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It is rare to find a real Four Seater Drophead Coupe on the market today and even rarer to find one as rare as this and in such a nice condition. This is a 1952 Armstrong Siddley 18hp Hurricane Drophead Coupe. It is finished in Grey with Blue Leather interior and is a lovely example on an older restoration. It has a long MOT and is tax free and is a great large 2.3 litre grand touring car.

While most motor manufacturers entered the post-war era with cars little changed from those on offer in 1939, Armstrong Siddeley was able to launch a new model immediately, announcing the Hurricane in May 1945. A stylish, 4/5-seater, three-position drophead coupé, the Hurricane was soon joined by the mechanically similar Lancaster saloon, both cars using a developed version of the advanced, 1,991cc, 16hp, overhead-valve six introduced in 1938. The newcomers’ independent front suspension was a first for Armstrong Siddeley, and both used Girling hydro-mechanical brakes. There was a choice of traditional pre-selector or four-speed synchromesh transmissions. While Lancaster body construction was contracted out to Mulliners Ltd, that of the Hurricane was undertaken in-house, as was that of the Typhoon fixed-head coupe and Whitley ‘razor-edge’ saloon. The latter was new for 1949, its introduction, together with Station Coupé and Utility Coupé light commercial vehicles, coinciding with enlargement of the engine to 2.3 litres (nominally 18hp). Production of the 16/18hp range ceased in 1953 after a little over 12,000 of these characterful cars had been made. There were a little over 2000 of these Hurricanes made in total.

Interior
Our car was retimmed in 1990 which means that it in a lovely, although not new, condition. The carpet is a little discoloured in places but overall the interior is a lovely place to sit. All the dials and instruments work as they should and there is nothing that needs immediate addressing.

Exterior
Our car is finished in Grey and the paint finish is professionally applied. The car appears to have been significantly restored in the Nineties and it still presents extremely well today. The wheels and tyres are all good and the soft top is also in a very good condition.

Mechanical
Our car has been in storage for a while so we would recommend a thorough service before daily use although she has a new MOT and runs very well. The engine pulls strongly and the preselector gearbox is a pleasure to use. There are no undue knocks or rattles from the suspension and there are many invoices on file of work carried out over the years.

Summary
This is a large 2.3 litre, four seater, drophead coupe in the tradition of grand touring motorcars. It was an expensive and quality item when new and this shows still today. The car was completely restored in the Nineties and still presents extremely well today. This is a great looking and very practical car, have a closer look! It has a long MOT and is ready for its new owner!