Vanden Plas 1100/1300 Mk I

Without question the most daring and certainly the most luxurious variants of the BMC 1100 / 1300 range were built by Vanden Plas, the traditional coachbuilding wing of Austin / BMC. These small "limousines" shared the same basic body shell and mechanical underpinnings as the rest of the BMC 1100 / 1300 family, using the tuned MG engines for power.

As could be expected the Vanden Plas cars were built and finished to the highest standards at the London Vanden Plas works (later production transferred to Longbridge). Standard specification included top-grade leather upholstery, walnut veneer trim, distinctive hudcaps, front fog lamps and the hallmark Vanden Plas grille.

Launched in 1963 the MkI Vanden Plas Princess 1100 was eventually superseded by the MkII version in 1967. A more powerful 1300 version appeared in 1967, which in turn became the 1300 MkII in 1968.