Austin: A70 Hereford
Note: This is a sub-section of Austin.
Made between 1950-54. 50,421 made.
Replacement for the Austin: A70 Hampshire
2,199cc engine producing 68 bhp
The A70 Hereford replaced the Hampshire in 1950 and was wider and slightly longer with an extra 3 inches (76 mm) in the wheelbase. A new addition to the range of body styles was a 2-door convertible with coachwork by Carbodies of Coventry. A notable mechanical change was the use of hydraulic brakes. The smaller A40 Somerset had similar styling and even shared the same door panels. Sales were slow, with just over 50,000 produced when the A90 Westminster replaced it in 1954. A rare variant was the Hereford pickup. This shared the same platform as the estate, but with fully faired bodywork aft of the driving cab. The interior of this rather plush workhorse was the same as the saloon, with a large split-bench seat, and full instrumentation set in the middle for easy completion whether for left- or right-hand drive.
An A70 tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1951 had a top speed of 80.5 mph (129.6 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 21.4 seconds. A fuel consumption of 21.9 miles per imperial gallon (12.9 L/100 km; 18.2 mpg-US) was recorded. The test car cost £911 including taxes.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Wikipedia