Austin 12 (1939)
Encyclopedia
The Austin 12 was a large four door family saloon produced by the Austin Motor Company
. It was launched in August 1939 and was produced until replaced in 1947 by the similar sized but larger engined Austin A70 Hampshire
. For much of this period, however, it was provided only for military
and government use.
, but was more streamlined. Standard fittings included a sliding roof, opening windscreen and leather upholstery. The bonnet (hood) was now one piece and hinged at the rear rather than opening at the sides. The body was 3 inches (8 cm) longer than the earlier car despite having a wheelbase that was (initially) 5½ inches (14 cm) shorter. It was also ½ inch (1 cm) wider. A conventional chassis frame was retained and the brakes were mechanical with operation by a system of rods. Rigid beam axles were retained front and rear with conventional leaf springs.
The 1939 Austin 12 inherited a 1535 cc sidevalve
engine and four speed gearbox from its predecessor. 40 bhp of output was claimed. Even by the standards of the day, it was considered by many to be underpowered. This issue was addressed in 1945 when Austin introduced the Austin 16
, which was an Austin 12 fitted with the manufacturer’s first ohv engine this having a displacement of 2199 cc. The extra power converted the car into what one commentator described as a “a particularly lively proposition” , although by this time the less than lively Austin 12 had been in production for six years with the same body.
based auto-making capacity, with its recently enhanced understanding of mass-producing metal goods, was switched to war supplies: this involved not merely aircraft manufacture but also (for some historians less glamorous) items such as tanks
and Jerrycan
s. Austin's auto-production capacity seems to have survived through the war better than that of competitors, and while new Austin 12s produced during the early 1940s were restricted to military and government use, the manufacturer was able to announce its postwar range in 1944, six months before the war in Europe ended. The line-up readied for the post-war period included the Austin 12.
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...
. It was launched in August 1939 and was produced until replaced in 1947 by the similar sized but larger engined Austin A70 Hampshire
Austin A70
The Austin A70 Hampshire and later Austin A70 Hereford are large cars which were produced by the Austin Motor Company of Britain from 1948 until 1954...
. For much of this period, however, it was provided only for military
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and government use.
The Car
The car was presented as an all-new design. It shared a six-light (three windows on each side) profile with its predecessorAustin 12/4
The Austin 12/4 was a car produced by the Austin Motor Company from 1933 until 1939. To distinguish it from the earlier four-cylinder Austin 12 it has become known as the Austin Light 12/4. It was replaced in 1939 by a new model also called the Austin 12 keeping the same engine...
, but was more streamlined. Standard fittings included a sliding roof, opening windscreen and leather upholstery. The bonnet (hood) was now one piece and hinged at the rear rather than opening at the sides. The body was 3 inches (8 cm) longer than the earlier car despite having a wheelbase that was (initially) 5½ inches (14 cm) shorter. It was also ½ inch (1 cm) wider. A conventional chassis frame was retained and the brakes were mechanical with operation by a system of rods. Rigid beam axles were retained front and rear with conventional leaf springs.
The 1939 Austin 12 inherited a 1535 cc sidevalve
Flathead engine
A flathead engine is an internal combustion engine with valves placed in the engine block beside the piston, instead of in the cylinder head, as in an overhead valve engine...
engine and four speed gearbox from its predecessor. 40 bhp of output was claimed. Even by the standards of the day, it was considered by many to be underpowered. This issue was addressed in 1945 when Austin introduced the Austin 16
Austin 16 hp
thumb|right|280px|1946 Austin Sixteen BS1, The 1 millionth Austin producedThe Austin 16HP was the first 'new' car to be produced by the Austin Motor Company following the Second World War...
, which was an Austin 12 fitted with the manufacturer’s first ohv engine this having a displacement of 2199 cc. The extra power converted the car into what one commentator described as a “a particularly lively proposition” , although by this time the less than lively Austin 12 had been in production for six years with the same body.
The Times
The new Austin 12 was introduced in August 1939, at a time when accelerated military spending was overflowing into a domestic consumer boom on the UK market. However, for Britain and her European allies 1939 was also the year when, in September, war broke out, and the British government switched the country’s manufacturing sector onto a war footing much more abruptly than was achieved in Germany. Most of the MidlandsEnglish Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
based auto-making capacity, with its recently enhanced understanding of mass-producing metal goods, was switched to war supplies: this involved not merely aircraft manufacture but also (for some historians less glamorous) items such as tanks
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
and Jerrycan
Jerrycan
A jerrycan is a robust fuel container originally made from pressed steel. It was designed in Germany in the 1930s for military use to hold 20 litres of fuel. The development of the Jerrycan was a huge improvement on earlier designs, which required tools and funnels to use.-Uses:Today similar...
s. Austin's auto-production capacity seems to have survived through the war better than that of competitors, and while new Austin 12s produced during the early 1940s were restricted to military and government use, the manufacturer was able to announce its postwar range in 1944, six months before the war in Europe ended. The line-up readied for the post-war period included the Austin 12.