1966 Austin Gipsy Police Command Vehicle – Classified of the Week

Though that said, the Austin Gipsy in its own right is something of a rare beast. Austin launched it in 1958 and had visions of it being a rival to the Land Rover, but that was never to be. The Land Rover was too successful. It probably didn’t even notice the Gipsy snapping at its heels like a small, annoying terrier. It was a shame for Austin, as the Gipsy was an immensely clever vehicle, thanks in no small part to its cutting-edge fully independent suspension, which made it a formidable force when off the beaten track. Clever suspension wasn’t enough to sway buyers though. The Gipsy’s fate was finally sealed in 1968 when production was ended due to BMC, Austin’s parent company, merging with Leyland to create British Leyland, meaning that the Gipsy and the Land Rover were now being produced by the same people. The Gipsy lost the fight.

It’s not all bad news though, as some did find work, and the one we’ve picked here is a perfect case in point. This isn’t a mock up, what you’re looking at here is a genuine Police Mobile Column mobile command centre. If you’re not aware, the Columns were formed to protect the UK in the terrifying event of an atomic attack. These vehicles would be wheeled out and would serve as a crucial cog in the nation’s communication machine. Each vehicle was kitted out with PYE radios, lights and enough spare parts to fix it no matter what (and these parts are included in the sale, for maximum authenticity).

Thankfully for us, the UK has never had an atom bomb dropped on it, so the life of this particular Gipsy has been fairly sedentary, as evidenced by the mere 5,800 miles on the clock. After the atomic unit was disbanded this Gipsy found work with Hampshire Police, though soon Ford introduced the Transit, which proved to be a far more usable Police vehicle. As such, the poor Gipsy was put into storage until 1996, when it was sold to a buyer in Ireland.

The Gipsy was brought back to the UK a couple of years ago by the current owner; a man who has spent an impressive amount of time buried in research. It paid off though, as he has now fastidiously restored this Gipsy to its former glory. It is now an absolutely flawless representation of what it would have been like back when it was first put into service. And that, for us, is what makes this particular Austin Gipsy so special. It’s now a time capsule that serves to remind us of a period, not so long ago, that we had to be prepared for anything. And if the big red button was pushed, we can now see thanks to cars like that, that we were in good hands. This is more than a classic car, this is a piece of social and political history. And all for just £23,950.