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Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R - finest British driving culture with Rolls-Royce manners

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Created on July 18, 2013

Text:

Stefan Fritschi

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

46

Archiv

28

Daniel Reinhard

46

Archiv

28

Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the differences to the Austin are not huge, at least not visually

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the right car for the lord of the manor

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the noble piece also wants to be cleaned and pampered

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - you'll be happy to drive it yourself

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the wide radiator earns it additional respect

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - in discreet paintwork, it was a popular order

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - simple and straightforward design

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - typical for the time, the rear-view mirror mounted far forward

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the first delivery was made to Lugano

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the shape goes back to a Pininfarina design

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - in the past it was decidedly inconspicuous, today it is followed by the eyes

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - great driving experience in a luxury glider

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - living understatement

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - just 58,000 km run to date

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - at first glance, many would probably confuse this noble Brit with an Austin or Peugeot

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - cozy interior

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - thin-walled steering wheel

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the passenger had to be available to operate the radio

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - there would have been room for more watches

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - comfortable seating position

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - clearly laid out dashboard

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - Wood and leather in the interior

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - clear display for gear selection of the automatic transmission

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - The seats are reminiscent of club chairs

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the "blower" is not a compressor, but the circuit for the ventilation system

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the transistor radio was installed on the passenger side

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the owner explains how to use the transistor radio

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - glove compartment and transistor radio

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - feudal space in the rear too

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the manual also explains simple maintenance procedures

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - large radiator with plenty of space

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - a large air filter almost completely covers the engine

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the RR engine fits well in the engine compartment

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the in-line six-cylinder from Rolls-Royce

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - two SU carburetors for mixture preparation

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - all on one emblem

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - with permanently installed auxiliary headlights

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the wide radiator with lots of chrome

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the princess crown on the radiator

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - Whitewall tires look good on it

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the bodywork also comes from Vanden Plas

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - type designation on the right of the rear - R for Rolls-Royce

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - loving details everywhere

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - beautifully designed manual for the vehicle

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the verbose introduction to the operating instructions

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Austin A 110 Westminster Mark II (1964) - predecessor of the 3 Litre, already with six-cylinder engine

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Vanden Plas Princess 3-Litre Mark II (1961) - forerunner of the Princess 4-Litre R based on the Austin product, but with an in-line six-cylinder engine

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Vanden Plas Princess 3-Litre Mark II (1963) - with six-cylinder engine already at luxury class level

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Vanden Plas Princess 3-Litre Mark II (1961) - luxurious interior of the noble version, with reclining seats

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - with its radiator and plain rims, it is definitely reminiscent of Rolls-Royce products

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - a certain elegance cannot be denied to the bodywork

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - with trimmed fins, compared to the 3 Litre Mark III

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - interior with lots of wood and other fine materials

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - Gear selector lever on the steering wheel

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - Luxurious interior, reclining seats as standard

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - entry, interior

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - 204 kg engine with 3909 cm3 and 175 hp

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - with two SU carburetors and a cylinder block made of light metal

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - cross-section of the engine, which develops 175 hp at 4800 rpm

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - the upgraded Rolls-Royce engine

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - the Rolls-Royce engine in the Vanden Plas

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - Engine

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1964) - was often bought in two-tone paintwork

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1965) - at the 1965 Geneva Motor Show

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1965) - the two-tone paintwork stretches the silhouette

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1965) - clearly labeled, the R stands for Rolls-Royce

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1965) - in London traffic

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1965) - probably parked in front of one or the other castle entrance

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1965) - also fits well in front of a noble hotel

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - 175 hp, 180 km/h, 5/6 seats

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1966) - the individual front suspensions were emphasized in the advertising

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R (1967) - parked in front of Zurich-Kloten Airport

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Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre (1963) - the expensive chauffeur-driven limousine with the six-cylinder engine, not to be confused with the 4-Litre R

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Summary

Vanden Plas is one of those brands that every autophile has heard of. But only very few can really classify them. The top model in its entire history was the independent Princess 4 Litre R representative saloon with a Rolls-Royce six-cylinder engine from 1964. This report goes in search of traces and portrays the 4 Litre R, which is rarely seen in German-speaking countries, in detail, supplemented by original brochures and press documents from the time.

This article contains the following chapters

Unmistakable understatement
Vanden Plas is somehow familiar to almost everyone
Failed "Baby Bentley" project with BMC...
... becomes the Vanden Plas 4 Litre R(olls-Royce)
Quiet, comfortable, fast
Lavish luxury for up to six people
At that time only an (already outdated) noble Austin
Over half went to the USA
The Queen drove a 4 Litre R as a Shooting Brake
A rare jewel of British craftsmanship
No longer discreet today
Further information

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Vanden Plas is one of those brands that every autophile has heard of. But only very few can really classify it. The British subsidiary of Belgian carriage manufacturer Van Den Plas is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2013. The top model in its entire history was the Princess 4 Litre R representative vehicle with a Rolls-Royce six-cylinder engine from 1964. Bernese insurance specialist André Burri is delighted every time he drives up in his 1966 Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R (internal development code ADO66, "ADO" stands for "Amalgamated Drawing Office", which means "United Design Office").

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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