Austin Cambridge
Encyclopedia
- See Austin A40Austin A40A number of different automobiles were marketed under the Austin A40 name by the Austin Motor Company between 1947 and 1967.Austin's naming scheme at that time derived from the approximate engine output, in horsepower...
for other A40 models.
The Austin Cambridge (sold as A40, A50, A55, and A60) is a motor car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
range sold by the Austin Motor Company
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...
in several generations from September 1954 through to 1969 as cars and 1971 as light commercials
Light commercial vehicle
Light commercial vehicles is a commercial carrier vehicles with a Gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. The formal term within the European Union is Light commercial vehicles. Vehicles which qualify in this category are pickup trucks, vans and 3 wheelers all commercially based goods or...
. It replaced the A40 Somerset
Austin A40 Somerset
The A40 Somerset is an automobile sold by the Austin Motor Company from 1952 until 1954. It replaced the A40 Devon and was quite similar to that body-on-frame car, including using the same 1.2 L straight-4 pushrod engine...
but was entirely new with modern unibody construction. The range had two basic body styles with the A40, A50 and early A55s using a traditional rounded shape and later A55s and A60s using Farina styling.
Note that the A40 number was re-used on a smaller car (the Austin A40 Farina
Austin A40 Farina
The Austin A40 Farina was a compact car introduced by the British Motor Corporation in 1958, replacing the earlier A40 Devon.It combines many of the virtues of a saloon and estate car in one body. There is more headroom for the rear passengers because of the angular instead of curved lines of the...
) from 1958 to 1967, and that the Cambridge name had previously been used to designate one of the available body styles on the pre-war 10 hp range.
Initially the Austin Cambridge was only offered with a 4-passenger, 4-door saloon body, although a few pre-production 2-door models were also made. It had a modern body design with integrated wings and a full-width grille. Independent suspension was provided at the front by coil springs and wishbones but a live axle with anti-roll bar was retained at the rear.
A van
Panel van
A panel van is a form of solid van, smaller than a lorry or truck, without rear side windows...
derivative introduced in November 1956 and a pick-up
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
introduced in May 1957 remained available until 1974, some 3 years after the demise of the cars on which they had been based.
A40 Cambridge
A 1.2 L straight-4Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
pushrod engine B-Series
BMC B-Series engine
The BMC B-series was a straight-4 internal combustion engine family, mostly used in motor cars, created by British company Austin Motor Company. The pre-cursor of the "B" series engine was a 1200 cc OHV engine which was used in the 1947 Austin A40 Devon. This A40 Devon engine was based on a...
engine based on the one used in the previous Austin Somerset powered the new Austin Cambridge. A maximum power output of 42 bhp was claimed: power was transmitted to the wheels by means of a four speed gear box controlled with a column mounted lever.
Only 30,000 A40 Cambridge models were produced. After the A40 Cambridge was dropped early in 1957, the A40 name was re-used on the smaller A40 Farina
Austin A40 Farina
The Austin A40 Farina was a compact car introduced by the British Motor Corporation in 1958, replacing the earlier A40 Devon.It combines many of the virtues of a saloon and estate car in one body. There is more headroom for the rear passengers because of the angular instead of curved lines of the...
, though that car, an early example of the hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
genre, was neither a replacement nor much related to the A40 Cambridge.
A50 Cambridge
Also introduced in September 1954, and with a body identical to that of the A40 Cambridge, was the A50 Cambridge which used a new 1.5 L (1489 cc) B-SeriesBMC B-Series engine
The BMC B-series was a straight-4 internal combustion engine family, mostly used in motor cars, created by British company Austin Motor Company. The pre-cursor of the "B" series engine was a 1200 cc OHV engine which was used in the 1947 Austin A40 Devon. This A40 Devon engine was based on a...
four-cylinder engine with single Zenith carburettor which was good for 50 hp (37 kW). It sold better and remained in production through to 1957 with nearly 115,000 made.
The de luxe version had a heater, leather seat facings, carpets replacing the standard rubber matting, armrests on the doors, twin-tone horns, a passenger sun visor, and some extra chrome including overriders.
Technical advances in the A50 Cambridge included an optional Borg-Warner overdrive
Overdrive (mechanics)
Overdrive is a term used to describe a mechanism that allows an automobile to cruise at sustained speed with reduced engine RPM, leading to better fuel economy, lower noise and lower wear...
unit for the top three (of four) gears. A semi-automatic transmission
Semi-automatic transmission
A semi-automatic transmission is an automobile transmission that does not change gears automatically, but rather facilitates manual gear changes by dispensing with the need to press...
(branded "manumatic" and providing pedal-free clutch operation) was also offered, but it was unpopular with buyers.
A number of modifications were introduced in October 1956 including smaller 13 in (330 mm) wheels and increased compression ratio (8.3:1).
A de luxe version tested by The Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
magazine in 1955 had a top speed of 73.6 mph (118.4 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 28.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 28 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £720 including taxes.
A radio and a clock were optional extras.
As with its predecessor the A40 Somerset, the A50 Cambridge was built under licence by Nissan in Japan; the arrangement ended in 1959.
A55 Cambridge
In January 1957, the A55 Cambridge was introduced to replace the A50 model. It used the same 1.5 L B-Series engine as its predecessor, though with a higher compression ratio: 51 hp (38 kW) at 4250 rpm was now available.The Cambridge had been restyled somewhat and now had a larger boot and much larger rear window. The car was also lowered by fitting 13 in (330 mm) road wheels which were smaller than those on the A50 but the overall gearing remained the same by changing the rear axle ratio. Two tone paint was an option.
Just over 150,000 were produced when it was replaced by a new Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
-designed A55 Cambridge for 1959.
Van and pick-up versions based on the pre-"Farina" A55 were introduced in 1957, and remained in production until 1973. From 1962 they were also offered under the Morris name, and in their final years the van and pick-up were all designated "Morris", following a decision to remove the Austin badge from British Leyland commercial vehicles.
A de luxe A55 with manumatic transmission was tested by The Motor magazine in 1957 had a top speed of 77.1 mph (124.1 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 27.0 seconds. A fuel consumption of 31.6 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £870 including taxes of £291.
A55 Cambridge Mark II
The A55 Cambridge Mark II, known as the first "Farina" model because of its Pininfarina design, was produced from 1959 through to 1961. It was a rebadged Morris OxfordMorris Oxford
After the Second World War the Oxford MO replaced the 10. It was introduced in 1948 and was produced until 1954. The design was shared with Nuffield Organisation stable-mate Wolseley 4/50....
and retained the 1.5 L B-Series engine, now with an SU carburettor, and producing 55 bhp at 4350 rpm.
The interior had individual leather trimmed seats in front spaced closely together to allow a central passenger to be carried. The gear change was either on the column or floor mounted and the handbrake lever between the driver's seat and the door. Other improvements highlighted at the time included an enlarged luggage compartment with counterbalanced lid and increased elbow width on both front and rear seats. A heater could be fitted as an optional extra.
A "Countryman" estate
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
model appeared in 1960. Austin Cambridge Estates were called "Countryman". (Morris Oxford Estates were called "Traveller".) A55 Mark II and A60 Estates were identical from the windscreen back; the later models never got the reduced rear fins and modified rear lights of the A60 saloons.
The engineering of the car was conventional with coil sprung independent front suspension and a live axle at the rear with semi elliptic leaf springs. The braking used a Girling system with 9 in (229 mm) drums all round.
Just under 150,000 were built in total.
A MkII A55 was tested by The Motor magazine in 1959 had a top speed of 75.5 mph (121.5 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 24.5 seconds. A fuel consumption of 31 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £878 including taxes of £293.
Australian production
The A55 Mk II entered production in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1959 with a 1622 cc version of the “B” Series four cylinder engine as the Austin A60. Australian use of the larger engine and the A60 name thus preceded British usage by two years. The A60 was replaced in 1962 by a revised model powered by a six-cylinder 2400 cc engine. It was marketed as the Austin Freeway
Austin Freeway
The Austin Freeway is an automobile which was developed by the Australian division of the British Motor Corporation , based on the British Austin A60 Cambridge...
and was produced by BMC Australia
British Motor Corporation (Australia)
British Motor Corporation was a motor manufacturing company formed in Australia in 1954 by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and Nuffield Pty Ltd. This followed the merger in 1952 of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Group in the United Kingdom to form the British Motor Corporation...
until 1965.
A60 Cambridge
An updated Cambridge model, now called the A60, was introduced for 1961. It included a new 1.6 L version of the B-Series straight-4Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine which had first been used in the MGA. Modified styling included side chrome stripes – some models with contrasting colour infills – and reduced fins on the rear wings. The style continued to be known as "Farina". This body covered a chassis that was slightly longer in wheelbase and wider in track than the A55. This allowed three people to be accommodated on the rear seat. Anti-roll bars were added to both front and rear suspension.
A diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
version was introduced in 1961 for export cars and was available in the UK from 1962. Early manual models had the option of column gear change. The Borg Warner three-speed Type 35 automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
was an option, the first British car to be fitted with this type, with the selector on the steering column.
The A60 Cambridge sold well, with over 275,000 built when production finally ended in 1969. Its intended successor, the front wheel drive Austin 1800
Austin 1800
BMC ADO17 was the model code used by the British Motor Corporation for a range of cars produced from September 1964 to 1975 and sold initially under its Austin marque as the Austin 1800. The car was also sold as the Morris 1800 and Wolseley 18/85, and later as the Austin 2200, Morris 2200 and...
of 1964, did not dent sales, so Cambridge production was continued until 1969 at the Morris
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
plant at Cowley
Cowley, Oxford
Cowley in Oxford, England, is a residential and industrial area that forms a small conurbation within greater Oxford. Cowley's neighbours are central Oxford to the northwest, Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys to the south, New Headington to the north and the villages of Horspath and Garsington across...
when the Austin Maxi
Austin Maxi
The Austin Maxi was a medium sized 5-door hatchback car from British Leyland for the 1970s. It was the first British five speed five-door hatchback.-History:...
took over production and the Morris Oxford version continued in production until 1971, when the Morris Marina
Morris Marina
The Morris Marina is a car which was manufactured by the Morris division of British Leyland in the UK throughout the 1970s, which was a period of great turbulence and difficulty for the British car industry. It was known in some markets as the Austin Marina, Leyland Marina, and Morris 1.7...
was launched.
Austin A60 saloons assembled in Ireland by Brittain Smith of Portobello, Dublin 2 were identifiable by the use of Morris Oxford series VI tail-lights. The last of these were produced in 1970, and some were registered in 1971. The A60 Cambridge was effectively replaced by the Austin Maxi
Austin Maxi
The Austin Maxi was a medium sized 5-door hatchback car from British Leyland for the 1970s. It was the first British five speed five-door hatchback.-History:...
hatchback in April 1969, while the Oxford continued until early 1971, when it was replaced by the Morris Marina
Morris Marina
The Morris Marina is a car which was manufactured by the Morris division of British Leyland in the UK throughout the 1970s, which was a period of great turbulence and difficulty for the British car industry. It was known in some markets as the Austin Marina, Leyland Marina, and Morris 1.7...
.
The car was popular with the UK taxi trade, but its dominating popularity with the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
taxi trade was even more impressive. In 1967 taxi versions of the Austin A60 accounted for nearly 17% of car sales, helping 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...
to a total Hong Kong car market share of 28% in that year.
Both a manual
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
and automatic versions of the A60 were tested by The Motor magazine in 1961. The manual had a top speed of 80.4 mph (129.4 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 19.8 seconds. A touring fuel consumption of 25.1 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £883 including taxes of £278. The automatic was slightly slower, with a top speed of 77.9 mph (125.4 km/h) and acceleration from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 24.9 seconds. A touring fuel consumption of 28.9 mpgimp was recorded. The car cost £982 including taxes of £309.
External links
- Austin Memories—History of Austin and Longbridge
- Austin Cambridge / Westminster Car Club (ACWCC) – Classic car club for all owners and enthusiasts of this range of BMC cars. Dedicated to the A40, A55 and A60, Westminster, Morris Oxford, MG Magnette, and other Riley & Wolseley derivatives.
- Cambridge-Oxford Owners Club (COOC) – a worldwide owners club which caters for these cars and their Westminster-derived six cylinder sisters. The club aims to keep the cars on the road, provides advice, spares and a social forum for enjoying the cars.