1972 Austin Kimberley

Description

Extremely rare to find here lovely Austrailian market Kimberley with the 2.2 six-pot and manual 'box from a private collection

Dating from August 1971 this rather special car is a Home Market model Austin Kimberley X6 MkII built and sold in Australia and New Zealand only and its believed to be the only one in the UK although does hare some similarities with the Woseley Six (engine/gearbox/suspension/doors and glass)

Imported and registered here in April 1985 the car has been with our vendor since March 2010 during which time he has cherished it along side Lot 92 the Austin Ute showing them both on the South Wales show scene.

The Kimberley and its similar sibling, the Tasman were designed and built by Leyland Australia and considered quite advanced at the time and featured the 2.2 litre straight-six cylinder SOHC E-series engine mounted transversely with four-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels.  The Kimberley had a twin carb set up and put out 115Hp, where-as the 102Hp Tasman managed with one.

The Kimberley was an upmarket car and differed to the Tasman by trim, inside we find a plush interior with seating for five (some models had a bench front seat) and quad headlights (the Tasman had dual).

The history file for this example includes the V5C showing just two former UK owners to our vendor, a Kimberley workshop manual plus parts manual, spare keys, 18 old Mots, current Mot valid until July 2024 (although of course exempt), windscreen info from its show days, insurance valuations and photos, original driver’s handbook and passport to service showing it was supplied by Hayman Motors with one after sale service stamped in April 1972 and two hand written entries in October 1972 and April 1973, some period correspondence from the Australian Motor Registration Division, old Australian Certificate of Registrations and selection of bills for parts and maintenance plus original importation docs. 

The file also alludes to the car having been purchased in 1974 in Australia by a former owner before coming to the UK with him and four motorcycles on a relocation to Whitley Bay 1984.  He owned the car until 2009 with our vendor the purchasing it the year later.

A splendid example that’s been well looked after with useful works undertaken such as unleaded cylinder head conversion in May 2016 that looks to be the only Kimberley in the UK and maybe Europe according to correspondence on file from the Landcrab Owner’s club.  A special find and opportunity.

For more information contact - [email protected]