1936 Albion Van

1936 Albion SPL 126 Van

Offered by H&H Auctioneers | Duxford, U.K. | April 14, 2021

Photo – H&H Auctioneers

Glasgow, Scotland-based Albion produced passenger cars for a short time until 1915 and, afterward, concentrated exclusively on commercial vehicles. This would be what the company is remembered for, and production of these continued until 1972.

We’ve featured a few Albion commercial vehicles in the past, including a truck from about this era. This delivery van carries a livery for a producer of Swiss Rolls and was apparently delivered new to this company. It was restored between 2005 and 2008 and has been fitted with overdrive, allowing it to hit about 55 mph. This makes it somewhat usable, especially if you’re a business owner looking to advertise (though it would be a shame to lose this livery). Power is from an inline-four of unknown displacement or output.

Bonhams sold this truck in 2013 for $26,000, and it now carries an estimate of $20,000-$25,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $29,469.

Albion Can Carrier

1938 Albion KL126 Can Carrier

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | July 13, 2016

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

What we have here is another Albion truck, this time one from the inter-war period. The Type 126 was introduced at the end of 1935 and lasted up until the Second World War came to the U.K. in 1940.

This truck is powered by a 4.0-liter engine – possibly making 65 horsepower. This chassis was popular because the truck itself wasn’t that heavy, but it could carry a decent load. This example is outfitted to carry cans, which isn’t something you see often. The payload was originally rated between 3.5 and 4.5 tons. In 1936, that was upped to 5 (and later 5.5) tons. Empty, it can do 35 mph. Not a speed demon, this one.

This truck is in pretty nice shape, and the price seems like a bargain. It should bring between $17,500-$20,250. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Two Albion Trucks

1915 Albion A10 Flatbed

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | July 13, 2016

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Albion was a Scottish automobile marque founded in 1899 that built passenger cars up until 1915. In 1909, the company started building commercial vehicles and that’s what they stuck with after WWI up through 1980. They still exist as an automotive systems supplier.

The A10 commercial chassis was introduced in 1910. It was a 3-ton chassis and this example is now powered by a 5.2-liter engine. Originally, the A10 had a 3.2-liter straight-four rated at 32 horsepower.

It should be noted that this truck, while certainly appearing 100 years old, is listed as a “circa 1915” and the A10 was actually succeeded by the A12 in 1913, with the short-lived A16 built the following year. At any rate it’s an interesting, probably affordable, classic commercial vehicle that should bring between $31,000-$43,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $27,707.


1938 Albion KL126 Can Carrier

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | July 13, 2016

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

What we have here is another Albion truck, this time one from the inter-war period. The Type 126 was introduced at the end of 1935 and lasted up until the Second World War came to the U.K. in 1940.

This truck is powered by a 4.0-liter engine – possibly making 65 horsepower. This chassis was popular because the truck itself wasn’t that heavy, but it could carry a decent load. This example is outfitted to carry cans, which isn’t something you see often. The payload was originally rated between 3.5 and 4.5 tons. In 1936, that was upped to 5 (and later 5.5) tons. Empty, it can do 35 mph. Not a speed demon, this one.

This truck is in pretty nice shape, and the price seems like a bargain. It should bring between $17,500-$20,250. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1915 Albion Flatbed

1915 Albion A10 Flatbed

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | July 13, 2016

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Albion was a Scottish automobile marque founded in 1899 that built passenger cars up until 1915. In 1909, the company started building commercial vehicles and that’s what they stuck with after WWI up through 1980. They still exist as an automotive systems supplier.

The A10 commercial chassis was introduced in 1910. It was a 3-ton chassis and this example is now powered by a 5.2-liter engine. Originally, the A10 had a 3.2-liter straight-four rated at 32 horsepower.

It should be noted that this truck, while certainly appearing 100 years old, is listed as a “circa 1915” and the A10 was actually succeeded by the A12 in 1913, with the short-lived A16 built the following year. At any rate it’s an interesting, probably affordable, classic commercial vehicle that should bring between $31,000-$43,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $27,707.

Albion Dogcart

1901 Albion 8HP A1 Dogcart

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Albion is a Glasgow, Scotland-based manufacturer that was founded by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Osborne Fulton in 1899. That’s right, is – this company is still active, although they haven’t built a road-going vehicle since it’s last bus left the line in 1972 (passenger cars ceased in 1915). Today they make just axles for other car companies.

The rear-mounted engine in this A1 Dogcart is a 2.1-liter twin-cylinder making eight horsepower. We’ve always found “Dogcart” to be an interesting name for a car’s body style. Traditionally, it refers to a one-horse carriage with four-seats: two facing forward, and two facing backward. If you didn’t know this, perhaps you might think Albion was slamming the physical appearance of their customers. It’s a term we almost exclusively relate to the London-to-Brighton run.

This car has been in the same family since the 1960s and has competed in the London-to-Brighton run many times. These super-early cars are always fascinating. This one should bring between $170,000-$220,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $225,647.

Albion Delivery Van

1924 Albion Type 24 30CWT Delivery Van

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | December 7, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Albion is a rare Scottish-built automobile that was founded in 1899 by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Osborne Fulton. In 1951 the company was acquired by Leyland but passenger car production had ceased in 1915. Commercial vehicles lasted until 1980.

The Albion Type 24 was built between 1924 and 1931 and was a mainstay of grocery delivery companies throughout the 1920s. The engine is a 3.9-liter straight-four. Albion vehicles were function-first: the cab is a bench seat with a steering wheel and brake and hardly any instruments. The rear compartment looks wonderful with its beautifully restored wood.

There’s a pretty good commercial vehicle collector community in the U.K. and this truck is well known in that arena. It’s a rare example of this kind of Albion and it can be yours for between $36,000-$44,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ lineup.

Update: Sold $55,919.

Update: Sold, H&H November 2021, $34,488

November Auction Highlights

The first sale held in November was RKMCCA’s sale in Charlotte. Our featured Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster was the top sale at $1,300,000. Our featured Lotec failed to sell. You can check out more results here, but there’s nothing else I can show you. Next up was Bonhams’ Harrogate sale. Our featured Burlington Arrow failed to sell. The top sale was this barn find 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage for an eye-popping $209,905.

1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage

There were a number of commercial vehicles at this sale (which I always find interesting). The most of interesting of which was this 1935 Albion SPL 126 Van. It was almost featured here on the site and it sold for $30,307.

1935 Albion SPL 126 Van

Our featured Star Comet sold for $12,857. And finally, from the beauty category, this 1949 Bentley Mk VI 6.75-Litre Drophead Coupe. It went for $106,150. Check out full results here.

1949 Bentley Mk VI 6.75-Litre Drophead Coupe

Hopping over the Channel to France, we have Osenat’s Lyon sale. Our featured Ford Comete sold for $74,250. The top sale was this 1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Cabriolet by Fernandez & Darrin. It brought $256,500. Check out full results here.

1934 Rolls-Royce 20 25 Cabriolet by Fernandez & Darrin

Next up was RM’s incredible Art of the Automobile sale held in conjunction with Sotheby’s in New York. The top sale was our featured Ferrari 250 LM for $14,300,000. Next up was the Talbot-Lago for $7,150,000. Another $7 million car was the Ferrari 250 GT Speciale for $7,040,000.

Our featured Lincoln concept car failed to sell. The newest car in the auction, the one-off Bugatti Veyron, went for $2,310,000. A cool car we didn’t feature was this low-slung 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Coupe by Freestone & Webb. It sold for $2,420,000.

1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Coupe by Freestone & Webb

Our featured Delahaye sold for $2,420,000. The Zagato Maserati brought $4,455,000. A previously-featured Minerva sold for $660,000. The sale’s only Duesenberg went for $1,760,000. The coolest other vehicle was this 1914 Flying Merkel Model 471. These are some of the coolest motorcycles ever built and the price reflected it: $181,500.

1914 Flying Merkel Model 471

Other featured cars: the Supersonic Aston Martin sold for $2,310,000. The custom-bodied Ferrari Europa GT went for $2,420,000. And the Chevrolet CERV II sold for $1,100,000. Click here for full results.

Next up: Silverstone’s NEC Classic Motor Show Sale. The top sale was this 1965 Aston Martin DB5 for $586,845.

1965 Aston Martin DB5

Our featured IKA Torino sedan brought $45,644. You can check out full results here. And finally, Mecum’s Anaheim sale where our featured Hemi Charger failed to sell. The top sale was this 2006 Ford GT for $230,000.

2006 Ford GT

The coolest car in this sale was this 1953 Hudson Hornet Twin-H Convertible that brought $150,000. Click here for full results.

1953 Hudson Hornet Twin-H Convertible