Armstrong Siddeley Siddeley Special History

Unveiled at the 1932 Olympia Motor Show and on sale from 1933, the Siddeley Special was Armstrong Siddeley's most prestigious interwar creation and a direct replacement for the Thirty. Its 5-litre six-cylinder engine was cast in Hiduminium — the strong, lightweight aluminium alloy developed by Armstrong Siddeley's own metallurgists for aero-engine use — and produced 124 bhp, with 100 mph said to be attainable in light-bodied form.

Coachbuilders created bespoke saloon, tourer, and limousine bodies on the Special's chassis, making virtually every car unique. Only 253 examples were built between 1933 and 1937, and the already-small surviving population was further reduced during World War II: many cars were broken up so their Hiduminium alloy could be reclaimed for aircraft production. Fewer than 22 are believed to remain today, placing the Special among the rarest significant British cars of the 1930s.