Post-War Baby Austins : A30 A35 A40

The post-war baby Austin broke new ground as Austin's first chassisless car. This book follows its development from the A30 into the A35, a vehicle whose liveliness, reliability and economy bear comparison with many a modern car. Included are images of early experimential designs like the Duncan Dragonfly and on to the standard production cars, vans, countryman and pickups. We see how Pinin Farina came on to the scene - a man with the ability to style a totally different motor car using the same mechanical components - the A40 Farina, so produced, being way ahead of its time as the forerunner of the modern hatchback. Throughout the book there are regular glimpses of the post-war scene at Longbridge, with super period press illustrations and a central colour portfolio of period advertising material. There is a look into the personal notebooks of Eric Bareham, the man who designed the A30's engine, an engine which would later become known as the 'A-series' and be developed as the power unit for many millions of cars. The building and testing of prototypes is dealt with in detail and much new material is brought to light. There is a look at the Longbridge exercise to produce a small fibreglass sports car, as well as an aluminium A30, and of experimentation with two-stroke engines in an attempt to produce an 'A20' or true 'Economy Car' before the idea was shelved to make way for the Mini. The Turner Sports car, which used A30 components, is also covered. Readers may well be surprised to find that many of the most famous names in motor racing and rallying 'cut their teeth and had connections' with the A35s and A40s, such as James Hunt and his A35 van. This book is not merely a nostalgic look at the past; it also attempts to show how the A30, A35 and A40 Farina are cars which still offer a real alternative to the modern car. Here, then, for the first time, is the full story of these baby Austins, their connections with Innocenti in Italy, and appendices covering: technical data, production data by model, modifications between model changes, paint and trim colours.