Interesting Cars with Interesting Histories
This week the car we are considering is a 1954, MkII Armstrong Siddeley, Sapphire 346. The first owner was Ian Fleming the creator of the James Bond 007 legend. It is interesting that Commander Ian Fleming’s address was Victoria Square, London, SW1 and the date of first registration of PGY 411 was 1st November 1954. This makes it very probable that he visited the 1954 Earl’s Court Motor Show, viewed the new improved Sapphire 346, and placed his order for immediate delivery.
Factory registered as grey with blue interior, the car was to remain with the Commander till April 1958, when a new owner took it to Croydon for a spell, before selling it on to a third owner who brought the car to the Battersea area of London. Changing hands again on 23rd of August 1961 it is recorded that a Helmut Kolson residing at 1, Norfolk House, London Road, Stanmore was now the proud owner. It appears that he worked for The Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney. The UK office was located in Berkley Street, London W1 just off Berkley Square, home to the famous Nightingale. As the last duty payment recorded on the log-book covered till the end of December 1963, it seems reasonable to assume that Helmut returned around this time to Australia taking the car with him.
We pick up the story again in Australia around August 2016 when the car was in the hands of Daniel Urquhart who’s grandson was then trying to establish the additional sales value that the provenance of the car might attract.
Though no longer in the resplendent condition it was in the 1990s when it was a frequent concourse winner the car looked very tidy and would make an interesting addition to any collection. A conclusion also reached by the present owner, who after refurbishment now has a very fine vehicle.
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