Background
Austin was one of Britain’s longest established motor manufacturers having been founded by Herbert Austin in 1905. Herbert Austin had travelled to Australia as a young man and had become involved in the sheep shearing business going on to patent his own revolutionary machine designs. By 1894, however, Austin was in Birmingham setting up a factory to produce shearing machines. Never was there a more seasonal business, however, so Austin turned to bicycle and ultimately car manufacture to help even out production.
Fast forward to 1952 and with Herbert Austin dead for over a decade industry behemoths Morris and Austin merged to create the British Motor Corporation (BMC). The merger gave rise to the widespread introduction of badge engineering where a common car design would wear both Austin and Morris badging to help ensure the optimum market penetration. Austin was granted one last hoorah, however, with the commissioning of a car that would only ever be sold as an Austin marking the end of a proud chapter of British motoring history.
That car was the Austin A40 Farina. None other than Italian designer extraordinaire, Battista Farina, was retained to design the “all new baby Austin.” By now we have learnt to take the “all new” claim with a whole fist-full of salt when applied to British cars of days gone by, of course. And so it was with the A40 Farina with it sharing front and rear suspension, shock absorbers, steering system, rear brake system, wheels and hubcaps, speedometer, wiper motor, and headlamp assemblies with the A35. Possibly stretching the “all new” claim to the limit. The design was definitely all new and courtesy of Farina being launched in Saloon guise in 1958, and Countryman guise a year later.
By 1961 a MKII version of the Farina was released with a 3.5 inch longer wheelbase to offer rear passengers some feeling in their legs over longer journeys. Other changes included more power from the 948cc engine, courtesy of an SU carburettor, and a front anti-roll bar was fitted. By 1962 engine capacity was increased to 1098cc with power jumping 11 bhp (which was well over 30%!) to 47bhp.
Like other small Austins before it, the A40 Farina was soon achieving giant slaying feats in the world of motorsports. In the 1959 Monte Carlo Rally an A40 driven by Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom won the Coupe des Dames, Houbigant Cup, RAC Challenge Trophy and Souvenir Award, and "L'Officiel de la Couture." The diminutive Austin was 2nd in class for standard series production touring cars up to 1000 cc as well as achieving 10th in General Classification. The following year George “Doc” Shepherd would win the British Saloon Car Championships at the wheel of an A40 Farina and with an 18-point lead over the second placed Ford Anglia.
