b'Sheila - a boat-tail Austin 12/4Built in 1924. Rebuilt with the boat body 2004/2005. Double skinned Honduras Mahogany planking,copper-riveted together on Ash framing.Around the time this car was built it was not unusual for boatbuilders to be involved with car bodywork. The famous Parisian coachbuilder Henri Labourdette began his career as a boatbuilder and used hull construction techniques to build the most extraordinary cars for Renault, Citroen, Rolls Royce and many others.There are many reasons for this Austin being part of the boatyard and, as is so often the case, it starts with one individual - this car is really about Richard McGuinness. Richard joined the company in 1989 as an inexperienced boatbuilder fresh out of a boatbuilding college, and he grew to become the backbone of the boatyards quest for fine craftsmanship. In 2000 he began to have a strong influence over the direction of the company and suggested a move into vintage car work.The first step was to undertake a car project of our own, so we found a 12/4 Austin rolling chassis onto which Richard could build a Mahogany body. 94'