1918 Austin V12

[George Ferris]

I am trying to trace a 1918 Austin V12 touring made in Grand Rapids Michigan. A picture of this car is included in an article about the Austin Automobile Company (written by me) in Antique Auomobile, March-April, 1978, p. 10. It was part of the Barney Pollard collection in Detroit and disappeared after he died and the collection was dispersed.

[Guest jimdillon]

Fairly certain my mom (Barney's daughter, Christine) sold it to a fellow in CA. Memory is sketchy, it might have been to an Austin. But equally likely is that an Austin wanted the car but lost out to the fellow from CA.

[Rusty_OToole]

Saw a reproduction of an advertisement for a 1918 Austin once. Didn't know any survived. As this query is a year and a half old, maybe none did.

[Guest Jim Dillon]

We did have an Austin in the collection of this vintage. I titled the car as a 1917 Austin Convertible with the VIN number as #1328 (the number I got from my uncle Barney-BC). It was a 12 cylinder touring with wire wheels if I remember correctly. For some reason Wiedley engine comes to mind but I could be off base on that. Too much semi-useless information going through my mind. The present owner is probably correct that it is a 1918. Not the first mistake we made and one of the reasons I don't draft a list. There would be too many errors.

My cousin Jim who posted above is correct it was owned and sold by his mother.-Jim

[918cc]

There is a 1918 Austin V12 tourer in New Zealand owned by Kelvin Findlay.

[kelvin Finlay]

Hello, yes I do own this car,   Has ID tag still on the car dated 1917,   V12 is fourth generation Wiedley design   being 450Cuin  .

If you wish to contact me directly please do so,   Kelvin Finlay

[md murray]

Could we humbly request a picture of the engine for the forum? - It must be really something to see.

[kelvin Finlay]

1 photo of the engine  when I first bought the car

[Licespray]

Nice! Any pics of the car itself also?

[Bush Mechanic]

Very nice. Thanks for posting the photo. The overhead gear and layout bear a remarkable resemblance to the post-war Austin engines.

[George Ferris]

I posted a request for information on this car in 1911.  I was happy to finally get some information.  I wrote the 1978 article on Austin, The Highway King.  We tried to buy this Austin from the Pollard collection to return it to Grand Rapids Michigan where it was made, but it was sold to someone else and it disappeared.  Now it reappears in New Zealand.  We are still interested in acquiring it if it becomes available.