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Austin A55. Are these any good?
- Thread starter Thespud
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Bruce Bowker
Obi Wan
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[ QUOTE ]
...but i just need to guage if they are any good or not...
[/ QUOTE ]
That is an extremly relative question. Some people think that there is not a good car anyhwere. Then there are people who like all cars. Do you mean "any good" as in mechnically, electrically, handling, performance, will people smile, laugh at you, say great car, worth any money, hard or easy to get parts?
It is really up to you. If you like the car, its looks and think you can keep it running, it is worth it.
Bruce
...but i just need to guage if they are any good or not...
[/ QUOTE ]
That is an extremly relative question. Some people think that there is not a good car anyhwere. Then there are people who like all cars. Do you mean "any good" as in mechnically, electrically, handling, performance, will people smile, laugh at you, say great car, worth any money, hard or easy to get parts?
It is really up to you. If you like the car, its looks and think you can keep it running, it is worth it.
Bruce
I owned one in the 70's. It was slow, heavy, unreliable, handled poorly and had lousy brakes. Just like every other British family saloon of its era. It was also made of very durable materials, was easy to work on and had that funky Farina tailfin look that was so uncool that it was cool. I loved it. Lots of engine parts (its a B series engine that shares many bits with the MGB), but some trim and interior bits may be unobtainable. All your parts will likely come from the UK. You could also try https://www.austinworks.com/ for a US source.
Sherlock
Yoda
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While not a sporting model, an A55 is certainly collectable. If you do decide to purchase it would be wise to get involved with a club, I suspect there will be clubs/groups in Australia that will be of help and that cater to a car like this.
And also in this new on-line world, there is plenty of support from all over the world for people who choose to run a car like this. Heck... I know of a guy in Pakistan who has a 1964 Vauxhall Victor he is restoring back to original condition.
And also in this new on-line world, there is plenty of support from all over the world for people who choose to run a car like this. Heck... I know of a guy in Pakistan who has a 1964 Vauxhall Victor he is restoring back to original condition.
Hello Thespud,
not my cup of tea, but they also came in MG and Wolseley and Riley variants if I remember correctly. I once owned an A95 which is a more interesting car but of a very similar design mechanically (with a six cylinder engine.) I often wonder what that would be like using Healey engine parts in it.
Eric,
"It was slow, heavy, unreliable, handled poorly and had lousy brakes. Just like every other British family saloon of its era."
Sorry, you don't know what you are talking about. There are many British family saloons that do not fit that description.
Alec
not my cup of tea, but they also came in MG and Wolseley and Riley variants if I remember correctly. I once owned an A95 which is a more interesting car but of a very similar design mechanically (with a six cylinder engine.) I often wonder what that would be like using Healey engine parts in it.
Eric,
"It was slow, heavy, unreliable, handled poorly and had lousy brakes. Just like every other British family saloon of its era."
Sorry, you don't know what you are talking about. There are many British family saloons that do not fit that description.
Alec
Roger
Luke Skywalker
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Piman,
Eric was wrong about the range, too. The Mk1 was the pre-Farina model of the late 50s. The Farina Mk11 came in '59. Both were pretty dreadful when new, and since then cannot have improved - they only have age!
Maye the only British cars he ever came across on this side of the pond fitted his somewhat careless description?
Eric was wrong about the range, too. The Mk1 was the pre-Farina model of the late 50s. The Farina Mk11 came in '59. Both were pretty dreadful when new, and since then cannot have improved - they only have age!
Maye the only British cars he ever came across on this side of the pond fitted his somewhat careless description?
aeronca65t
Great Pumpkin
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Alec/Roger:
I tried to think of a British saloon from that era that was "fast, light, reliable, handled excellent and had great brakes".
Sorry! Can't think of one! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I tried to think of a British saloon from that era that was "fast, light, reliable, handled excellent and had great brakes".
Sorry! Can't think of one! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Hello Aeronca,
I was thrown slightly by Eric's reference to the Farina fins, which of course, on reflection is the A60, not the 55. Certainly there was a huge improvement from the 50's models to the 60's. However how about the MG Magnette?, a sporty 50's family saloon. Perhaps you could also classify the MK 1 Jaguar as a family saloon, (Good enough for the 1958? World Formula 1 champion to drive about in.) or even the Mk 7.
The sixties gave us such as the Triumph 2000, Rover 2000 and of course the Mini (Ok 1959).
Really, are we not looking at cars 50 years of age and applying current standards, rather than putting them into perspective. What cars at all, of that age fit your description, very few that I can think of. The Citroen DS series were exceptional in some aspects but fast and light does not apply.
Alec
I was thrown slightly by Eric's reference to the Farina fins, which of course, on reflection is the A60, not the 55. Certainly there was a huge improvement from the 50's models to the 60's. However how about the MG Magnette?, a sporty 50's family saloon. Perhaps you could also classify the MK 1 Jaguar as a family saloon, (Good enough for the 1958? World Formula 1 champion to drive about in.) or even the Mk 7.
The sixties gave us such as the Triumph 2000, Rover 2000 and of course the Mini (Ok 1959).
Really, are we not looking at cars 50 years of age and applying current standards, rather than putting them into perspective. What cars at all, of that age fit your description, very few that I can think of. The Citroen DS series were exceptional in some aspects but fast and light does not apply.
Alec
Sherlock
Yoda
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Don't forget too... That the pre-1960's British cars (saloon cars, sports cars, otherwise) were built prior to the freeway era in England, so they didn't necessarily have to be ultra-fast for the driving conditions in England.
We have to put cars like this in perspective to their time. I know of some people who restore pre-1960's British saloon cars to all original, and are perfectly fine with the lack of performance from the engine.
We have to put cars like this in perspective to their time. I know of some people who restore pre-1960's British saloon cars to all original, and are perfectly fine with the lack of performance from the engine.
Sorry guys, but the A55 Cambridge was the finned body, which morphed into the A60 Cambridge with slightly more restrained fins. The A50 Cambridge was the pre-finned model, similar in styling to the A90.
https://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/291/
And yes, I did love it....
https://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/291/
And yes, I did love it....
OP
Thespud
Freshman Member
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[ QUOTE ]
Sorry guys, but the A55 Cambridge was the finned body, which morphed into the A60 Cambridge with slightly more restrained fins. The A50 Cambridge was the pre-finned model, similar in styling to the A90.
https://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/291/
And yes, I did love it....
[/ QUOTE ]
This one shown is actually the MkII (1959-1961). The one i am buying is a MkI (1957-59) and looks like this:
In fact, this is about the state of the one i'm buying (except it actually has headlights in it)
Sorry guys, but the A55 Cambridge was the finned body, which morphed into the A60 Cambridge with slightly more restrained fins. The A50 Cambridge was the pre-finned model, similar in styling to the A90.
https://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/291/
And yes, I did love it....
[/ QUOTE ]
This one shown is actually the MkII (1959-1961). The one i am buying is a MkI (1957-59) and looks like this:
In fact, this is about the state of the one i'm buying (except it actually has headlights in it)
Simon TR4a
Jedi Knight
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Spud, I think it will depend on your expectations. I remember these cars as comfortable and "friendly" somehow, quite a lot of period charm, the winged A for Austin, and the painted metal dash, nice to burble along secondary roads.
Britain was just starting to build motorways at this point, so it does not have the power or diff ratio to be a good cruiser; first gear "sings" in a way I find quite a pleasant reminder of an era gone by, and the car will lean heavily on its front tyre in corners.
I do think a Sunbeam Rapier or Cortina would meet at least some of the standards mentioned above, but there is no reason the Austin can't be reliable with reasonable maintenance. This may involve more greasing of suspension than a more modern car, and I think it has an "oil bath" air filter, careful when you remove it!
Good luck, Simon.
Britain was just starting to build motorways at this point, so it does not have the power or diff ratio to be a good cruiser; first gear "sings" in a way I find quite a pleasant reminder of an era gone by, and the car will lean heavily on its front tyre in corners.
I do think a Sunbeam Rapier or Cortina would meet at least some of the standards mentioned above, but there is no reason the Austin can't be reliable with reasonable maintenance. This may involve more greasing of suspension than a more modern car, and I think it has an "oil bath" air filter, careful when you remove it!
Good luck, Simon.
I might jump in here. I learned to drive on my father's 1956 Morris Oxford, pretty similar to the Austin in those pictures, and while it was certainly not a high-performance car, it was typical of its period and price-range, and reliable. And yes, it had the oil-bath air cleaner. A mechanic, not understanding the function of the lock-nut (pair of nuts) on the top, screwed it down, bending the "lid" and closing off the air flow. The car would start and idle fine, but the moment you put your foot down, it reached a limit (perhaps 20 mph in 4th gear)! By the way, you shouldn't worry about the noise of 1st gear (straight-cut with no synchro-mesh) since it was intended more or less as an emergency gear; in normal driving you used 2nd gear to start, and of course although the power developed was low for a 1500 cc engine (by today's standards), there was plenty of low-speed torque. In fact the weakest point was the linkage for the steering-column gear shift, which would fall out leaving you in 3rd gear ... but with care you could start and drive almost anywhere in 3rd!
Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50 (San Francisco)
Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50 (San Francisco)