Austin 10

Austin Ten 4-Door Saloon

Austin 10/4 Four-seater Tourer 1933

Austin 10/4 Lichfield 4-Door Saloon 1935

Austin Ten Cambridge 4-Door Saloon 1938

1946 Austin 10 GS 1 (saloon)

The Austin 10 wis a smaw car made bi the Austin Motor Company. It wis launched in Apryle 1932 an wis Austin's best selling car in the 1930s an continued in production, wi upgrades, until 1947. It fitted in atween the "baby" Austin 7 which haed been introduced in 1922 an the Austin 12 hp which haed been updated in 1931.

The design o the car wis conservative wi a steel body biggit on a ladder chassis. The chassis wis bought in an wis designed tae gie a law oweraw heicht tae the car bi dipping doun bi 2.75 inches (70 mm) atween the axles. The 1125-cc fower-cylinder side-valve ingine producin 21 bhp (16 kW) drove the rear wheels throu a fower-speed gearbox an open drive shaft tae a live rear axle. Suspension wis bi hauf-elliptic springs aw roond an the brakes war cable operated. The electrical seestem wis 6 volt. The fower-door saloon wis made in twa versions. The basic model cost £155 an, in the road-test, wis capable o reachin 55 mph (89 km/h) wi an economy o 34 mpg wi a De-Luxe version wi openin ruif an leather upholstery at £168.

Late 1932 saw the saloons jynt bi an open twa-seater an dicky tourer, an a van. A sports model, the 65 mph (105 km/h), 30 bhp (22 kW) wis added in 1933 which wis named the "Ripley" in 1934. Mechanical upgrades for 1934 included a cross-braced chassis, wider rear body, synchromesh on the tap twa gears, direction indicators an 12-volt electrics. The van continued wi a chromed flat radiator as per the oreeginal cars.

The first styling chynge came in August 1934 wi a chynge tae the radiator wi a painted cowl in front an it wis gien a slicht slope. Synchromesh wis added tae seicont gear an self-cancelling "semaphore" teep indicators war biggit intae the door pillar. The saloon wis gien the name "Lichfield" an got a protruding boot which enclosed the spare wheel. It was10% heavier than the early models. The Twa-seater & dicky became the 'Clifton', the Four-seater tourer became the 'Open Road' an the Cabriolet became the 'Colwyn' - aw wi the mair modren styling.

A new body style wis added in Januar 1936 the sax licht (three windaes doun each side, wi ane behind the rear door) "Sherbourne" but the big chynge came in August 1936 wi the awmaist streamlined "Cambridge" saloon an "Conway" cabriolet. The changes included Girling rod brakes, balanced on each axle an front tae back, 16-inch steel disc wheels replaced the 18-inch wires an thare wis mair room for passengers bi muivin the ingine forwards bi 4 inches (100 mm). Later in 1936, a downdraft manifold wis fitted. Top speed rose tae 60 mph (97 km/h). The wecht increased anither 10 %. Thir changes did nae appear on the open cars, which no langer included the Ripley sports. The van anly changed frae the chromed radiator style tae the Cambridge style in August 1937.

In 1938 the engines gained an aluminium cylinder heid, bigger inlet valves, new manifold an bigger waterways producin 32bhp. The rear axle ratio wis increased frae 5.25 tae 5.37:1

A virtually new car wis launched in 1939 wi the body shell incorporating the floor tae gie a semi-unitary structur. The car wis completely restyled bi Argentine born Ricardo "Dick" Burzi who haed jynt Austin frae Lancia in 1929. The bonnet wis hinged at the rear, replacing the side-openin teep on the auld car an the radiator grille became roondit. A new van wis produced, an thare wis a cabriolet (anly prewar). Efter the outbreak o Warld War II, production o the Austin 10 continued in lairge nummers mainly as the 'Utility' pick-up vehicle (the Tilly). In aw during the war, 53,000 o the saloons, pick-ups an vans war made. The Utility an van haed lairger engines (1237cc) an aw engines haed new cylinder blocks, cranks an gearboxes.

Wi peace in 1945, a chynge wis immediately made tae civilian production acause o the post-war financial crisis. The cars war nearly aw exportit wi the first ane arrivin in the United States in Julie 1945. In September 1945 the first passenger cars produced efter the war's end tae arrive in Switzerland war twa Austin 10s exportit frae England.

The Austin 10 continued in production anly until October 1947 tae be replaced bi the A40 car an van.

Military operators

• Unitit Kinrick: Breetish Airmy, Ryal Navy, RAF

References

• "Austin's Top Ten". Jonathan Wid. The Automobile Mey 1999.

Fremmit airtins

• Austin Memories
• The Austin 10 Drivers club Archived 2009-08-29 at the Wayback Machine
• 1937 Austin 10 Cambridge
• Austin 10 Restoration Site