Austin A70 Hampshire & Hereford
Longbridge · 1948–1954 · 85,682 built · assembled at Petone
The car the Petone line tooled up for in 1948 — and one of the last big Austins on a separate chassis.
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About the Austin A70 Hampshire & Hereford
The Hampshire arrived in September 1948 to replace the Austin Sixteen, carrying over its 2,199cc overhead-valve four and wearing Dick Burzi’s American-influenced pontoon styling on a steel body over a separate chassis. The Hereford replaced it in 1950, three inches longer in the wheelbase and wider, with a long chrome grille sitting just above the bumper. 35,261 Hampshires and 50,421 Herefords were built before the A90 Westminster took over in 1954. In New Zealand this is the car the Petone plant grew up on: it tooled up for A40 and A70 assembly in 1948 and built 8,000 Austins between then and 1954.
The brake change is the one that matters. The Hampshire has Girling hydraulic brakes on the front wheels only, with mechanical rears; the Hereford is fully hydraulic, with two leading shoes at the front. Beyond the saloon there is more to this car than people expect. The Countryman estates were wood-framed, the bodies subcontracted to Papworth Industries of Cambridge — over 900 on the A70 chassis — with an ash frame and mahogany veneer behind the A-post, metal door bases and wheelarches, a split tailgate and six seats. There was a pick-up on the same platform, and a Carbodies drophead coupé of which only 266 found buyers. Estates were classified as commercials, which dodged Purchase Tax and, earlier, brought a larger petrol ration — which is exactly why so many were bought.
Austin A70 Hampshire & Hereford — specification & changes within the model
- Built
- Hampshire September 1948 – 1950, 35,261 built. Hereford 1950–1954, 50,421 built. 85,682 in all.
- Engine
- 2,199cc overhead-valve four (79.4 × 111.1mm), all iron, around 68bhp @ 3800rpm, 116lb ft @ 1700rpm, 6.8:1, single Zenith downdraught.
- Brakes
- Hampshire: Girling hydraulic front, mechanical rear. Hereford: fully hydraulic, two leading shoes at the front. Drums all round on both.
- Gearbox
- Four-speed, column change, synchromesh on 2nd, 3rd and 4th only. Borg & Beck single dry plate clutch.
- Suspension
- Independent wishbone and coil front; live axle on semi-elliptic leaves at the rear. Worm steering. Separate chassis, steel body.
- Hampshire vs Hereford
- Hereford is 3in longer in the wheelbase (96in → 99in) and wider, with a long chrome grille just above the bumper. The Hampshire has detachable rear spats and shares its grille and side glass with the A40.
- Bodies
- Four-door six-light saloon · wood-framed Countryman estate, bodies by Papworth Industries, over 900 built · pick-up on the estate platform · Carbodies drophead coupé, 266 built.
- Why so many estates
- Estates were classified as commercial vehicles, which avoided Purchase Tax and earlier brought a larger petrol ration.
- Built here
- The Petone plant tooled up for A40 and A70 Hampshire and Hereford assembly in 1948; 8,000 Austins were assembled there between 1948 and 1954. Also assembled in Melbourne.