1952 Austin A40 Sports GD3
While the Austin A40 is undoubtedly an important car in the history of automobiles, it is only the Sports model that has piqued my interest for a long, long time. I saw one decades ago, and have read of them from time to time, but with only 4011 of them emerging from the Jensen factory (where they were bodied in that lovely aluminium bodywork) between 1950 and 1953, they aren't exactly thick on the ground. In fact, it is estimated there are only about 50 still in operation around the world.
The late previous owner had imported the car from New Zealand 16 years ago.
He was an MG fanatic (TC, TF), but had imported the car from New Zealand
because he could not find in Australia the same model he purchased back in
the early 1950s, and always regretted selling.
In November 2022, this one was mentioned in a Facebook A40 page, where the daughter of the late owner was looking for guidance. I immediately contacted her, and a mutually agreeable deal was struck. The car eventually began its trip from Queensland's sunshine Coast to central Victoria on the 17th November 2022, and some of the photos of that journey can be seen here. The running commentary of rectification/restoration work can be seen here. I am also researching the car's history in New Zealand, and placing any updates here as they come in. Finally, I've been saving any old photos, road tests, adverts etc that I see on the Internet, and they can be seen here.
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The Austin A40 Sports was launched at the 1950 Motor Show.
Jensen designer Eric Neale had been working on a sleek body for the original Jensen Interceptor, when the Jensen Brothers returned from a visit to Longbridge with a request for him to produce a four-seat tourer for the Austin Devon Chassis. This was to enable them to get their hands on the Austin 4-Litre engine for their new Interceptor project. So the Austin A40 Sports was born.
In order to achieve the construction of the Interceptor and A40 Sports to the tight deadline set by Jensen and Austin, Eric Neale utilised a lot of common parts between the two models. The A40 Sports doors, for example, were lengthened for the Interceptor. Many trim parts were utilised from the Austin Devon Saloon with the door handles coming from the Austin A90 Atlantic parts bin. The power output of the excellent A40 1200cc OHV engine was boosted by the addition of twin SU carburettors.
Eric Neale was extremely proud of the A40 Sports and drove one of the prototypes as his family car. At the time, the A40 Sports was a massive contract for Jensen. The production run of 3500 – 4000 cars was beyond their experience. A new factory was set up at Pensnett in Brierley Hill, Staffs. to produce the finished bodies. Three completed motorised chassis were driven from Longbridge each day, with the drivers sitting on temporary seats. Jensen then fitted the largely aluminium bodies and they were duly driven back to Longbridge for finishing by Austin.
Many were exported, and following the introduction of the A40 Somerset Drophead Coupé in mid-1952, the A40 Sports was discontinued in 1953.
Producing the attractive Italianesque A40 Sports gave Jensen the revenue and financial stability they needed to produce their later models. The A40 Sports played a significant part in the history of Jensen Motors and in the story of post-war Austin record-breaking.
↑Beautiful with the roof
up,...
↑...or down.
↑Note how the rear window
panel can be removed from the convertible top!
↑...or you can simply fold
the whole roof down.
↑This wooden dash is not
original, but has been well done, and will remain. Gearshift is
floor-mounted, which originally led me to accept the previous oner's claim
that it was a 1950 GD2 model, but it is increasingly apparent that the car
is a late '51, or more likely early '52 model, making it a GD3 which would
originally have had a column shift (A40 Somerset gearbox). The gearbox has
been changed for an earlier Devon model, along with the gear lever.
↑I just love this
interior.
↑Surprisingly large boot.
↑All the Lucas lights
shining brightly!
↑This is where the
'Sport' comes in; twin SUs! (and a slightly different cylinder head).
↑Alternator conversion
is sensible, and will remain.
↑Gotta love a Flying A.
↑The badly peeling paint
that will need complete removal and respraying.
↑Interestingly, this
colour chart of Sports colours collated by worldwide expert Dirk
Backenköhler ©, contains no reds! The colour names are Dirk's names,
not official factory names.
↑Sure enough; after
extensive searching I found evidence of the original colour in the
convertible top well. Or so I thought. Communication with people in New
Zealand who knew the car previously has suggested it was in a green primer,
and the Heritage Certificate that finally arrived indicates the car was
originally "Dove Grey" (see below).
↑The car's
'birth certificate'.
↑Until it's all done,
seeing it sitting out in the sunshine from inside the workshop is a lovely
sight!
↑Chassis number
650887...
↑...and engine
number, 1G663951.
↑This one of the
original, plain A40 wheels that were fitted to the car when it came from New
Zealand. The
previous owner tracked down a set of the later, slotted GD3 wheels, which were
painted in body colour and fitted some years ago.
↑The old made-in-New
Zealand Dunlops that were on the car when it came to Australia from New
Zealand.
↑Got to love
these things the postman brought here.
↑An amazing period
photograph of the cars at the Jensen factory.
↑Sales brochure
cover.