A factory prototype of the Vanden Plas version of the AD016 BMC 1100 has re-emerged and been bought by Barry Hayes, an enthusiastic Vanden Plas Owner’s Club member in West Wales, who intends to fully restore the car.

JMC 104B was first registered on August 20, 1964 – though it must have been made before that as the model was officially available from October 1963. According to hand-written letters and British Motor Industry Heritage Trust paperwork with the car, it was owned from first registration by John Bradley, Chief Designer at Vanden Plas, but used mainly by his wife Peggy, as he had a 3-litre saloon. It was usual for prototype cars that were not scrapped to be sold to senior personnel as this enabled the factory to keep a watchful eye on cars that may not have been built to the same standard as production models, and occasionally ‘trial’ improvements and upgrades were implemented as a result.

According to Bryan Peebles, Membership Secretary and Archivist of the Vanden Plas Owners Club, the car was effectively hand-built from a production Austin 1100 and has a number of differences from the ‘standard’ VDP specification. These included Ambla rather than leather interior (in Adam Beige) and standard Austin Connaught Green paintwork rather than one of the special VDP finishes.

Although believed to have covered just 56,000 miles from new, the car is said to be in need of ‘full restoration’, and needs a lot of welding underneath along with replacement sills, front wings and front panel. It has, though, got a now-rare sliding steel sunroof. Given its unique status as a genuine factory prototype we are delighted that this car has been bought by an appreciative owner, and wish him every success with the project.