Leonard Lord drove a Bentley during the War and determined that Austin would produce a car to rival that make but at lower cost. After the Austin A120, A135 and Austin Sheerline came the Princess MkII in 1950 and the MkIII in 1953. The final Princess was the MkIV launched in 1956 with the mechanics and 3995cc 6-cylinder ohv Austin engine dating back to 1947. Known as the 'Austin Princess' until 1957, the Austin name was then dropped and in 1960 the 'Vanden-Plas' badges were given to the car. The Princess MkIV sold slowly until it was dropped in 1968 to be replaced by the Daimler DS420.