1955 Austin Cambridge

   The 1955 Austin Cambridge four-door sedan weighed in at 1 016 kilos (2,240 pounds) and had a front tread of 
1 231.9 millimetres ( 48.5 inches).

The Austin Cambridge generated plenty of excitement when it was introduced in September of 1954 but the automotive offerings from Longbridge, England were already highly popular with folks across Canada. Among the first wave of post-war British cars to make the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to the great Dominion, Austin dealers put out their shingles out in 1946.

No longer an independent automaker, Austin had thrown in its lot with Morris to create the British Motor Corporation (BMC) on March 31, 1952. The new Austin Cambridge was the first product to be created under the umbrella of the new combine.

Austin sold an entire family of cars here in 1954, including the Seven, the A40 Somerset, the A70 Hereford, the A125 Sherrline Six and the Austin Healey. Canadians registered 2,536 new Austins during the calendar year. That tidy figure made Austin second only to British Ford in terms of sales and still well ahead of West Germany’s Volkswagen.

 Canadians could buy the two-door Austin Cambridge A50 in 1955, a model not offered in the UK.

Engineers went to great lengths to make the Cambridge the most modern vehicle on the road. The vehicle made use of pressed-steel, unitized body construction. Austin wordsmiths wrote that the coachwork had a “fully-stressed skin with no soldered joints.” The styling was certainly in vogue with its modern three-box, slab sides with recessed headlights and wide-mouthed grille. Even the hood scoop was fully functional. The entire Cambridge envelope rode gracefully on 33-centimetre (13-inch) tires and boasted a pert 2 250-millimetre (99.25-inch) wheelbase.

The company’s export line to Canada was pared for the 1955 selling season. The Seven, the Somerset and the Austin Healey returned. The A50 Cambridge made it back for its second year and sold for $1,995. The smaller, A40 Cambridge, with its 1200-cc engine did not.  Records show that an A50 two-door sedan joined the lineup and listed for $1,885 at its Montreal port of entry. Advertising wasn’t shy to say that “the Cambridge is the finest car of its class built in any country—and you can depend on it.”

 An ultra-modern 1500-cc engine powered the Austin Cambridge.

Powered by a thoroughly modern 1500-cc over-head valve, four-cylinder engine, The A50 scooted down highways nicely with its 50 horsepower. The 1500-cc engine was popular and sturdy; it was shared with the Nash Metropolitan.  The Cambridge’s hood hinged open at the windshield and nestled in the engine bay was the latest in automotive technology, a 12-volt battery.

 On this side of the pond, the Austin Motor Company (Canada) Limited of Toronto and the Austin Motor Company Ltd. (England) of New York City took care of sales and service.  For the Canadian and American markets, the four-speed, column-mounted manual transmission was available with optional overdrive for even better than the 80 kilometres per 4.54 litres (50 miles-per- Imperial gallon) advertised. First gear was not synchromesh in the Cambridge.  When driven under reasonable conditions, one could expect to get 434 kilometres (270 miles) from the 37.9-litre (8.75-Imperial gallon) fuel tank.

Interior of the 1955 Austin Cambridge was cavernous for a car of such small dimensions.

Interiors were vast when considering the smallness of the overall vehicle. Part of that generous cabin space was created when engineers positioned the back seat ahead of the rear wheels. This allowed three passengers to sit in dignity--if not in complete comfort. The Latex foam cushions promised to hold their shape indefinitely no matter how long the trip might be. The front seats were individually adjustable. Glass area was exceptionally large throughout. Comfort was not forgotten, either. North American export models were wisely equipped with a robust heater and defroster unit included in the base price.

 Instrument panel of the Austin Cambridge was most  functional (RHD version seen here). 

The instrument panel was highly distinctive. A large strip speedometer and a full set of gauges were positioned in a telescoping pod that rode part way up the steering column and sat squarely before the driver. A classy touch was a trip odometer. The steering wheel was a three-spoke, 43-centimetre (17-inch) diameter affair with a horn button at the centre of the hub. In typical British fashion, the turn signals operated by a lever located on the centre of the steering hub.  Clock, radio and heater were placed in the centre of the panel and the glove box boasted a lockable door. A handy parcel shelf ran below the full length of the instrument panel.

Other standard equipment for Cambridge models sold in the Canadian market included bumper guards, a locking gas cap, a safety hood latch located in the car’s cabin, twin horns, twin sun visors, electric turn signals, a chrome windshield reveal, heavy-duty PVC upholstery and a rubber floor mat for the front passengers.

 Trunk space was 396 cubic litres (14 cubic feet). The spare tire stored away neatly under the car. 

The generously-sized trunk promised to hold plenty of suitcases, grips and sporting gear. At the back was a useful shelf, good for stashing tools, the tire pump, washing sponge and “similar oddments that might otherwise occupy floor space.” 

BMC built 114,864 Cambridge models from 1954 to 1957. Of that number, 3,357 Austins were registered as new vehicles throughout the Dominion during the 1955 model year.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2007
 All rights reserved.

1968-1971 Austin 1800 Mk II

The 1968 Austin 1800 Mk II came in a most distinctive package and rode on a 2 692-millimetre (106-inch) wheelbase. The cars were sold throughout Canada from 1968 to 1972 by British Motor Corporation and later British Leyland dealers.

The first generation of Austin 1800s bowed to the world in 1964. It was an ingenious size-and-space transportation package based on the runaway global success of British Motor Corporation’s micro-sized Austin and Morris Mini that debuted in 1959. 

1962 Mini.

Sir Alec Issigonis was the brains behind the Mini, the fabled 1300 that followed it and now the 1800. The trio of motor vehicle kin all made use of transversely-mounted engines coupled to front wheel drive. The cunning combo gave designers absolutely cavernous cabin space to work with while keeping the overall length to a minimum. 

1959 Austin Mini cutaway diagram shows 80% of floor space being dedicated to passengers.

On the Austin 1800 that nifty package added up to a very tidy 2 692-millimetre  (106-inch) wheelbase platform that stretched to only 4 164 millimetres (13 foot and 8 inches) in overall length.

The 1964 Austin 1800 was exported to Commonwealth countries including Australia and Canada.

To further ensure the success of the 1800, the famed Italian Pininfarina studios were engaged to create the styling. Top brass at BMC didn’t particularly like the look generated by the continental style house and in-house designers were ordered to change it significantly before production began. The final envelope boasted an exceptionally large greenhouse with curved glass riding atop straight, almost severe slab sides accentuated with angular treatments, fore and aft.

The press didn’t care for the designers’ version and promptly pronounced the cars as ungainly. The public viewed the final product as being uglier than homemade sin—and promptly gave it the unflattering nickname of “land crab.” Production would prove to be disappointing during its five-year run and the ingeniously designed if slow-selling car was revamped as the Mark II for the 1968 selling season.

Visit my old car website at http://www.theoilspoteh.ca  

The Austin 1800 Mk II made its debut in May of 1968. It received a much needed and pleasant if very modestly restrained restyle. Revisions included larger 35-centimetre (14-inch wheels), debuted BMC’s first full synchromesh transmission, a tweaked engine and an updated instrument panel that boasted the latest fad--rocker switches. Announced as “inheriting all the famous features of the Mini and the 1300, the Austin 18000 Mk. II” and “Add to these a 90 mph (150 kph) top speed, with acceleration to match, lounge seating for five and the toughest structure ever built into a production car.”  Other accolades included “The Austin 1800 Mk II is a notable achievement in advanced automobile design” and declared its handling to be “the envy of the world.” 

 The Austin 1800 Mk II clipped along courtesy of a 1.8-litre (85.6-horsepower), four-cylinder overhead valve engine. 

Under the hood was BMC’s water-cooled, overhead valve, four-cylinder, five-main bearing engine. The mill generated 86.5 horsepower and was capable of reaching a top speed of 150 kilometres per hour ( 93 miles per hour--ancient Canadian units of velocity). This was mated to a four-speed synchromesh transmission, with final drive located in the engine sump. Power was transmitted to the front wheels by short, universally-jointed shafts. Rack-and-pinion steering promised to deliver “sensitive hairline accuracy” and servo-assisted front disc brakes (drum brakes in the rear) gave real stopping power. While it was no jet rocket—the car moved from zero to 100 kph (60 mph) in 16.3 seconds--the package gave motorists a satisfying 10.4 L/100 kilometres (27 miles to the Imperial gallon--ancient Canadian units of fluid measure).

The instrument panel of the Austin 1800 Mk II was simple in design and remained unchanged from 1968 to 1972.  A right-hand drive model is shown here. 

The Austin’s instrument panel was finished in non-glare black dressed up with simulated woodgrain panels. The warning lamps indicated low oil pressure, dirty oil filter, headlamp high beam indicator. Gauges and dials were “At-a-Glance” easy to read and included a ribbon-type speedometer, a water temperature gauge and a fuel gauge. An all-in-one stalk on the steering column controlled the headlight high-low beam, the turn signals and the horn. Below the instrument panel was a capacious parcel shelf, split in the centre by a console that held a large ashtray, radio and heater controls. The lower lip of the parcel shelf doubled as a safety crash bar.

 Front seat passengers rode in softly cushioned individual seats. Rear passengers were treated to a wide, “superbly comfortable” seat with a centre folding armrest. The interior was upholstered with a hard-wearing, washable vinyl-coated fabric with Ambla face panels on the contact surfaces for good measure. Each car destined for the Canadian market was given fitted nylon carpets with thick sound-insulation for underlay.  Generous door pockets held everything from baby’s bottle to maps (ancient GPS systems). A comfortable ride was ensured by Hydrolastic suspension with its unique float-on-fluid sealed system that had no moving parts.

Rear-seat passengers in the Austin 1800 Mk II rode in luxurious comfort. The pull-down centre armrest was standard equipment.

Extra cost items included an automatic transmission, a heater/defroster, an electrically heated rear window, power-assist steering, reclining front seats, an electric clock, a radio, a hood lock, a cigarette lighter, exhaust trim, a fire extinguisher, a radiator muff, back-up lights, roof racks of differing types, rubber mats, seat covers, supplementary instruments, travel rugs and exterior mirrors.

Despite its size and value, the Austin 1800 Mk II was not a resounding hit with Canadians. Domestic sales of Austin were added together with those of MG to equal 10,020 units for the 1968 calendar year. In 1969 BMC was reorganized into British Leyland. Sales for all BLC brands were lumped together and rang in at 12,275 units for Canada. Austin sales were broken out in 1970 when 5,861 units were delivered. Austin sales of all stripes dropped to 4,554 units in 1971 and edged up ever so slightly to 4,597 units in calendar year 1972. The marque would do considerably better in 1973.

The Austin 1800 Mk II was as equally unmistakable from the rear as it was in the front.

Visit my old car website at http://www.theoilspoteh.ca  

Copyright James C. Mays 2007
All rights reserved.