Description
For sale (again) is our 1962 Singer Vogue Estate Mk 1, believed to be the earliest one still around. The Singer Owner's Club has previously stated that the car is the earliest known (to them) to be on the road, but they believe there might be another in restoration of an earlier vintage. The car is in exceptional condition for its age, and sports its original paintwork, interior and engine and gearbox. The bodywork is a lovely light blue, with a cream roof. The previous owner fitted it with period white-walled crossply tyres, which complement the bodywork. It still sports the original Dealer's Mark (decal) on the nearside window pillar.
I have owned the car for 6 years and am only selling it to make room in the garage for the next project. It is a lovely car to drive and the engine purrs along. It is completely original, as far as I can tell, apart from a small electronic ignition in the distributor. This is easily removeable if you wish to return to the traditional points system. The car has just rolled over 50 thousand miles from new, and the history of MoTs appear to verify this. I have a pretty large collection of paperwork including the original bill of sale and service history thereafter.
Being 62 years old, the car is not 'like new' but has its original quirky character. The driver's seat foam could probably do with replacing and the rubbers beneath, but is driveable as is. The blue leather seats are in super order, with no tears or scrapes. The rear boot area looks like new, with it's original carpets almost untouched. The rear bench seat looks barely used at all. The bodywork is good, but not perfect. There are occasional spots where the paint has been chipped, but nothing serious. My bodywork specialist refused to respray the rear half as I had requested, as it would devalue the originality of the whole, he said. There is a small patch of surface rust, maybe an inch across, on the rear wing behind the rear wheel on both sides, which I have treated with Jenolite and then coated with waxoil on his advice, as a curative/ preventative. This is a pretty rare car and the Singer Owner's Club tells me they have only 6 others of this estate model on their records. The car was originally sold in Frinton on Sea and has been more recently owned on the Isle of Wight, where I bought it from the last owner, who had had it ten years, doing less than 500 miles each year. The car is a joy to drive. It purrs along comfortably between 40 and 60mph. I have had it up to 70 and it'll do it happily but it's most content in the 50mph range. I just love its '60s feel and comfort. My young son rides in the back and loves the days out with the family and the dog. The boot is huge and takes a large Golden Retriever plus a large picnic basket with plenty of room to spare. It is a throwback to a bygone era and oozes character and charm. It's also very easy to drive.
I had taken a deposit from a buyer (in June), but he is still trying to sell another car to generate the funds for the purchase. He has agreed that should another buyer come forward, I can refund him his deposit and the car will go with the new buyer, so please contact me if you're interested. The car will be going to auction next year if no buyer comes forward - they have already valued it and agreed with the 'agreed insurance valuation', which is well above my asking price.
