Options

Taxi enthusiast and journalist Murray Jackson sent me scans of his London Coach information packet. Included was a list of optional and standard equipment. The original owner ticked very few of the option boxes. Surprisingly he picked the most expensive and least common ones.

• Leather Trim Package. Check.
• Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel. Check.
• Cellular Telephone System. Nope.
• Imported Royal Brierly lead crystal decanter set. If it was ever there, it is long gone now.
• De Luxe hi fi sound system. Nope. The bomb has the standard rear mounted Sony.
• Sony color television. Nope.
• Fixed front passenger seat. Check. This is somewhat rare.
• Driver/Passenger intercom system. Nope.
• Partition privacy curtain. Nope.
• Rear seat folding armrest with cellular phone compartment. Nope.
• Automatic power antenna. Nope.
• Anti-theft system. Nope. Someone please steal this thing.
• Dark tinted glass in passenger compartment. Nope.
• Moon roof (manual vent type) Nope. This is the more common front moon roof.
• Electric moon roof with manual visor. Check!
• Luggage cover with straps for rear deck. Check!
• Front twin driving lamps. Nope.
• Front twin fog lamps. Nope.
• Personal tool kit. I wonder what this was.
• Spares kit. I wonder what was in this kit.
• Set of four whitewall tires. No idea.
• Spare tire and wheel. Nope. The bomb doesn't look like it ever had a spare tire in the boot. There aren't any wear marks in the tire storage area.
• Tire jack. Nope.
• Two tone paint. Nope.
• Special colors/finishes. The bomb is standard Midnight Blue.
• Parts and service manual set. Nope.

Total price in 1986 with options was $31,505. I bought a brand new car that year for $7,000.

Even without the spare and the jack, a London Taxi's boot won't hold much more than a pair of golf shoes, 3 golf balls, a pair a socks and a tooth pick.

London Coach offered this luggage cover as a solution. The cover snaps onto the back side of the body. A simple aluminum frame supports the cover. The inside of the boot lid has some rubber runners to support luggage. A pair of straps hold bags down.