Hi racemini 44. There are no reliable records of how many automatic Alpines were built, but there are still a lot in existence. I know of at least 30. I have one of the six series 3 prototype automatics, owned by the family since new. It has the original engine and gearbox, and has done more than 380,000 miles. I acquired it in 2005 from my wife's uncle, and spent 2 years doing a complete rebuild. It is fitted with "modern" bits, new manifold and weber 32/36, 123 electric dizzy etc . The key feature to make the auto box reliable is to fit a gearbox oil cooler. My box was refurbished in Halesowen in Birmingham, and he recommended this action. He was spot on. Since rebuild, the car has done over 80,000 miles, box is still perfect. When the S1V Alpine was road tested by Autocar in 1964, it did 86mph, and less than 25 mpg. This car did more than 86mph (measured with satnav, not the speedo) last year, and on a decent run does more than 32 mpg. The bores are +63 thou, and still acheives over 800miles per pint of oil. The rings are +60 thou, so the gap is a bit big!!!
There is at least one other S3 prototype in existence, in Germany, but the plates are missing. There are at least 3 SVs with auto boxes, and an S3 in Sweden, in which the gearbox aperture was made big enough with hydraulic jacks!!! Good Luck to him, getting at the bits with the tranny tunnel designed for the auto box is bad enough.
Rootes offered the auto box for you chaps in USA, not realizing that one of the reasons for buying a British sports car was the stick shift.
John W- if you still have one of the plastic gearlever covers available, I would be very interested- I tried to make one from glass fibre- not good.
The other good laugh with the auto- sit at the lights in gear with brake on, and plenty of revs, and drop the brake- it really p****s off MGBs.
