, and a green Volvo 145. Lancaster Insurance's Austin-Healey Sprite was in the distance, as orange as a Space Hopper. Naturally, I immediately felt at home.

The first port of call was Bonham's Auction, with its array of cars that I stood as much chance of purchasing as winning the London Marathon. This minor financial issue did not prevent me from deciding I craved every vehicle in the display, starting with the 1962 Lincoln Continental Convertible. The 1974 Ford Capri 3.0 Ghia reminded me how good-looking the second-generation models are, while surely everyone needs a 1960 Commer Karrier Gamecock Fire Tender in their fleet. Mainly due to its prominently mounted bell.

But, even more tempting than this trio, the Austin A40 Devon Van and a Peugeot 304 light commercial, was a car I had often read about but never encountered in the metal – a 1960 Merecedes-Benz 300d 'Adenauer'. The nickname derived from the West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who favoured the 300 as his official transport. Stuttgart built the d from 1957 to 1962, when its pillarless magnificence put even the BMW 'Baroque Angel' in the shade.

The new 300d was seldom seen in the UK, for in 1958, it cost £5,401 – over £3,200 more than a Jaguar Mk. IX Automatic, even if your friendly local Mercedes-Benz dealer granted you a seven shillings discount. The Adenauer was also virtually double the price of an Armstrong Siddeley Star Sapphire and only £142 less than a Bentley S1. Compared with these fine British cars, the M-B's interior is decidedly business-like, down to the wonderful touch of briefcases incorporated in the door trim.

I had to finally depart the Bonham's display, as by now I was mentally plotting how to place my entire family on eBay to pay for an Adenauer, a car I had craved ever since I saw The Quiller Memorandum. Besides, the magazine stalls were beckoning, with the promise of Motor Show editions. I have long been fascinated by coverage of the Earls Court event, and fortunately, I found an Autocar from 1952 and The Motor from 1958.

The former conveyed a sense of excitement with the end of food rationing and the buyer's covenant in sight, plus two prime new sports cars. The Triumph TS1 was a promising-looking prototype, and the Healey Hundred famously became the Austin-Healey by the show's end. The editorial was especially priceless as it ranted that British cars were:

Workmanlike, unextravagant, and conservative in appearance, and if a lot is demanded of them, they rise to the occasion; these are solid qualities to set beside the fantastic beauty of cars from Mediterranean countries and the rich gaucherie of brutally powered sedans from across the Atlantic.

In other words, anyone who was not thrilled by the new Humber Super Snipe Mk. IV was obviously a KGB agent.

In 1958, there was the air of the calm before the storm, with the Triumph Herald and Ford Anglia due for launch in the following year. The second British Motor Corporation, 'Farina', just missed Earls Court, as it debuted in December, to conclude a significant year for BMC. 1958 saw the launches of the Austin-Healey Sprite, the Austin FX4, the Austin A40 'Farina' and the MGA Twin-Cam.

Both magazines featured any amount of airbrushed illustrations that made a Wolseley 6/90 Series III appear the same size as a Leyland Tiger Cub single-decker bus. A Vauxhall advertisement for the Victor F-Type and the Cresta PA is particularly notable for its wildly grinning drivers and passengers, all of whom looked faintly disturbing. Naturally, the 'small ads' are excellent value, not least Delaney Galley urging readers of The Motor not to miss "The CAR HEATER Show of the year". Visit Stand 224 at Earls Court or telephone Gladstone 2201 for more details.

To end on an utterly self-indulgent note, I have been attending the Beaulieu Autojumble for nearly 40 years. The everyday vehicles in the car park back in 1985 are now prized collectors' vehicles, and my younger self would never have believed that Bonhams would one day auction an Austin Maestro Van. But the thrill of finding that bargain remains constant, as does the hum of the Monorail. Long may this remain so.

With Thanks To: Stephanie Hoy and everyone at https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/attractions/national-motor-museum/