Austin America

[jlummus]

Anyone remember the Austin America? Believe it was BMC's 1970/71 USA-export Landcrab.

 

[Steve]

It was the export (US market) Austin/Morris 1100. The landcrab was the 1800, a bigger car which I don't think ever made it over here. The 1100 was a fine little car, rusted like it was Italian though.

 

[Sherlock]

... except for Canada where the Land Crab (aka 1800) was sold from 1964 or 1965 right through to 1972...

The smaller 1100/1300 series was sold in North America throughout most of the production run - as the MG 1100 in the States and Austin or Morris 1100 in Canada, and then the Austin America in both Canada and the States to replace the 1100 entirely for this side of the Atlantic.

 

[EmmaJNation]

[ QUOTE ]
It was the export (US market) Austin/Morris 1100. The landcrab was the 1800, a bigger car which I don't think ever made it over here. The 1100 was a fine little car, rusted like it was Italian though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Must've been the Pininfarina body design!
Emma

 

[Missy]

Was googling "Austin America" and found this forum. My very first car, back in 1972 was a 1969 British Racing Green, Austin America. I loved and adored that car. His name was Max. I liked having a unique car. There was so much right about it. That was back in the days when gas stations checked your oil, and I can't tell you how many attendants were surprised to find the engine mounted sideways. Of course having a 4 speed automatic was different too. Down side was you would be in 4th gear by the time you were doing 20mph if you didn't manually shift it. Had a huge trunk, and lots of interior room. I hear they think there are only about 100 left on the road. Makes me wish I still had mine.

 

[Steve]

They were really good little cars, shame that there are so few left.

 

[mongoose]

There's a really georgeous one here in Milwaukee.

 

[Bugeye58]

Back in '78 or so, my brother bought a pristine '69 America when he was stationed in Las Vegas. It had some engine problem, and he, not being familar with LBC's at the time, finally gave up in disgust and sold it for next to nothing. Now, that he is properly indoctrinated into Britmobiles, he says that was the biggest automotive related mistake he ever made. I think now he is down to only one Bugeye, a '61 Sprite, and the '65 that I keep at his place in California.
Jeff

 

[aeronca65t]

I really liked these cars. I bought a nice-looking, low mileage '69 for $50 in the early 70s.
It was a automatic and had very poor forward clutch-packs allowing it to slip during acceleration when it warmed up. Reverse gear was perfect, so several times I had to back up hills due to clutch slippage. My "repair" was an oil and filter change using heavier oil (plus very gentle driving). I drove it for 2 years before selling the engine for $300 to friend, who put it in his Mini (he still has it too!). I ended up with three more of these things, all with bad automatics (I put one engine in my Mini and sold the others to Mini-owners).
Those BMC automatic transmissions required very frequent oil changes, since they ran on the engine oil. I'd guess that most of the automatics went bad due to lack of oil changing. These car also had the hyro-elastic suspension that was very smooth riding but confounded most mechanics of the day.
I once got pulled over by a policeman in mine because he though it was an MGB-GT! (one had been reported stolen).

 

[Eric]

If memory serves, the Americas were the 1300 motor, not the 1100. Big power for the colonies! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Xracer]

Yep....the Austin America had the 1275 engine. The same car with the 1100 engine was sold here as the MG 1100.....but given that both cars where powered by Mini engines, were considerably larger and heavier, and most had that pitiful automatic transmission, performance was less than spectacular.....the MG 1100, with it's smaller engine, even less so than the Austin America.

 

[Super 7]

I believe that small engined mini's probably killed more Austin Americas than anyting else. They became organ doners. I think there is a nice on for sale in the Midwest, last time I looked for one in Collector Car Trader online there was. I like them. I'm afraid of the Hydrolastic suspension though.

My favorite version is the Vanden Plas.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4515447221&fromMakeTrack=true

Here is a nice looking one on E Bay. Too bad they are all RHD, or I would be very tempted to make one my daughter's first car. These things are pretty neat.

[ QUOTE ]
I drove it for 2 years before selling the engine for $300 to friend, who put it in his Mini (he still has it too!). I ended up with three more of these things, all with bad automatics (I put one engine in my Mini and sold the others to Mini-owners).


[/ QUOTE ]

 

[vagt6]

Thanks for posting that, Super7, that's a gorgeous car!

 

[Eric]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that small engined mini's probably killed more Austin Americas than anyting else.

[/ QUOTE ]

That, and the standard equipment rust. I believe BMC licenced the rust technology from FIAT. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif