Herbert Austin (1866–1941), later Sir Herbert, the former manager of the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company founded The Austin Motor Company in 1905, at Longbridge, which was then in Worcestershire (Longbridge became part of Birmingham in 1911 when its boundaries were expanded). The first car was a conventional 5 litre four cylinder model with chain drive with about 200 being made in the first five years. In World War I Austin grew enormously with government contracts for everything from... Read Full Story
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Cars See List of Austin motor cars Small cars 1910–11 Austin 7 hp 1922–39 Austin 7 1959-2000 Seven (Mini), as BMC 1980–90 Metro, as Austin Rover Small family cars 1911–15 Austin 10 1932–47 Austin 10 hp 1939–47 Austin 8 hp 1937–39 Austin 14 hp 1951–56 A30 1956–59 A35 1956–62 A35 Countryman 1957-61 Austin Metropolitan 1958–61 A40 Farina Mk I 1961–67 A40 Farina Mk II 1963–74 1100 1967–74 1300 1973–83 Allegro 1935 Austin 12 hp Ascot Large family cars 1906–07 Austin 25/30 1907–10 Austin 18/24... Read Full Story
Austin also made a range of commercial vehicles, one of which was the FG, previously the Morris FG. Known for its "thrupenny bit" cabs, the FG was the everyday workhorse that kept Britain running in the 60's. These Austin FGs and later the Leyland FGs all had petrol or diesel longstroke engines, producing masses of torque, but very little in the way of speed. Forty mph was a good speed out of these vehicles. Leyland were to take over the FG, but before they did, in 1964, the BBC (British... Read Full Story
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles that rose to be a major motorcar brand, the dominant partner after merger with Morris in 1952 but declining after absorption into the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and its subsequent troubles. Read Full Story
