Producing aircraft engines became as important as making luxury cars for this Coventry-based engineering group. This is represented by this car’s mascot being flanked by jet engines!

Armstrong Siddeley, which was formed after the purchase of car-maker Siddeley-Deasy by engineering company Armstrong Whitworth, built solid, dependable and comfortable cars with their trademark V-shaped radiator.

The company’s motto “As silent as the Sphinx” was taken from a journalist’s review in 1912 who described a car’s engine “as silent and inscrutable as the Sphinx”. Bonnets were also topped with a sphinx mascot - this car sports a winged example with a nod to the company’s aircraft engine production on either side.

Like many of their cars that came before, the Sapphire model range were big, traditional saloons. The 346 had Connolly leather, power assisted steering and a preselector (automatic) gearbox, although this particular car has a manual gearbox that was added as an option. Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine, famously owned a 346, continuing the company’s links to the aeronautic industry.

During the late 1950s Armstrong Siddeley found it increasingly difficult to compete with other luxury car makers, such as Jaguar.  The last of its cars emerged from the Coventry factory in 1960 and the company was left to concentrate on its aircraft business.