'Brand new' Austin Metro for sale at CarFest

A 1983 Austin Metro Vanden Plas 500 with just 741 miles on the clock will go under the hammer at CarFest South on 29 August.

The car – which will be offered with no reserve at the CCA sale – had just one registered owner since new, forming part of the famous and historic Patrick Collection housed in Birmingham.

Very few Vanden Plas Metros remain on the road, and this rare car, the second of only 500 built, is believed to be one of only five left in the UK.

Finished in black with tan leather seats, the car is in original condition and has been stored for a number of years.

‘A500 VOJ’ remains essentially as it was when it left the Longbridge factory in 1983. The only parts replaced on the car in its lifetime have been the seals and water pump.

Guy Lees-Milne, CCA general manager, said, ‘It is a delight to be offering such a special British icon in our sale at CarFest.

‘This is a unique opportunity to own an incredibly rare car, at no reserve, and this example is one to potentially bubble-wrap for the future.’

One of Britain’s most popular cars, the Metro was a common sight on British roads with more than 1.3 million sold by 1994.

Famous owners include Princess Diana, who owned a red W-registered Metro before her engagement to Prince Charles.

The car joins nearly 100 others in CCA’s CarFest Sale, which takes place at 1979 F1 World Champion Jody Scheckter’s Laverstock Park Farm in Hampshire.

A host of charity lots will also be on offer with 100 per cent of the hammer price plus fees being donated to BBC Children in Need.  

For more information on the car visit, the CCA website.