The Innocenti A40 was the Austin A40 Farina assembled under licence in Milan from 1960 to 1967. Innocenti added its own Combinata hatchback and the more powerful A40 S, and built 67,706 cars.
Innocenti A40 at a glance
| Maker | Innocenti, Lambrate, Milan, under BMC licence |
|---|---|
| Production | 1960-1967 |
| Based on | Austin A40 Farina |
| Bodies | two-door saloon and three-door Combinata |
| Engine | 948 cc A-series four, 40 hp, 44 hp from 1962 |
| From 1963 | 1098 cc engine, 50 hp, as the A40 S |
| Gearbox | four-speed manual |
| Suspension | independent front, live rear axle |
| Brakes | drums |
| First showing | 21 October 1960 |
| Built by Innocenti | 67,706 |
History of the Innocenti A40
The licence deal
When Innocenti decided to add cars to its traditional steel tubing and scooters, it signed an agreement with BMC in 1959 to build the new A40 under licence. With the high value of the pound and Italian import duties, local production was the only practical way to sell the car in Italy. Innocenti also saw a gap between the Fiat 600 and the 1100 that the largest Italian maker had not yet filled. The Innocenti A40 was presented in 1960 in a form practically identical to the English original, and the first official Italian showing was on 21 October 1960.
Combinata and A40 S
Innocenti did not want to build a mere clone. In 1961 it launched the A40 Combinata, a hatchback with a split tailgate, a sort of prelude to the Austin A40 Countryman that appeared only the following year. In 1962 came the second series with a revised front, a longer wheelbase of 89 mm and 44 hp; the range remained the two-door saloon and the three-door Combinata. In 1963 the A40 S arrived with a 1098 cc engine of 50 hp and, from then on, a one-piece top-hinged tailgate on the Combinata. The saloon left the price list in 1965 and the Combinata in 1967.
The English car
The Austin A40 Farina was designed by Pinin Farina, launched as a saloon in 1958 and joined by the Countryman estate in 1959. Its two-box body and horizontally split tailgate made the Countryman an early volume-production hatchback. The Mark II of 1961 had a longer wheelbase and a redesigned grille and dashboard; the 948 cc engine gave way to a 1098 cc unit in 1962. Across both marks Austin built 342,162 cars, 169,612 Mark I and 172,550 Mark II, and production ended in 1967.
Design and features
- Milan-stamped bodies: the Innocenti cars were assembled in Italy with locally pressed bodywork.
- Combinata hatchback: a split tailgate version launched a year before the English Countryman.
- A40 S: the 1098 cc, 50 hp version from 1963, with a one-piece tailgate on the estate.
- Italian market fit: the car filled the gap between the Fiat 600 and the 1100.
Innocenti A40 versions
- Innocenti A40 40 hp saloon (1960-1962): the first series.
- Innocenti A40 40 hp Combinata (1961-1962): the split-tailgate hatchback.
- Innocenti A40 44 hp (1962-1963): second series with a longer wheelbase.
- Innocenti A40 S saloon (1963-1965): 1098 cc and 50 hp.
- Innocenti A40 S Combinata (1963-1967): the final version, with a one-piece tailgate.
The A40 was the first car Innocenti built; it shared the Turin show stand with the 950 Spider. Its coupé stablemate was the Innocenti C. More models are in the Innocenti collection.
Video: Innocenti A 40S ritrovamenti
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Austin A40 Farina, English Wikipedia: design, Mark I and Mark II, production totals
- Austin A40 Farina, Italian Wikipedia: Innocenti production, Combinata, A40 S, model list
- Innocenti, Italian Wikipedia: the 1959 BMC agreement and the start of car production
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