1966 Vanden Plas Princess

Sorry..this car is no longer in service.

The Princess line of cars was originally manufactured by Austin in the United Kingdom. Completed chassis were then shipped to the Vanden Plas facility where the coachwork was added and finishing touches applied, readying the automobile for sale under the Austin brand name. The first Princess Limousines were produced in 1952, of which the first two production units were purchased by Her Majesty the Queen. The Royal family has owned 10 of these fine vehicles over the years, perferring the Princess over many other makes.

In July 1960, the brand name was changed to Vanden Plas. Most people continue to refer to these fine automobiles by Austin name. In fact, our "champagne" Princess is registered as an Austin.

The "Champagne" Princess was built in 1966 in Kingsbury, a suburb of London, on a special order for the British government, for delivery to the British High Commission in Ottawa. A sister vehicle built at the same time was delivered to Washington. These two Princess' are unique from all others in that they are left hand drive, and have a standard transmission. As a side note to show how special the "Champagne" Princess is, and how lovingly it has been maintained, in contrast, the Washington Princess lies in a field somewhere in the northeast US, with a tree growing through the middle!

Our "Champagne" Vandem Plas Limousine has a distinguished history as it was built to specifications and delivered to the British High Commission in Ottawa. It is purported to have carried such dignitaries as the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, and Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

Some special features of the Princess are fold-down jumper seats to bring the seating capacity to a comfortable four passengers, or up to a maximum of six passengers for short trips. A sliding divider between the passenger area and the driver provides a level of privacy for the passengers.

Note the spacious interior and wide door entry that is perfect for brides in their resplendent best. This truly is a vehicle built for a Princess.