Automobile Makes and Models Austin - Articles - Zimbio

The History of Austin

Wed, 19 Apr 2007 15:52:09 GMT

posted by allworld

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 artillery to aircraft and the workforce expanded from around 2,500 to 22,000.

Austin Twenty Tourer 1920 1926 Austin 7 box saloon

After the war Herbert Austin decided on a one model policy based around the 3620 cc 20 hp engine and versions included cars, commercials and even a tractor but sales volumes were never enough to fill the vast factory built during war time and the company went into receivership in 1921 but rose again after financial restructuring. To expand the market smaller cars were introduced with the 1661 cc Twelve in 1922 and later the same year the Austin 7, an inexpensive, small and simple car and one of the earliest to be directed at a mass market. At one point it was built under licence by the fledgling BMW of Germany (as the Dixi); Japanese Datsun; as Bantam in the United States; and as the Rosengart in France.

A largely independent U.S. subsidiary operated under the name American Austin Car Company from 1929 to 1934; it was revived under the name "American Bantam" from 1937 to 1941.

With the help of the Seven, Austin weathered the worst of the depression and remained profitable through the 1930s producing a wider range of cars which were steadily updated with the introduction of all-steel bodies, Girling brakes, and synchromesh gearboxes but all the engines remained as side valve units. In 1938 Leonard Lord joined the company board and became chairman in 1941 on the death of Herbert (now Lord) Austin.

During the Second World War Austin continued building cars but also made trucks and aircraft. The post war car range was announced in 1944 and production of it started in 1945.

The immediate post war range was mainly similar to that of the late 1930s but did include the 16 hp significant for having the companies first overhead valve engine.

In 1952 Austin merged with the Nuffield Organisation (parent company of Morris) to form the British Motor Corporation (later British Leyland) with Leonard Lord in charge. Austin were the dominant partner and their engines were adopted for most of the cars; various models amongst the marques would soon be badge-engineered versions of each other.

1973 Austin Allegro

With the threat to fuel supplies resulting from the 1956 Suez Crisis Lord asked Alec Issigonis to design a new small car and the result was the revolutionary Mini launched in 1959. The principle of a transverse engine with gearbox in the sump and driving the front wheels was carried on to larger cars with the 1100 of 1963, the 1800 of 1964, the Maxi of 1969, the Allegro of 1973 and the Metro of 1980.

1954 Austin A30

In 1952 Austin entered into a legal agreement with Nissan Motor Company of Japan, for that company to assemble 2000 imported Austins from partially assembled sets and sell them in Japan under the Austin trademark. The agreement called for Nissan to make all Austin parts locally within three years, a goal Nissan met. Nissan produced and marketed Austins for seven years. The agreement also gave Nissan rights to use Austin patents, which Nissan used in developing its own engines for its Datsun line of cars. In 1953 British-built Austins were assembled and sold, but by 1955, the Austin A50 – completely built by Nissan and featuring a slightly larger body with 1489cc engine – was on the market in Japan. Nissan produced 20,855 Austins from 1953-59. (Reference: Cusumano, pp 90-92.)

In 1982, the car division of the by now somewhat shrunken British Leyland company was rebranded as Austin Rover Group, with Austin acting as the "budget" and mainstream brand to Rover's more luxurious models. Sports models were often badge-engineered Austins with an MG badge. However, the continuing bad publicity associated with build and rust problems on the Metro, Maestro and Montego models meant that the badge was dropped, with the company becoming the Rover Group. The last Austin-badged car was built in 1989.

The rights to the Austin badge passed to British Aerospace and later to BMW when each bought the Rover Group. The rights were subsequently sold to MG Rover, created once BMW had tired of the business. Following MG Rover's collapse and sale the Austin name is now owned by Nanjing Automobile Group — along with Austin's historic assembly plant in Longbridge. At the Nanjing International Exhibition in May 2006, Nanjing announced that the Austin name might be used on some of the revived MG Rover models, at least on the Chinese market. However, Nanjing are for the moment concentrating on reviving the MG brand.

Welcome to our blog about Automobile Makes and Models Austin

Fri, 16 Dec 2006 17:20:36 GMT

posted by allworld
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Models

Wed, 3 May 2007 17:13:51 GMT

posted by allworld
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
1908–11 Austin 40 hp
1908–10 Austin 60 hp
1913–14 Austin 15/20
1914–16 Austin 30 hp
1919–30 Austin 20 hp
1922–47 Austin 12 hp
1927–35 16/18 hp
1938–39 Austin 18 hp
1945–49 Austin 16 hp
1947–52 A40 Devon/Dorset
1948–50 A70 Hampshire
1950–54 A70 Hereford
1952–54 A40 Somerset
1954–58 A40/A50/A55 Cambridge
1954–59 A90/A95/A105 Westminster
1956–59 A95 Westminster Station wagon.
1956–59 A105 Westminster
1959–61 A55 Cambridge
1959–61 A99 Westminster
1961–69 A60 Cambridge
1961–68 A110 Westminster
1964–75 1800/2200
1967–71 3-Litre
1969–81 Maxi 1500
1975–84 18-22/Princess/Ambassador
1983–94 Maestro
1984–94 Montego
Limousines
1939 Austin 28 hp
1947–54 A110/A125 Sheerline
1946–56 A120 Princess
1947–56 A135 Princess
1956–59 Princess IV
1958–59 A105 Westminster Vanden Plas
Sports cars
1948–50 A90 Atlantic Convertible
1949–52 A90 Atlantic Saloon
1950–53 A40 Sports
1953–56 Austin-Healey 100
1958–70 Austin-Healey Sprite
1959–67 Austin-Healey 3000
1971 Austin Sprite
Australian Austin cars
1970–73 Austin Kimberley
1970–73 Austin Tasman
[edit]Military vehicles
WWI Austin Armoured Car
WWII Austin Ten Utility Truck
WWII Austin K2
1958-67 Austin Gipsy
c. 1968 Austin Ant
[edit]Taxis
1929-34 High Lot
1934-39 Lowloader
1948-58 FX3
1958- FX4 — London Taxi
[edit]Ambulances
LD3
WWII Austin K2

Commercial vehicles

Wed, 3 May 2007 17:14:10 GMT

posted by allworld
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 Broadcasting Corporation) commissioned six rolling chassis FGs to be coach built by a Middlesex company, Palmer Coachbuilders. These six vehicles, registration 660 GYE to 666 GYE, were outdoor broadcast scenery vehicles.

Austin Motor Company

Wed, 3 May 2007 17:12:51 GMT

posted by allworld
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.