Austin 3-Litre
Encyclopedia
The Austin 3-Litre was a British saloon car introduced by British Leyland at the London Motor Show in 1967. However, it subsequently became apparent that BMC
were not geared up to producing the car: few or none seem to have been sold that year, but by July 1968 it was reported that the cars had begun to leave the factory. By that time the square headlights seen at the 1967 motor show had been replaced by conventional round twin headlamp units, and by the time of the October 1968 show the car had also acquired front quarter lights. In July 1968, with cars beginning to emerge from the plant, the manufacturers were asked to detail improvements reportedly implemented since the car's "launch" the previous October. Mention was made of orifice modifications to hydraulic valves in the rear suspension, and it was stated that there was a "new" final drive ratio of 3.9:1, though this was actually the same final drive ratio included in the launch information the previous October.
Sales were very poor. The standard version had been withdrawn by 1969 while the de luxe version soldiered on until the model was discontinued completely in May 1971, after less than 10,000 had been produced. It suffered from a perception that it was merely an enlarged ADO17 "Landcrab" (indeed, it gained the nickname "Land-lobster
"), with which it shared its central section and doors, although it was in fact a quite different car.
Codenamed ADO61, the car was intended to be BMC
's offering in the 3-litre executive
class and was originally designed in the early 1960s, before the British Leyland era. Unlike the visually similar (but smaller) front-wheel drive
ADO17 range, the 125 bhp 3-litre engine (a 7-bearing
modification of the BMC C-Series
with twin SU carburettors) drove the rear wheels through a conventional 4-speed gearbox. The car used Hydrolastic
suspension with self-levelling hydraulic rams at the rear and was praised for its excellent ride and handling. Alec Issigonis
, who designed the front-wheel drive cars, had no part in the 3-Litre, which he was reportedly keen to point out.
To cater for its intended market the interior was luxurious, featuring wood veneers and cloth headlining (but leather upholstery was not available, being replaced with a good-quality vinyl) and the boot was longer than that of the 1800, contributing to an overall length of 186 inches (4,724.4 mm) (the 1800 was 167 inches (4,241.8 mm) long).
Luxurious Wolseley
and Vanden Plas
3-litre versions both reached prototype stage, but went no further. A small number of estate models were built however, converted by Crayford
.
No replacement car was made by Austin in this class since by the time one would have been required, Rover
and Triumph
were also within British Leyland, and this was seen as a market segment more properly served by those marques.
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
were not geared up to producing the car: few or none seem to have been sold that year, but by July 1968 it was reported that the cars had begun to leave the factory. By that time the square headlights seen at the 1967 motor show had been replaced by conventional round twin headlamp units, and by the time of the October 1968 show the car had also acquired front quarter lights. In July 1968, with cars beginning to emerge from the plant, the manufacturers were asked to detail improvements reportedly implemented since the car's "launch" the previous October. Mention was made of orifice modifications to hydraulic valves in the rear suspension, and it was stated that there was a "new" final drive ratio of 3.9:1, though this was actually the same final drive ratio included in the launch information the previous October.
Sales were very poor. The standard version had been withdrawn by 1969 while the de luxe version soldiered on until the model was discontinued completely in May 1971, after less than 10,000 had been produced. It suffered from a perception that it was merely an enlarged ADO17 "Landcrab" (indeed, it gained the nickname "Land-lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
"), with which it shared its central section and doors, although it was in fact a quite different car.
Codenamed ADO61, the car was intended to be BMC
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
's offering in the 3-litre executive
Executive car
Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by EuroNCAP, a European organisation founded to test car safety.- History :...
class and was originally designed in the early 1960s, before the British Leyland era. Unlike the visually similar (but smaller) front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
ADO17 range, the 125 bhp 3-litre engine (a 7-bearing
Bearing (mechanical)
A bearing is a device to allow constrained relative motion between two or more parts, typically rotation or linear movement. Bearings may be classified broadly according to the motions they allow and according to their principle of operation as well as by the directions of applied loads they can...
modification of the BMC C-Series
BMC C-Series engine
The BMC C-Series was a straight-6 automobile engine produced from 1956 to 1971. Unlike the Austin designed A and B-series engines, it came from the Morris engines drawing office in Coventry...
with twin SU carburettors) drove the rear wheels through a conventional 4-speed gearbox. The car used Hydrolastic
Hydrolastic
Hydrolastic is a type of space-efficient automotive suspension system used in many cars produced by British Motor Corporation and its successor companies....
suspension with self-levelling hydraulic rams at the rear and was praised for its excellent ride and handling. Alec Issigonis
Alec Issigonis
Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS was a Greek-British designer of cars, now remembered chiefly for the groundbreaking and influential development of the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959.- Early life:Issigonis was born into the Greek community of Smyrna ...
, who designed the front-wheel drive cars, had no part in the 3-Litre, which he was reportedly keen to point out.
To cater for its intended market the interior was luxurious, featuring wood veneers and cloth headlining (but leather upholstery was not available, being replaced with a good-quality vinyl) and the boot was longer than that of the 1800, contributing to an overall length of 186 inches (4,724.4 mm) (the 1800 was 167 inches (4,241.8 mm) long).
Luxurious Wolseley
Wolseley Motor Company
The Wolseley Motor Company was a British automobile manufacturer founded in 1901. After 1935 it was incorporated into larger companies but the Wolseley name remained as an upmarket marque until 1975.-History:...
and Vanden Plas
Vanden Plas
Vanden Plas is the name of a company of coachbuilders who produced bodies for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. Latterly the name became a top-end luxury model designation for cars from various subsidiaries of British Leyland and the Rover Group.-Belgium:It originated in Belgium in...
3-litre versions both reached prototype stage, but went no further. A small number of estate models were built however, converted by Crayford
Crayford Engineering
Crayford Engineering was an automobile coachbuilder based in Westerham, Kent, England and formed in 1962 by David McMullan and Jeffrey Smith. In the 1970s, a subdivision within the company, called Crayford Auto Developments, Ltd., was established for automobiles...
.
No replacement car was made by Austin in this class since by the time one would have been required, Rover
Rover (car)
The Rover Company is a former British car manufacturing company founded as Starley & Sutton Co. of Coventry in 1878. After developing the template for the modern bicycle with its Rover Safety Bicycle of 1885, the company moved into the automotive industry...
and Triumph
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
were also within British Leyland, and this was seen as a market segment more properly served by those marques.