Motor Car History
 Veteran - Vintage - Classic - Modern
Motor car history
Understanding the Automobile
Toggle Navigation
  • Home
  • Makes and models
  • Motor car History
  • Motor Car Guide
    • Induction & Exhaust
    • Tyres wheels Brakes
    • Vehicle Body types
    • Electrical & electronic
    • Gearbox & Drivetrain
    • Engine Components
    • Suspension Types
    • Engines
  • Trivia
    • Advertising
    • Race events
    • Film & TV
    • Museums
  • links
    • Advertise your business
    • About us
    • Help with a donation
  • Log in
  • Register
  • Advertise
  • You are here:  
  • Motor Car
  • Make and Model
  • A
  • Austin
  • Austin Princess 4-litre V Plas R (1964-1968)
  • Motor Car
  • Make and Model
  • A
  • Austin
Categories
Austin
Luxury Cars
1960s
Britain

History

Austin Princess 4-litre Vanden Plas  R

Vanden Plas Princess 4 Liter R (1964-1968)

Manufacturer

BMC

Production

1964 to 1968

Designer

Pininfarina

Class

Luxury car

Body style

4-door saloon

Layout

FR layout

Engine

3.9 L Rolls-Royce IOE I6 

Wheelbase

86 in (2,184 mm)

Length

187.75 in (4,769 mm)

Width

68.5 in (1,740 mm)

Height

59 in (1,499 mm)

 

The Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R with its Rolls-Royce all-aluminium 175 bhp engine was announced in August 1964. With an unusually high power to weight ratio the car gave easy cruising at 90+ mph and was capable of 112 mph.

History

The Vanden Plas Princess 4 Liter R was a luxury four-door sedan of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in the 1960s,This car was a result of a joint BMC / Rolls-Royce project for a smaller Bentley code-named Java. Rolls-Royce finally withdrew from the venture. A need had been perceived for a relatively compact, mass-produced Rolls-Royce. Prototypes were made using the Austin-engineered central portion of the Vanden Plas, with restyled Rolls Royce and Bentley panels front and rear. Neither of these models made it into production, partly due to the successful 1965 introduction of the much larger Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.

The big change was under the bonnet where there was a result of more than two years technical collaboration between BMC and Rolls-Royce. The aluminium Rolls-Royce FB60 engine was a short-stroke version of the Rolls-Royce Military B: 4, 6 and 8 cylinder units of which more than 30,000 had already been produced The 6-cylinder engine weighed only 450 lb (204 kg). Its cubic capacity was 3.909 litres (239 cu in). Over-square: bore was 95.25 mm (3.8 in), stroke 91.44 mm (3.6 in); with a 7.8:1 compression ratio its output was 175 bhp (130 kW; 177 PS) @4,800 rpm. Twin SU carburettors were fitted. Both block and head were aluminium, tappets were hydraulic self-adjusting operating on overhead inlet and side exhaust valves. The counter-balanced crankshaft ran in seven bearings.

The Vanden Plas Princess 4 Liter R  which brought them out in May 1964 as the successor to the Princess 3 Liter . The Pininfarina body was essentially taken over by its predecessor. There were some significant exterior alterations, horizontal taillights and the tail fins were omitted. 

Completely new was the 6-cylinder in-line engine with aluminum block that weighed only 450 lb (204 kg) and 3909 cc (239 cu in), the Rolls-Royce FB60 engine had originally developed for a Rolls-Royce project. Its performance was significantly increased with Twin SU carburettors  the powere was 129 kW (175 hp) compared to the 3 liter (88 kW / 120 hp), which was reflected not only in improved performance  easy cruising, but also in significantly higher fuel consumption with of 15.9 m/imp gal. 13.2 m/US gal, 17.8 1 x 100 km and a max speed of 106 mph. 170.7 km/h with the new automatic transmission from Borg-Warner  D8 automatic, hydraulic torque convertor and planetary gears with 3 ratios + reverse. inside quality leather hide upholstered seats with fully reclinable backs and  polished walnut fascia , picnic tables for the rear passengers.

PERFORMANCE

max power (SAE): 175 hp at 4,800 rpm
max torque (SAE): 218 1b ft, 30.1 kg m at 3,000 rpm
max engine rpm: 5,000
power-weight ratio: 20.1 lb/hp, 9.1kg/hp
acceleration: standing 1/4 mile 18.9 sec,
O-50 mph (O-80 km/h) 9.3 sec
max speeds: 51 mph, 82.1 km/h in 1st gear; 76 mph, 122.4 km/h in 2nd gear; 106 mph, 170.7 km/h in 3rd gear

Vanden Plas Princess 4 Liter R seats

The new car was priced on a par with a Jaguar Mark X, just 50% more than its apparent predecessor the 3-litre car. It was a major change of market positioning aimed at the growing prestige and executive market in Europe and the United States. The 4-litre R was replete with polished walnut fascia —padded top and bottom, hide upholstered seats with fully reclinable backs and polished picnic tables for the rear passengers. A new automatic transmission was provided, Borg-Warner model 8, its first use in a British car and Hydrosteer variable ratio power steering accompanied wider tyres. Externally the fog lamps were moved up by the grille, the hindquarters tidied extended and adjusted to look more substantial and the tailfins replaced by small corner-ridges.

  • £1,346 (discontinued Vanden Plas Princess Mark II)
  • £1,994 Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R
  • £2,022 Jaguar Mark X
  • £5,517 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III

The total Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R produced was around 7,000 and remained in production until 1968, the production was discontinued without successor model. After the merger of a large part of the British auto industry in the British Leyland Motor Corporation , it was decided to leave the luxury car class in future only to be served by Jaguar . There they had just introduced the new Jaguar XJ 6 , next to which there was no room for the Vanden Plas as separate models.

 

Austin Princess 4-litre Vanden Plas  engine

 

The background to the pricing was that from April 1961 tax relief on company cars was allowed only up to £2,000.

Joint production capacity of 12,000 cars a year was provided, final assembly and hand finishing was at the Vanden Plas works in Kingsbury London.

Austin Princess 4-litre Vanden Plas  car 1960s side

The Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R remained in production until 1968, just ahead of BMC's merge into British Leyland. About 6,555 were built. It was the only mass-produced civilian vehicle from another manufacturer ever to use a Rolls-Royce engine.

Austin Princess 4-litre Vanden Plas  rear

Technical

  • Vanden Plas Princess 4 Liter R Technical details and specifications (1964-1968)

    ENGINE
    front, 4 stroke
    cylinders: 6, vertical, in line
    bore and stroke: 3.75 x 3.60 in, 95.2 x 91.4 mm
    engine capacity: 238.53 cu in, 3,909 cu cm
    compression ratio: 7.8
    cylinder block: light alloy, dry liners
    cylinder head: light alloy
    crankshaft bearings: 7
    valves: 2 per cylinder, overhead inlet, push-rods and rockers, side exhaust, hydraulic tappets
    camshafts: I, side; lubrication: gear pump, full flow filter
    lubricating system capacity: 16 imp pt, 19.24 1-JS pt, 9.1 1
    carburation: 2 SU type HS 8 horizontal carburettors
    fuel feed: 2 electric pumps
    cooling system: liquid, sealed circuit

    TRANSMISSION
    driving wheels: rear
    gearbox: Borg-Warner D8 automatic, hydraulic torque convertor and planetary gears with 3 ratios + reverse
    gearbox ratios: I 2.400, II 1.467, III I, rev 2
    gearbox selector lever: steering column
    final drive: hypoid bevel
    axle ratio: 3.15.

    CHASSIS
    integral
    front suspension: independent, wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar, lever dampers
    rear suspension: rigid axle, semi-elliptic leafsprings, telescopic dampers.

    STEERING
    cam and peg, servo
    turns of steering wheel lock to lock: 2.60.
    turning circle (between walls): 44.3 ft. 13.5 m

    BRAKES
    front disc, rear drum, servo; area rubbed by linings: front 201 sq in, 1,296.45 sq cm, rear 188.50 sq in

    ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
    voltage: 12 V
    battery: 67 Ah
    generator type: dynamo 360 W
    ignition distributor: Lucas

    DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
    wheel base: 110 in, 2,794 mm
    front track 54.90 in, 1,394 mm
    rear track: 53.25 in, 1,353 mm
    overall length: 188 in, 4,775 mm
    overall width: 68.50 in, 1,740 mm
    overall height: 59 in, 1,499 mm
    ground clearance: 6.75 in, 171 mm
    dry weight: 3,506 1b, 1,590 kg
    distribution of weight: 53% front axle, 47% rear axle

    © Motor car History

Registered: Advanced information, Maintenance and Service Guides to download and save.

Members Only !  >>  Register here. <<

Advanced Maintenance and Service Guides to download and save

Service

  • Vanden Plas Princess 4 Liter R Service Guide (1964-1968) 


    fuel type: 98 oct petrol
    engine sump oil: 14.50 imp pt. 17.33 US pt, 8.2 1, SAE 1OW-30, change every 6.000 miles, 9,700 km
    gearbox oil: 16 imp pt. 19.24 US pt. 9.1 1, automatic transmission fluid, no change recommended
    final drive oil: 3 imp pt. 3.59 CIS pt. 1, SAE 80-90, no change recommended
    greasing: every 3,000 miles, 4,800 km, 10 points
    cooling system capacity: 24.50 imp pt, 29.38 US pt, 13.9 1.
    valve timing: inlet opens 27° before tdc and closes 55° after bdc exhaust opens 70° before bdc and closes 14° after tdc,
    normal tyre pressure: front 30 psi, 2.1 atm, rear 31 psi, 2.2 atm.
    width of rims: 5"
    tyres: 7.50 x 13
    fuel tank capacity: 16 imp gal, 19.3 US gal, 73 1.
    carrying capacity: 1,058 1b, 480 kg

    © Motor car History

Related

motor car on you tube

Also read (Members)
  • Austin A60 Countryman (1961-1969)
  • Austin Countryman 1100 1300 (1966-1974)
  • Austin Mini Countryman (1960-1969)
  • Austin 7 Ulster (1929-1932)
Pininfarina | British Automotive 1960s | Vehicles launched in 1964 | Austin Princess | SU carburettor | vanden-plas-related | Luxury Cars

Can’t see this article ?  >>  Register here. <<

Read more in this section (Registered)

Austin Princess IV (1956-1959)
Austin Princess IV (1956-1959)
Read more...
Austin A60 Countryman (1961-1969)
Austin A60 Countryman (1961-1969)
Read more...
Austin A40 Cambridge (1954-1956)
Austin A40 Cambridge (1954-1956)
Read more...

Back to Top

© 2023 Motor Car History