Thread: Austin A-40s - Any opinions?

Tweet

I stumbled onto a pretty cool looking car called a Austin A-40, well from the single photo it looks good, but have admittedly never heard of Austins. Any opinions regarding build quality, parts availability, anything?

Appreciate it!

Here's an Austin that one our car club members put together a few years ago.

His is done pro street style, but they should make a good looking street rod style as well.

His is a pretty cool ride although with the engine setback, roll cage, etc. in his it's a little small inside.

Mick

I don't know if you followed drag racing in the days of the gassers, but the Austin was used for the same thing as the Anglia. Some big name racers ran them. If you have heard of Jeg's performance, the dad made his name nationally in an Austin race car.

Never followed drag racing but ole Blackie in the photo above looks pretty badass. I imagine the entire trunk and back seat area is tubbed to allow those monster wheels.

It sounds like there are obviously parts to be had relatively easily if Austins were so popular on the drag strip? That fact they are originally British built made me question this. There is a sweet looking Austin on hotrodhotline but it's only a single photo from 3/4's, most cars look good from this angle. Just wanted to tug on the ear of the forum here in the chance these cars had a negative reputation. Appreciate the reponse.

Here is my old one built back in the day w a '57 9" and '58 347 Poncho trip motor-sold because i am WAY too big to get in + out comfortably. kill to have another not so hacked up and a two door.
Also including a link to The Austin Works for parts
http://www.austinworks.com/

Originally Posted by Dgas56

...sold because i am WAY too big to get in + out comfortably...

Never actually seeing one in person I was curious about the size of them - I'm not a small guy myself.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

I'm still oogling over pickups these days but wonder if I'll regret not being able to have room for a 3rd person...

The nice thing about a sedan is that the seats can be pushed farther back.

I can still remember trying to sit in a AA/Gas '33 Willys pickup with the firewall pushed back for the blown bigblock. The gas pedal was over by the passenger door! The Austins aren't nearly that bad, of course. I owned two, a friend had one, and I helped build another one into a race car.

BTW, English cars are always small, so it may be a little narrower than you expect. England and Europe had narrower roads than us in the past.

Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

I don't know if you followed drag racing in the days of the gassers, but the Austin was used for the same thing as the Anglia. Some big name racers ran them. If you have heard of Jeg's performance, the dad made his name nationally in an Austin race car.

If I remember correctly, it's the Austin that Jeg Sr. had that I flagged in '59 at Dahio and I seem to remember that it was an A/A car.