84-621: The Austin A90 Atlantic is a British car produced by the Austin Motor Company from 1949 until 1952. It was launched initially as a four-seat convertible , making its début at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show in London, with production models built between early 1949 and late 1950. A two-door coupé , marketed as the A90 Atlantic sports saloon , followed a year later. It had been previewed at
168-593: A .303 in Vickers medium machine gun or .303 Bren light machine gun utilising the built-in pintle mount forward of the windscreen, but the majority served as cargo/personnel carriers or were fitted with radios. A version armed with a single, dashboard-mounted .30 in Browning machine gun was in limited use as late as 1967. As the Champ entered service it became apparent that although it had an outstanding cross-country performance, it
252-656: A 1936 design produced at Derby , with the concept and dimensions first developed for the Rolls-Royce 20 HP of 1922, but with the demands of the war, development was not proceeded with until the late 1940s by the Rolls-Royce Chassis Division, then based at Clan Foundry in Belper . The engine was designed with absolute reliability as a prime criterion with fuel economy a secondary consideration, and using British Standard Fine (BSF) thread standards. A feature of this engine
336-431: A cheaper option than the more complex B40 but the vehicle attracted few customers and only about 500 were built, the great majority of these being exported. In military service, the vehicles were given the official designation FV1801A and were generally referred to as "Trucks, 1/4 ton, Austin". A few were fitted with additional equipment for use as field ambulances, telephone line-laying vehicles or equipped with armour and
420-548: A disused printing works which was less than ten years old. It was located seven miles south-west of Birmingham in the small village of Longbridge (then still within Worcestershire ). The following month The Austin Motor Company Limited was incorporated. In the last week of April 1906 a large body of motorists travelled to Longbridge "where snow lay full three inches deep on the ground and was still falling fast" to see
504-659: A grille badge simply saying "Montego", while the rear badges just said "Montego" and the engine size/trim level. A revamped Metro was launched in May 1990 and got the new K-series engine. It then became the Rover Metro. Despite sales of both the Maestro and Montego being in decline by 1990, these ranges continued in production until 1994 and never wore a Rover badge on their bonnets in Britain. They were, however, sometimes referred to as "Rovers" in
588-534: A marque in its own right, under the Austin Morris division of British Leyland that had been virtually nationalised in 1975. It was upgraded at the end of 1981 to become the Austin Ambassador (and gaining a hatchback) but by that time there was little that could be done to disguise the age of the design, and it was too late to make much of an impact on sales. By the end of the 1970s, the future of Austin and
672-655: A multitude of mud traps led to rapid corrosion commonplace among many rushed post-war British designs. As a consequence of this and many Atlantics being broken up to provide spares for the Austin-Healey 100 very few examples survived into the 1970s, let alone the next century. Austin Motor Company The Austin Motor Company Limited was a British manufacturer of motor vehicles , founded in 1905 by Herbert Austin in Longbridge. In 1952 it
756-462: A new marque, Austin-Healey , and a range of sports cars. With the threat to fuel supplies resulting from the 1956 Suez Crisis , Lord asked Alec Issigonis , who had been with Morris from 1936 to 1952, to design a small car; the result was the revolutionary Mini , launched in 1959. The Austin version was initially called the Austin Seven, but Morris' Mini Minor name caught the public imagination and
840-482: A rounded tail, with spats enclosing the rear wheels. A centrally mounted third, main beam, headlight was built into the letter-box style air intake grille, and the then unheard of luxury of hydraulically powered windows and hood (convertible top), "flashing indicators" (blinkers) rather than trafficators , (for the United States market at least) and the option of EKCO or HMV Autocrat radios. The range-topping Austin
924-401: A simple single-line hydraulic layout without power assistance. The engine, fuel system and all electrical items were waterproofed so the vehicle could wade to a depth of 6 feet (2 m) with minimal preparation; a snorkel attached to the air cleaner and normally carried horizontally on the right wing (US = fender) could be raised during wading operations. Maintaining this level of capability
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#17330852873701008-540: A slightly larger body with 1489 cc engine – was on the market in Japan. Nissan produced 20,855 Austins between 1953 and 1959. During the Second World War Austin continued building cars but also made trucks and aircraft, including Short Stirling and Avro Lancaster bombers. The post-war car range was announced in 1944, and production started in 1945. The immediate post-war range was mainly similar to that of
1092-412: A three window, drophead coupe, had a simple fabric top, without rear quarter lights (opera windows), which butted up to the rear of a rather thick windscreen header rail. The fixed head, five window, sports saloon (hardtop), could be had with its roof painted or covered in fabric. This gave it the popular "drophead", or "cabriolet", look; all the style with no leaks. As its final trick, the centre section of
1176-720: A vertical engine and, in all but minor detail, was identical to the English-built Clément-Gladiators assembled in the same factory. A further injection of capital was needed in 1906 and William Harvey Du Cros (1846–1918) joined the board of directors. After that Harvey Du Cros junior of the Swift Cycle Co and Austin each held approximately half of the ordinary capital. Herbert Austin remained chairman and managing director. Austin's cars, like Wolseley's, were luxury vehicles. The published customer list included Russian Grand Dukes, Princesses, Bishops, high officials of
1260-540: Is a record of one being sold by government auction as late as 1973. These mass sales made them cheap to buy (£150 being typical in 1966) and with fuel at low 1960s prices, many were bought as "fun" vehicles and used with little regard to the routine maintenance that the complex design required. The only other forces to use the Champ were the Royal Marines who had 30 and the Australian Army who bought 400 new and about
1344-668: The 1100 of 1963, (although the Morris-badged version was launched 13 months earlier than the Austin, in August 1962), the 1800 of 1964 and the Maxi of 1969. This meant that BMC had spent 10 years developing a new range of front-drive, transverse-engined models, while most competitors had only just started to make such changes. The big exception to this was the Austin 3-litre . Launched in 1968, it
1428-523: The Austin-Healey 100 . A convertible tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1948 had a top speed of 91 mph (146 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 16.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of 21.7 miles per imperial gallon (13.0 L/100 km; 18.1 mpg ‑US ) was recorded. The test car, which had the optional hydraulically powered top and window operation (£40 extra), cost £824, including taxes. The handling
1512-789: The Dixi ); by the Japanese manufacturer Datsun ; as the Bantam in the United States; and as the Rosengart in France. In England the Austin was the most produced car in 1930. The American Austin Car Company struggled to sell tiny Austin cars in the US market. It operated as a largely independent subsidiary from 1929 to 1934 was revived after bankruptcy under the name " American Bantam " from 1937 to 1941. They became best known as
1596-476: The Midland Bank thereby allowing Austin to keep virtually total ownership of his own business through his personal savings. Further assistance came from Dunlop patent holder Harvey du Cros . However, Austin's great rival, William Morris , was able to enter the industry proper (he first repaired cars) a little later funding his operation entirely from his own resources. In November 1905 Herbert Austin acquired
1680-592: The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a , but also produced a number of its own designs. None of these progressed past the prototype stage. They included: Austin Champ The Austin Champ was a military and civilian jeep-like vehicle made by the Austin Motor Company in the 1950s. The army version was officially known as "Truck, 1/4 ton, CT, 4×4, Cargo & FFW, Austin Mk.1" however the civilian name "Champ"
1764-478: The Seven , Austin weathered the worst of the depression and remained profitable through the 1930s, producing a wider range of cars which was steadily updated by the introduction of all-steel bodies, Girling brakes, and synchromesh gearboxes. However, all the engines retained the same side-valve configuration. Deputy chairman Ernest Payton became chairman in 1941 on the death of Lord Austin. In 1938 Leonard Lord joined
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#17330852873701848-489: The Vickers brothers Austin started a separate car manufacturing business still using the name Wolseley. In 1905 he fell out with Thomas and Albert Vickers over engine design. Leaving his creation, Wolseley , which he had made Britain's largest motor vehicle manufacturer, Austin obtained the backing of steel magnate Frank Kayser for his own enterprise. Kayser provided funds through mortgages and loans, debentures and guarantees to
1932-467: The government edict of "export or die", and steel allocated only to those who generated much needed revenue, the Atlantic was designed specifically to appeal to North American tastes. The car featured up-to-the-minute detailing, with a wrap around windscreen, composed of a flat glass centre section with tiny curved end panels. The front wings (fenders) sported twin "flying A " hood ornaments and swept down to
2016-404: The original Wolseley business, which had a highly cyclical sales pattern, Herbert Austin searched for products with a steady demand. Starting in 1895, he built three cars in his free time. They were among Britain's first cars. The third car, a four-wheeler, was completed in 1899. By 1901 his fellow directors could not see future profit in motor vehicles and so with their blessing and the backing of
2100-624: The transfer box , were available. Around 500 of the civilian version are thought to have been made, including at least one left-hand-drive version. They were priced at £750 in November 1952, and at £1000 in November 1954. Many went to Australia, where some can still be found. Two are known to have survived in the UK. Some of the design features of the Champ were carried over to the Austin Gipsy , of which some 21,000 were made from 1958 to 1967. The civilian WN3
2184-504: The 1661 cc Twelve in 1922 and, later the same year, the Seven , an inexpensive, simple small car and one of the earliest to be directed at a mass market. One of the reasons for a market demand for a cars like the Austin 7 was the British tax code . In 1930 every personal car was taxed by its engine size, which in American dollars was $ 2.55 per cubic inch of piston displacement. As an example,
2268-641: The 1948 Motor Show. Out of a total production run of 7,981, 3,597 were exported, 350 of which were to the US. This low level of sales in the US was despite a huge focus by Austin, including a successful attempt at breaking 63 stock car records at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in April 1949 by Alan Hess, Charles Goodacre and Dennis Buckley and a US$ 1000 price reduction in 1949. The four-cylinder 2.7-litre engine could not compare in power output to native V8 engines — although, for its time, performance
2352-481: The 1949 Motor Show and was in production at Longbridge between 1950 and 1952. The Atlantic was one of the first post- war cars engineered from scratch by Austin, and was said to be styled from a thumbnail sketch by Leonard Lord , chairman of Austin and later the British Motor Corporation (BMC) — though the styling was more likely the work of resident Argentine Austin stylist Dick Burzi . The car
2436-671: The Arrow 2, a two seater version of the Arrow, alongside announcing an electric commercial Austin van to be released approximately 18-24 months after the launch of the Arrow 1 and 2. By May 2023, a production line had been set up in Rajkot, India . The Austin Arrow subsequently entered production in October 2023. Austin started his business in an abandoned print works at Longbridge , Birmingham. Due to its strategic advantages over Morris 's Cowley plant, Longbridge became British Leyland 's main factory in
2520-528: The Austin badge was phased out and Austin Rover became the Rover Group from the following year. The Austin cars continued to be manufactured, although they ceased to be Austins. They became "marque-less" in their home market with bonnet badges the same shape as the Rover longship badge but without "Rover" written on them. Instead any badging just showed the model of the car: a Montego of this era, for instance, would have
2604-502: 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 assembled by Nissan and featuring
Austin A90 Atlantic - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-501: The Morris version outsold its Austin twin, so the Austin's name was changed to Mini to follow suit. In 1970, British Leyland dropped the separate Austin and Morris branding of the Mini, and it was subsequently simply "Mini", under the Austin Morris division of BLMC. The principle of a transverse engine with gearbox in the sump and driving the front wheels was applied to larger cars, beginning with
2772-620: The Nanjing International Exhibition in May 2006, Nanjing announced it might use the Austin name on some of the revived MG Rover models, at least in the Chinese market. Nanjing Automobile Group itself later merged with SAIC Motor . In 2012, a new "Austin Motor Company" was registered by former Longbridge worker Steve Morgan. Morgan had no rights to the brand itself and stated that he had no intention to trade, but rather registered
2856-452: The Spanish government and a long list of Britain's highest nobility. Sources Note: in 1912 Wolseley sold 3,000 cars. In February 1914 Austin-manufactured bodies in tourer, limousine, landaulette and coupé styles could be provided with engines of 15, 20, 30 and 60 hp. Ambulances and commercial vehicles were also provided. Austin became a public listed company in 1914 when the capital
2940-443: The army one. A standard radio fitting kit for 1/4-ton vehicles comprising a 50-inch table running on sliding runners, battery mountings and appropriate fittings was introduced in 1956. When this kit was fitted, the vehicle was re-designated as Fitted For Radio (FFR) to differentiate it from the basic FFW version. Some prototype vehicles with a Land Rover-style rear body with tailgate rear access were constructed in an attempt to improve
3024-490: The company board and became chairman in 1946 on the death of Ernest Payton. In 1932, Datsun built cars infringing Austin patents. From 1934, Datsun began to build Sevens under licence and this operation became the greatest success of Austin's overseas licensing of its Seven. It marked the beginning of Datsun's international success. In 1952, Austin entered into another agreement with Datsun for assembly of 2,000 imported Austins from "knock-down kits", to be sold in Japan under
3108-444: The contract but did not have the capacity for volume production at the rate required, therefore Austin was lent tooling and licensed to build a virtually identical engine, and Austin-made engines were fitted in the great majority of Champs built. Cylinder blocks for both manufacturers were supplied by Leyland Motors. The gearbox had five ratios with synchromesh on all gears. A conventional Borg & Beck clutch with mechanical linkage
3192-597: The early 1970s. Following the Austin marque's discontinuance in 1987, Rover and MG continued to use the plant. The collapse of MG Rover meant it was not used from 2005 until MG production resumed from 2008 until 2016. The plant is currently leased by SAIC as a research and development facility for its MG Motor Subsidiary. For a list see : Austin Commercial Vehicles During the First World War Austin built aircraft under licence, including
3276-471: The early production vehicles, but later ones were fitted with a virtually identical engine built under licence by Austin itself. In order to obtain some commercial benefit from the contract, Austin was given permission to use the design for a simplified civilian version to be sold as the Austin Champ. This version, designated model WN3, was mostly fitted with a modified Austin A90 Atlantic 4-cylinder engine as
3360-471: The edge of Austin's Longbridge plant in Birmingham , was fitted out for the work. The first production vehicle was completed on 1 September 1951. The formal title: "Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4×4, CT, Austin Mk.1" was assigned (CT being a contraction of CombaT, both a designation of function and also the title of a planned family of vehicles designed by FVRDE). The Rolls-Royce -designed B40 four-cylinder engine of 2838 cc
3444-523: The elements and greater flexibility in use. With the reduction in size of the post-war army, many Champs were consigned to bulk vehicle storage and those employed in the Regular Army had relatively short careers before being redeployed to the Territorial Army . In the mid-1960s a decision was taken to withdraw the type from service completely, with all military Champs being sold off by 1968 although there
Austin A90 Atlantic - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-615: The end of the decade. April 1984 saw the introduction of the Maestro-derived Montego saloon, successor to the Morris Ital . The new car received praise for its interior space and comfort as well as its handling, but early build-quality problems took time to overcome. The spacious estate version, launched six months later, was one of the most popular load carriers in Britain for several years after its launch. In 1986, Austin Rover's holding company BL plc became Rover Group plc and
3612-477: The first company to submit the Bantam Reconnaissance Car working prototype, saving time by using Austin nose and fender parts of what would evolve into the extremely successful and iconic WWII Willys MB "Jeep". The design was unfortunately handed over to Willys and Ford for production with a revised nose and fender design, while Bantam would largely just build trailers during the war. With the help of
3696-509: The foreign expenditure that entailed. A project to design a "Car 4×4 5 cwt FV1800-Series" was launched in 1947, and the Nuffield Organization built three prototype designs known as the " Nuffield Gutty ". Testing revealed serious shortcomings and the design was improved by a team at the government Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (FVRDE) under the leadership of Charles William "Rex" Sewell. The suspension system
3780-723: The late 1930s but did include the 16 hp, significant for having the company's first overhead valve engine. Austin J40 pedal cars were manufactured during this era. From late 1950 to mid-1952 products, brochures and advertisements displayed in flowing script Austin of England as if in response to Morris' Nuffield Organization . It fell out of use with the financial merger with Morris in BMC. In 1952, The Austin Motor Company Limited merged ownership, but not identity, with long-term rival Morris Motors Limited , becoming The British Motor Corporation Limited , with Leonard Lord in charge. William Morris
3864-697: The manager of the Frensham Estate in Farnham, UK. This estate was modified from a 1950 Austin A90 Atlantic DHC and designed by Abbott of Farnham designer Peter Woodgate. The wooden coachwork was so complex that the foreman of the workshop did all the woodwork by himself. The car had a lifting rear door and sported unusual curved perspex roof panels. Regularly seen in the 1950s used by a convent in Leith, Scotland. This car has not been seen or heard of in over 40 years. With
3948-547: The name as an effort to preserve the memory of the company. The company was dissolved in 2014. In 2015, the "Austin Motor Company", alongside the 1930's "Flying A" logo was registered by British Engineer John Stubbs, owner of specialist suspension company Black Art Designs. By 2021, a prototype electric vehicle named the Austin Arrow had been revealed and was seeking investors, with a supposed release date around late 2022. The revived Austin Motor Company subsequently revealed
4032-570: The new Austin car, a conventional four-cylinder model with chain drive. It was available as a 15/20 hp complete at £500 (chassis, £425) and a 25/30 hp for £650 (chassis, £550). The sole concessionaire for sale of the cars was Mr Harvey Du Cros junior . Two things were noticeable about Austin's new design. He had parted from the Vickers brothers because he had refused to use the then more conventional vertical engine in Wolseley cars. His new car had
4116-450: The nickname "Flying pig" as well as the doubtful build quality and indifferent reliability. It was still a strong seller in Britain, although not as successful as its predecessor. The wedge-shaped 18/22 series was launched as an Austin, a Morris and a more upmarket Wolseley in 1975. But within six months, it was rechristened the Princess and wore none of the previous marque badges, becoming
4200-469: The owner of an Austin 7 in England, which sold for approximately $ 455, would have to pay a yearly engine tax of $ 39. In comparison, the owner in England of a Ford Model-A would have to pay $ 120 per year in an engine tax. And this system of engine displacement tax was common in other European nations as well in the 1930s. At one point, the "Baby Austin" was built under licence by the fledgling BMW of Germany (as
4284-454: The press and elsewhere. Their place in the Rover range was gradually filled by a new generation of Rover models. The rights to the Austin name passed to British Aerospace and then to BMW when each bought the Rover Group. The rights were subsequently sold to MG Rover , created when BMW sold the business. Following MG Rover's collapse and sale, Nanjing Automobile Group owned the Austin name and Austin's historic assembly plant in Longbridge. At
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#17330852873704368-498: The purchase of Jaguar and in December 1966 changed its name from BMC to BMH, British Motor Holdings Limited . In early 1968 under government pressure BMH merged with Leyland Motors Limited and Austin became a part of the large British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC) combine. One of Austin's new models of this era was the 1973 Allegro , successor to the 1100/1300 ranges. It was criticised for its bulbous styling which earned it
4452-466: The recovery was the appointment in 1922 of a new finance director, Ernest Payton with the backing of the Midland Bank, and a new works director in charge of car production, Carl Engelbach, at the insistence of the creditors' committee. This triumvirate of Austin, Payton and Engelbach steered the company's fortunes through the interwar years. In a quest to expand market share, smaller cars were introduced,
4536-528: The rest of British Leyland (now known as BL) was looking bleak. The Austin Metro , launched in October 1980, was heralded as the saviour of Austin Motor Company and the whole BL combine. Twenty-one years after the launch of the Mini, it gave BL a much-needed modern supermini to compete with the recently launched likes of the Ford Fiesta , Vauxhall Nova , VW Polo and Renault 5 . It was an instant hit with buyers and
4620-452: The same number of ex-British Army ones. One or two examples were also used by a mercenary unit in the Congo in the mid-1960s. The engine was a four-cylinder in-line petrol unit of 2838 cc capacity (3.5-inch-diameter (89 mm) pistons × 4.5-inch (110 mm) stroke) designed by Rolls-Royce and was the smallest of the standardised B-Range military engines. These engines had their origin in
4704-483: The smaller entry level A40 Devon). Brakes were initially a mix of hydraulic (front) and mechanical (rear) with 11 in (279 mm) drums, replaced by a fully hydraulic brake setup from 1951 onwards on the hardtop coupe (saloon) with large diameter finned drums and vented wheels. This made for efficient anti-fade braking for the time, necessary to bring the 26 long cwt (1,321 kg) vehicle to rest. The lack of factory rust proofing and styling that produced
4788-650: The tasks the Champ could do. Ultimately it replaced the Champ in all roles. The Champ served with the British Army in the UK, Africa , Germany, Cyprus , Libya and the Suez Campaign , and early vehicles were sent for troop trials at the end of the Korean War . The Champ cost far more than the Land Rover, and was never as popular with troops, probably because the Land Rover with its enclosed cab offered better protection from
4872-444: The three piece, wrap-around, rear window could be lowered into the boot (trunk), for added ventilation by a remote winder above the front windscreen. Few people in the car's native Britain would have ever seen anything like the futuristically-styled Atlantic before, and certainly not from a conservative mainstream manufacturer like Austin. The radical Atlantic suffered, however, from the dramatically new Jaguar XK120 , also launched at
4956-480: The vehicle chassis which placed the junction of the cruciform where the transfer box would reside on a conventional ladder-type chassis. Bendix " Tracta " type constant velocity joints were fitted at all wheel stations. All transmission assemblies were sealed against the entry of water. The suspension system was based on longitudinal torsion bars for primary springing and featured fully independent suspension at all four wheels using double wishbones. Each wheel station
5040-527: The versatility of the basic design but were not put into production. Champs made for the civilian market (model WN3) could be specified with the Rolls-Royce engine or, as was much more usual, a modified version of Austin's 2660 cc A90 engine. Military body fittings such as rifle clips were omitted and the windscreen was a fixed assembly. Commercial 12-volt electrical components by Lucas Industries were provided and facilities for power take-off , driven from
5124-470: The war Herbert Austin decided on a one-model policy based on the 3620 cc 20 hp engine. Versions included cars, commercials and even a tractor, but sales volumes were never enough to fill the vast factory built during wartime. The company went into receivership in 1921 but rose again after financial restructuring. Though Herbert Austin remained chairman he was no longer managing director and from that time decisions were made by committee. Critical to
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#17330852873705208-431: Was privatised by selling it to British Aerospace (BAe) in 1988. Plans to replace the Metro with a radical new model, based on the ECV3 research vehicle and aiming for 100 mpg, led to the Austin AR6 of 1984–86, with several prototypes tested and production expected to start before the end of the decade. The desire to lose the Austin name and take Rover "upmarket" led to this project's demise in early 1987. In 1988,
5292-410: Was a rear-wheel drive large car, but it shared the central section of the 1800. It was a sales disaster, with fewer than 10,000 examples being made. BMC was the first British manufacturer to move into front-wheel drive so comprehensively. Ford did not launch its first front-drive model until 1976 (in Britain), Ford-Germany in 1962 with the Taunus 12M(P4), while Vauxhall's first front-drive model
5376-462: Was a system common to many other military vehicles of the period and supplied by Smiths Instruments of London. The body was a utilitarian open four-seater tub of welded pressed steel panels, supplied by the Pressed Steel Company, and similar in style to the war-time Jeep layout although unlike the Jeep, the Champ body is designed to carry part of the vehicle stresses and chassis flexing. A simple hood (top) made from PVC coated cloth (trade name Rexine)
5460-403: Was almost certainly influenced by a 1946 Pininfarina -bodied Alfa Romeo cabriolet , which just happened to end up at the Longbridge factory in mid-1947, a few months before the light blue 16 hp sports prototype made its first appearance in the experimental department and on nearby roads around the factory. A coachbuilt 1950 Austin A90 Atlantic Estate was produced by E.D. Abbott Ltd for
5544-411: Was also fitted with a rubber cone and cup system to buffer extreme upward suspension travel with energy control exercised by double-acting telescopic hydraulic dampers. This system gave an exceptional cross-country performance. Front and rear axles were constructed into a cradle sub-assembly, which could be rapidly exchanged in the field. The braking system was supplied by Girling and employed drums and
5628-461: Was average, but adequate for the era, with coil independent suspension at the front and leaf springs at the rear, employing lever arm shock absorbers or 'dampers' which, when worn, resulted in a characteristic 'wave motion' over undulating surfaces. The underpinnings were somewhat less exotic than the all-enveloping bodywork: the chassis and running gear were based on that of the well-proven 1949 Austin A70 Hampshire saloon (not to be confused with
5712-413: Was designed by Alec Issigonis , who went on to design the Morris Minor and the Mini . About 30 prototypes of the improved vehicle were built by Wolseley Motors Limited under the name "Wolseley Mudlark", and after further refinement the design was formalised as FV1801(a). The Austin Motor Company was awarded the contract to produce 15,000 vehicles and a former aircraft factory at Cofton Hackett , on
5796-405: Was first chairman but soon retired. Lord, who had stormed out of Morris declaring he would "take Cowley apart brick by brick", ensured Austin was the dominant partner and its (more recently designed OHV) engines were adopted for most of the cars. Various models followed the Morris policy and became badge-engineered versions of each other. In 1952 Austin made a deal with Donald Healey leading to
5880-423: Was fitted, the smallest of the standardised B-Range engines . This military version was designated model WN1 by Austin. Approximately half of the contract were to be basic vehicles known as Cargo trucks and the remainder were to be fitted with high-output generators and additional batteries in order to power radio equipment. These were known as " Fitted For Wireless " (FFW) vehicles. Rolls-Royce Ltd built engines for
5964-473: Was found to be expensive and of limited value, and the policy of CT vehicles was abandoned in 1956 and the CT family were downgraded to General Service (GS) status. Electrical equipment fitted on military Champs was a 24-volt system in accordance with agreements reached in 1948 with the US and Canadian armies and comprised standardised military pattern equipment used on many British post-war vehicles, supplied by Lucas , CAV, Delco-Remy and Simms. Instrumentation
6048-544: Was increased to £650,000. At that time in number of cars produced it probably ranked fifth after Wolseley (still largest), Humber , Sunbeam and Rover . The Austin Motor Co. grew enormously during the First World War fulfilling government contracts for aircraft, shells, heavy guns and generating sets and 1,600 three-ton trucks most of which were sent to Russia. The workforce expanded from around 2,500 to 22,000. After
6132-450: Was launched in 1979 and Chrysler UK's first such car was launched in 1975. Front-wheel drive was popular elsewhere in Europe, however, with Renault , Citroen and Simca all using the system at the same time or before BMC. East Germany's Trabant used the system from 1958. In September 1965 BMC completed the purchase of its major supplier, Pressed Steel . Twelve months later it completed
6216-399: Was located at the rear of the vehicle, giving an operational range of approximately 300 miles. Various bolt-on kits were produced to convert basic vehicles for specialist roles, for example tactical radio carrier, telephone line laying, field ambulance with two stretchers, and an appliqué armour kit. Strangely, the armour components were listed in the Austin civilian parts catalogue but not in
6300-493: Was merged with Morris Motors Limited in the new holding company British Motor Corporation (BMC) Limited , keeping its separate identity. The marque Austin was used until 1987 by BMC's successors British Leyland and Rover Group . The trademark is currently owned by the Chinese firm SAIC Motor , after being transferred from bankrupt subsidiary Nanjing Automotive which had acquired it with MG Rover Group in July 2005. While running
6384-509: Was offered in a variety of "jewelescent" colours with names like "seafoam green" and "desert gold", but few of these new metallics were sold in the UK market. (According to John Cleaver, an apprentice at Ricardo Burzi 's design department, Burzi wanted him to make plaster casts from an oval clay plaque of an Austin A90 he made during the prototype stage. Burzi wanted half a dozen castings made so he could paint them in different colours.) The convertible,
6468-504: Was one of the most popular British cars of the 1980s. It was intended as a replacement for the Mini but the Mini went on to outlast it. It was facelifted in October 1984 and gained a 5-door version. In 1982, most of the car division of the by now somewhat shrunken British Leyland (BL) company was rebranded as the Austin Rover Group , with Austin acting as the "budget" and mainstream brand to Rover's more luxurious models. The MG badge
6552-446: Was provided and a set of weather screens with hinged doors on a simple frame were available for issue in intemperate climates. The inner windscreen opened forwards for ventilation or the whole frame and glass assembly could be folded down onto the bonnet (hood). Military items such as a shovel, pickaxe and a carrier for a standard 20-litre jerrycan (for the carriage of water not fuel) were normally fitted. A 20-gallon (91 litre) fuel tank
6636-550: Was revived for sporty versions of the Austin models, of which the MG Metro 1300 was the first. The Morris and Triumph brands were axed in 1984. Austin revitalised its entry into the small family-car market in March 1983 with the launch of its all-new Maestro , a spacious five-door hatchback that replaced the elderly Allegro and Maxi and was popular in the early years of its production life, although sales had started to dip dramatically by
6720-529: Was strong. A few A90 engines were also used in civilian versions of the Austin Champ . The car did see more success in former British Colonies , Europe, Scandinavia and Australasia. The Atlantic was powered by an engine based on the proven Austin A70 OHV engine design, but increased to 2,660 cc (162 cu in). The large four-cylinder produced 88 bhp (66 kW) @ 4000rpm and later saw service in
6804-409: Was the use of a cast aluminium cylinder head with screwed-in hardened steel valve seats. With the adoption in 1949 of Unified thread standards, the engine was re-designed and simplified to ease manufacture; a cast-iron cylinder head was used in this version which can be most easily identified by the letters "UNF" cast or pressed into the rocker cover. Rolls-Royce produced engines at Crewe early in
6888-442: Was too expensive (£1200 at 1951 prices), too complex and had limited use outside of the narrow field combat role for which it had been designed. Consequently, the contract with Austin was amended and finally prematurely terminated some 4,000 vehicles short of the 15,000 originally contracted. The Land Rover , which had entered army service before the Champ (as early as 1949), was half the price, simpler to maintain and could do 80% of
6972-525: Was universally, if unofficially, applied to it. The majority of Champs produced went to the British Army . A British Army specification for a light truck was issued in the late 1940s, inspired by the Willys MB "Jeep" but able to perform in all theatres of operation of the British Army. It was considered important that a British-made vehicle was produced in order to reduce the reliance on American vehicles and
7056-402: Was used and drive from the gearbox was by shaft to the rear combined transfer box and differential assembly which incorporated reverse gear, thereby allowing five reverse gears also, and then by a long shaft to the front differential which incorporated a simple dog clutch to enable four-wheel drive when required. A conventional separate transfer case was not possible due to the cruciform layout of
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