1959 AUSTIN A35 - HRDC ACADEMY SPEC

This 1959 Austin A35 is a storied example of the HRDC race specification car, which won the first ever all A35 HRDC race Mallory Park in 2015. The car was featured at the Goodwood Revival with British Formula One driver and 1969 Le Mans winner Jackie Oliver as the co-driver, at the Silverstone Classic with Australian touring car competitor Wayne Gardner as its co-driver, and at classic/race car shows at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham.

The car is well known as the ‘flying satsuma’ and has been featured in Octane Magazine and the A35 Club magazine. Its 1.3-litre inline-four engine, producing approximately 94 horsepower was refreshed by experts at Classic & Modern Engine Services in Bracknell, is paired with a four-speed manual gearbox built by Heathrow transmissions. Since rebuild the car has been raced once at Lydden Hill. The odometer currently indicates 50,730 miles from new. 

First registered in January 1959, the vehicle has been in the vendor’s possession for six years. The vehicle is currently taxed, with the vendor noting it drives well on the road with suitable tyres.

The body and orange paintwork remain in excellent condition, with the vendor only noting some buff marks in the door aperture where the door has caught. The body was stripped by Prostrip in Nottingham, before being featured on their stand at the 2014 NEC Classic Car Show and repainted with a numbered livery by Malin Motor Bodies in Sheffield. The white alloy wheels present well, with only some minor marks present. 

The interior is also in good condition. The vendor has reported some minor marks to the passenger and rear seats, though the interior presents well overall. The drivers seat is an HRDC Academy racing seat, with only a slight mark on the shoulder support. The driver has reported no faults with any interior controls or electrics, and no warning lights present on the dashboard. 

The vehicle is serviced before every race by Malin Motor Bodies, with the last interval taking place at 50,700 miles, where the technicians replaced the engine oil as well as the air, fuel and oil filters before giving the vehicle a thorough general check. As well as an engine rebuilt by the experts at Classic & Modern, this A35 was fitted with a new, modern limited slip differential prior to a race at Lydden Hill in Kent. 

The last MOT test was on 8 March 2016, which resulted in a clean pass with no advisories, although the vehicle is exempt from an annual MOT test under classic car status. However, the vendor notes the vehicle would need new tyres to be used on the road as the Dunlops supplied are intended for track use only, though they remain in good condition all round.

This 1959 Austin A35 represents a unique opportunity to own a British classic converted to HRDC academy specification, complete with a 1.3-litre engine refreshed by the specialists at Classic & Modern, a new limited slip differential and an exciting racing history. The vehicle is well known as the ‘flying satsuma’ and has been featured in Octane and the A35 Club magazines, as well as at several car shows at the NEC in Birmingham and the Goodwood Revival with British Formula One driver and Le Mans winner Jackie Oliver in the drivers seat.