1955 Armstrong Siddley Sapphire 346

Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury vehicles and aircraft engines. The company was created following the purchase by Armstrong Whitworth of Siddeley-Deasy, a manufacturer of fine motor cars, which were marketed to the top echelon of society. After the merger of the companies, this focus on quality continued throughout in the production of cars, aircraft engines, gearboxes for tanks and buses, rocket and torpedo motors, and the development of railway carriages.

The Sapphire 346 model was introduced in 1952 and brought power-steering to British cars for the first time. When it first appeared, it could have been easy to conclude that the 346 was just another re-body of the pre-war models, such was the timidity of its design. However, it was entirely new underneath, featuring a fresh suspension set-up with coil springs at the front and leaf springs at the back. It received a new engine too - a lusty 3.4-litre six that was powerful enough to push the 346 to 95 mph, a significant step forward.

This 1955 Sapphire 346 has been well-maintained and occasionally used as a wedding car by our vendor and his family. His association with these cars began with his parents who used to own this model when he was a child; prompting a later-life interest in buying the best example he could find. With the aid of a marque expert/engineer, our vendor bought this RHD, UK-supplied car from Romania, after a full condition report was compiled. When he got it home the car was improved and enhanced, giving it the finish and reliability it required to be fully enjoyed and to serve dependably at the occasional wedding. Having been stored for a while, the car would now benefit from some minor re-commissioning but it does come with a new MoT. This is a distinguished, elegant and rare classic British saloon car that is offered at No Reserve.