1965 Beardmore Taxi Mk7

“ This delightful, yet very rare, taxi is over 60 years old and still in good running order. ”
Just circa. 675 units were produced by Beardmore Motors up to 1965.

Background
What, you’ve never heard of a Beardmore MK7 Paramount Taxi? Well, truth be told neither had we, so shall we take a brief tour of the firm and its products together?

Not that either of us should feel too bad about our lack of knowledge because even the well-regarded enthusiast website www.britishtaxi.com suggests that “little was ever documented about this remarkable London taxi”.

Beardmore itself produced 675 taxis between 1954 and 1966, and these plied their trade along the post-war streets of the world’s greatest city for decades. 

They competed for business with the Austin-built FX3 taxi, the same firm that eventually drove them out of business in 1966, by which time they were being built by Weymann, the firm having started to assemble them back in 1956.

British Taxi dot com describes the Beardmore as “reliable and aesthetically beautiful” as well as “remarkable” and got very excited about finding one in the Las Vegas Car Museum of all places.

The article says the interior features chestnut wooden trim and hand-stitched leather upholstery, small wonder then that they were referred to as “the Rolls-Royce of taxis” at the time, presumably well out of earshot of the famously litigious carmakers. 

The luggage compartment to the left of the driver was left open for ease of use, and two illuminated ‘For Hire’ signs were fitted, one on the roof and one in said luggage compartment. 

Built on a steel chassis, an ash frame supports aluminium body panels along with a steel bonnet and wings. The roof is made of fibreglass, leaf springs on all four corners cushioned passengers from potholed streets, and braking was accomplished by drums all around. 

The engine was taken initially from the Ford Consul, which sent its power to the rear axle via a three-speed, column-change gearbox. Later engines were from the Consul MK2 and later still the Zephyr 4. A Perkins 4.99 diesel was also offered, and cars thus equipped were known as the "four-pot Perky”. 

Other information is scarce, although we did discover via the London Vintage Taxi Association that “William Beardmore & Co. Ltd, Scotland’s largest engineering concern, built London’s first new post-war taxicab” in 1919, along with a reproduction of “The only workshop manual ever produced for the Beardmore MKVII” here, which might come in handy.

Overview
‘DLB 529C’ is fitted with the Ford Zephyr’s 1703cc petrol engine, which offers its driver access to 59bhp and, perhaps more usefully, 91lb.ft of torque.

With three-on-the-tree, including synchromesh on the top two gears, it’s been in the seller’s care since November 2024. He bought it along with a number of other specialist vehicles from a private collection and whilst the majority were rehomed over time, this one got under his skin and he ended up spending circa. £15,000 recommissioning it, including finding and fitting a new/old stock front axle, which was no mean feat.

But what price love, eh? – and there is a lot to love: Clearly smitten, he describes it as a piece of social history, saying it looks like it’s just come off shift. Careful to maintain every ounce of its considerable character, only mechanical fettling was needed to get it back to a condition he was happy with.

With adverts in the back for Volkswagen (North London) and Cecil Gee of London International Menswear, plus the original tariff card and taximeter, you can almost smell the unfiltered Capstans and unburnt hydrocarbons – and after plying the streets of 1960s and 1970s London, who knows who’s sat on that back seat?

Estimate: £6,000 - £8,000

View Current Bid Price HERE