The Austin 8 is a small car that was produced by Austin between 1939 and 1948. Launched on 24 February 1939, production continued into the war until 1943; roughly 9,000 to 9,500 of the wartime cars were two-seater military 8AP tourers for the armed services and government. After the Second World War the model was made from 1945 until 1948.
Austin 8 at a glance
| Launched | 24 February 1939 |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1939–1943 and 1945–1948 |
| Engine | 900 cc four-cylinder side-valve from the Big 7, compression 6.5:1 |
| Chassis | pressed-steel floor pan with a box section down each side and three crossmembers; body bolted on |
| Suspension | semi-elliptic leaf springs with hydraulic dampers |
| Built before the war closed production | about 47,600 |
| Military 8AP tourers | roughly 9,000–9,500 |
| Pre-war models | AR four-door six-light saloon, ARA two-door four-light saloon, AP tourer, AV van |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only (a trusted source), so the facts were not cross-checked against a second source.
History of the Austin 8
By the late 1930s sales of Austin’s big seller, the Austin 7, were declining, and the 1938 addition of the 900 cc “Big 7” did little to fill the demand, because despite its larger engine its suspension and handling were still rooted in its early 1920s origins. A restyled and re-engineered range had started to appear in 1937 with the Cambridge 10, much more streamlined, and after the arrival of Leonard Lord, development of a proper 8 hp car was accelerated. The “new” engine was first advertised as 27 hp but later corrected to the same rating as the Big 7, 24 hp.
The new car was displayed to dealers in February 1939. It kept the 900 cc four-cylinder side-valve engine of the Big 7, now with a higher 6.5:1 compression ratio, but had a completely new chassis, halfway to full unitary construction: the main member was a pressed-steel floor pan with a box section welded down each side and three others across the floor, and the body was bolted to this structure. Suspension was by semi-elliptic leaf springs with hydraulic dampers.
Models
Two- and four-door saloons were made, as well as two- and four-seat tourers and vans. About 47,600 were built before the war closed production in 1943. When production restarted in 1945, no more tourers or two-door saloons were produced in England; post-war production of the tourer was however undertaken in Australia. The model was unnamed and known simply by its RAC horsepower rating plus a code: AR was the four-door six-light saloon, ARA the two-door four-light saloon, AP the tourer in two- or four-seater form and AV the van.
Military Austin 8AP Tourer
Just before and during the war a special Austin 8 “tilly”, the Austin 8AP Military Tourer, was made.
Design and features
- Engine: the Big 7’s 900 cc side-valve four with higher compression.
- Chassis: a pressed-steel floor pan with welded box sections, halfway to unitary construction.
- Springs: semi-elliptic leaf springs with hydraulic dampers.
Austin 8 versions
- AR, ARA saloons: four- and two-door saloons.
- AP tourer: two- or four-seat tourer.
- AV van.
- 8AP Military Tourer: the wartime two-seater “tilly”.
More Austin cars are in our Austin collection, for example the Austin 7 it replaced in popularity, the Tilly utility cars and the A40.
Austin 8 questions and answers
When was the Austin 8 launched?
On 24 February 1939.
How many were built before the war?
About 47,600, before the war closed production in 1943.
What engine did it have?
A 900 cc side-valve four-cylinder from the Big 7.
What was the 8AP?
The military two-seater tourer, nicknamed a tilly, built just before and during the war.
Was the tourer made after the war?
Not in England, but in Australia.
Video: RARE CLASSIC CAR AUSTIN EIGHT 6 LIGHT AUSTIN 8.wmv
Video by MrStandardbreds on YouTube.
Sources
- Austin 8, English Wikipedia: history, chassis and models
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