The 1967 Austin taxi recently listed on eBay has undoubtedly led a peaceful life in the pleasant Bay Area climate. In England, these taxis worked for a living. In the US, they’re fun novelties.
Should the new owner want this taxi to earns its passage, the Austin FX4—offered with a Buy-It-Now price of $11,500—would certainly be a unique Lyft or Uber car.
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An Aging But Beautiful Example
Everything about this 63,000-mile London cab looks good, including these features:
- a striking two-tone blue-and-white paint
- its amber “Taxi” light
- a huge sliding sunroof
- the car’s clean and durable upholstery
London taxis are famously roomy.
It’s right-hand drive - opens in new window or tab., of course, and features a front passenger seat that is often deleted in favor of luggage space. Whether it saw action on the streets of London is unclear, though there’s a British registration plate affixed on the front.
The owner reports about the good times spent using the taxi for fun outings. The listing reads:
The inside of the cab is attractive and welcoming. It smells like a jolly good time and will take you to a different place and era as soon as you step inside. I got happy thumbs up and hoots from the first five folks I encountered on a Sunday jaunt.
The Austin starts up and shifts easily. But the 1967 cab shows its age a bit and “takes a seasoned operator” to get it right. The brakes are a bit weak and need to be pumped. It's got a floor shifter that might be challenging to use, and older cars tend to have heavier steering.
Taxi History
The shape of this Austin is distinctive if you’ve ever been to London or watched an old English movie. The regulations dictated the design.
The shape was dictated by regulations going back to 1906.
As far back as 1906, the Public Carriage Office in the English capital introduced the Conditions of Fitness for motor cabs—ensuring lots of passenger space and a 25-foot turning circle. That’s based on the dimensions of the roundabout in front of the landmark Savoy Hotel. The very name “taxi” came from those rules, which specified the vehicles carry a fare-determining taximeter.
The Knowledge - opens in new window or tab.—a famously tough test to master London’s thousands of streets and landmarks all within six miles of Charing Cross—was required as early as 1865, when the taxis literally had horsepower.
Flash forward to the postwar period. The Austin FX3, introduced in 1948 and built by Coventry’s Carbodies, shared the road with the 1947 Morris Oxford. The Oxford and the Austin competed for fares, but the Oxford lost out to the FX4, which became dominant.
A 2.2-liter diesel was introduced to the FX3 in 1954, and a modernized FX4 (with four inches additional legroom) arrived in 1958. In the 1989 Fairway model, these very British cabs got 2.6-liter Nissan diesel power - opens in new window or tab..
Most London taxis are black because fleet owners had to pay extra for any other color. That's partly what makes the Austin taxi for sale on eBay so appealing.
Taxis for Sale
If you're a fan of London taxis, eBay UK has a surprisingly large selection - opens in new window or tab., from brands ranging from Fiat to Mercedes-Benz.
This is the earlier FX3.
Carbodies (which took over from Austin in 1982) has made more than 130,000 London cabs over six decades, with most of them going straight to London. The squared-off Metrocab, first seen in 1987 and produced under license by four companies over the years, doesn’t have quite the cachet.
The FX4, represented by the car for sale on eBay, was built until 1997. It had an incredible four-decade lifespan. Some 75,000 FX4s were made, so it’s not rare. But it’s an uncommon sight on American roads and rarer still cruising around the San Francisco Bay. And yet, when the fog rolls in during the summer, the charming London taxi is right at home.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.