Austin 1800 & 2200
1964–1975 · about 386,000 built · second on the London–Sydney
The Landcrab — Hydrolastic, front-wheel drive, and a bodyshell stiff enough to finish a marathon.
Find Austin 1800 & 2200 parts by category
RelatedAustin Tasman & KimberleyAustin 3 LitreAll Austin
Not listed? Plenty of parts suit several marques and never get the model name in the title — ask us and we will check the books for you.
About the Austin 1800 & 2200
Launched in October 1964, the 1800 put the 1,798cc B-series across the front driving the front wheels, on Hydrolastic suspension interconnected front to rear, in a shell of exceptional torsional stiffness — which is why it rallied so well. Paddy Hopkirk, Tony Nash and Alec Poole finished second on the 1968 London–Sydney Marathon, six minutes behind the winning Hillman Hunter, and Hopkirk gave up his own chance of winning by driving back down the course to fetch help for the crashed Citroën that had been leading. Three 1800s finished the 1970 World Cup Rally to Mexico — ninth, eleventh and eighteenth from 96 starters, of which only 23 finished at all, and one of the three was crewed entirely by women. The 2,227cc E-series six reached Britain in March 1972, two years after Australia had it.
There are several hard splits on this car. Wheels went from 13in to 14in at the Mk2 in May 1968. The gearchange is cable on Mk1 and Mk2 and rod from the Mk3, and the handbrake changed from the umbrella pull under the dash to a floor lever at the same time. Rear lamps are horizontal on Mk1 and vertical fins on Mk2 — except the Wolseley, which kept its own. Electrically, Mk1 and Mk2 are dynamo and positive earth; from 1972 cars have an alternator. Suspension internals changed from roller bearings to bushes at the Mk2. And Australian Mk2 cars use Repco-PBR dual-circuit brakes instead of Girling, so an Australian-delivered car needs different hydraulics. In New Zealand both Austin and Morris badges went on otherwise identical cars, assembled at Petone and at Newmarket in Auckland.
Austin 1800 & 2200 — specification & changes within the model
- Built
- October 1964 – early 1975. Around 386,000 across all marques; about 221,000 Austins. Austin 2200 and Morris 2200 together only 20,865, 1972–75.
- Engines
- 1,798cc B-series (80.3 × 88.9mm), around 85bhp, 86bhp from the Mk2. 1800S from October 1968: twin SU HS6, around 96bhp. 2,227cc E-series six from March 1972, 110bhp.
- Gearbox
- Four-speed, all-synchromesh, in the sump. Cable change on Mk1 and Mk2, rod change from Mk3. Automatic from 1968.
- Brakes
- Girling, discs front and drums rear, servo, with an inertia-controlled limiting valve. Australian Mk2 cars use Repco-PBR dual-circuit instead.
- Suspension
- Hydrolastic, interconnected front to rear, in a tubular cross-member welded to the bulkhead — there is no bolt-on front subframe. Roller bearings on Mk1, bushes from Mk2. Rear anti-roll bar deleted end of 1965.
- Electrics
- Dynamo and positive earth on Mk1 and Mk2; alternator from 1972. Ribbon speedometer on Austin and Morris; the Wolseley has round dials.
- Wheels
- 13in with 4.5in rims on Mk1; 14in from the Mk2, May 1968.
- Mk2 and Mk3
- Mk2 May 1968: revised interior and grille, vertical fin rear lamps (not Wolseley), higher gearing, 14in wheels. Mk3 1972: new shared grille, floor handbrake, rod gearchange, and the six.
- Bodies
- Four-door saloon only in Britain. Australia built a coupe utility, 1968–71, over 2,000 made. The doors also went on the Maxi, the 3 Litre and the Panther De Ville.
- Built here
- Assembled at Petone and at Newmarket, Auckland — both Austin and Morris badges on otherwise identical cars. Some 2200s came in fully assembled in 1973–74.
- Servicing note
- The gearbox shares its oil with the engine. Frequent oil changes protect both.