A Great British Failure! The Austin 3-Litre. But, is it rubbish?
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- Опубліковано 16 тра 2024
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We love challenging opinion at HubNut, and what better way to do so than to drive an Austin 3-Litre? It stands as a magnificent testament to the failure of management, taking the front-wheel drive Austin/Morris 1800 as its base, but undergoing a dramatic transformation to rear-wheel drive, with an engine used only in this car and the MGC.
That engine is a fairly unnecessary reworking of the previous 2912cc six-cylinder engine, so it now has a seven-bearing crankshaft. And not enough power.
But, ignoring the gawky looks and rather plain interior, what is the 3-Litre actually like to drive? This road test answers your questions, as we tackle roads north of Auckland, New Zealand.
Many thanks to John for letting me drive this car, and for chauffering me to the airport after filming was completed!
HubNut shop and support options can be found at hubnut.org - thank you. - Авто та транспорт
I think this is one of those designs that, when first released, may not have been particularly attractive, but over time has become much more appreciated. Personally, I think the car is gorgeous.
Think you hit the nail on the head with your comment. Church bro
as the former owner of a 1971 Morris 1800 can I say it didn't horrify me. Great car, drove well and by god on one snowy camping trip in the Yorkshire Dales it made a welcome refuge for warm, dry and comfortable sleeping
I recall having a conversation in the sixtees with a 3 ltr owner. It was a new car then and the owner replaced his Rolls with this car. Far from being dissapointed with it, he raved about it and said it was better than the Roller. Very luxurious by his account.
Yep it's the Roxy roller
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - I have always thought the 3-litre was the best looking Austin of the Issigonis era. When they came out my boss replaced his Rover P5B with a 3-litre, and claimed the Austin was a much better car. Indeed, he liked the car so much that when they were discontinued he bought, not one but, two to tide him over 'til his retirement!
I have had my P5B for thirty five years & love her. However l can readily appreciate that the Austin will have a far superior ride. You can see her wafting against the horizon in the video. It looks sublime.
I like the Austin 3 litre very much.
@Delta Fox He didn't, but from my experiences riding in the two cars, my memory would suggest the Austin was a much more 'modern' car, with a light airy feel to the cabin as well as that much better ride; there was much more space inside the car and it generally gave a much more refined experience. The Rover felt old and dated in comparison.
Beautiful car. The back end reminded me of a bentley
yes, and the lights are kind of a Morris version of the Bentley S3 Continental " Chinese Eye" but they with out a high grill and bonnet they look a bit odd imo, with stacked headlights it would have it looking quite menacing.
@@mrfahrenheit3867 the headlights look humber esq
@@peteramberley9952 usa checker cab................ ??
@@raymondo162 yes had that round 55 chevy era about it
@@raymondo162 I agree, to a point. British parking lights.
My god! How many 3 litres has this man got? Look like he's got more than the whole of the UK! That suspension is probably more suited to the 3 litre than any other car. I love 'em.
There's 25 of these still registered in NZ.
I may be one of the few but I like this car.
I like it too!
I would
I like it so motion carried.
I adore them.
No, you're not alone, I like 'em too.
my Dad had four land crabs. Three 1800's and an ex Police 2200. His third one was a bit of a legend. He used it as a recovery vehicle for a National Breakdown agent, so it spent half of its life towing a trailer with another car on it. It did nearly 400k miles on just two engines and three clutches - what a car!
The Austin 2200 Princess courtesy car I had when my company car Ambassador was being serviced was a delight to drive. It did not get a good write up at all in the Motoring press at the time. I believed what they wrote until actual hands on experience proved they were wrong. Lesson learned forty years ago and ever since then, I have not trusted a single word these so called professional Clarkson wannabees have written ever since.
Use your own experience and judgement about these and many other things. It is far more reliable.
When these first hit the road my 10 year old eyes thought they looked quite nice. I still don't think they're ugly.
I once asked my father if money was no object what car would he buy? “Austin 3 litre” he replied, but he also loved his Maxi. That was about 1979.
My first car was a Maxi in that horrible light brown. I loved it.
My Dad had the early Maxi 1500 before I passed my Driving test in 1971 and soon afterwards I can't remember when they bought out the 1750 Mk 2
@James 107 Am I right that your dad's car had a hatchback and was called a Nomad?
I bought my old man’s Austin Maxi 1500 off him as my first car. Flamenco orange, I thought it was great, built like a tank!
my dad had 4 maxis great for towing 70s caravan poor mans Saab 😀😀
With regard the looks, if it had an Italian badge on it then people would still rave about it.
I’m italian and I love the Austin 3 litres
@@alessandrot4255 I like Italian food and this car!
Yes, interesting point.
@@984francis Cheers mate, I think the front end looks really great, quite like early Ferrari and Lamborghini.....the back end looks rather Austin/ Morris. As Ian pointed out, the inlet manifold is awful, the two center cylinders will receive a good air/fuel mixtutre and the end cylinders just don't get a good charge of fuel. It really needed 3 carbs and suitable manifold to give a similar length to each cylinder.
Oh no they wouldn't. I was 15 when this came out and I had my head in my hands then and I see nothing to change my view then that they had launched a frankenstein.
In the 1980's, a bunch of shearers were over fron nz, they had an 1800 landcrab. They loved it, about 8 of them virtually lived in it, similar colour so it was called The Grape. It towed a large platform trailer to shear on and carried all their gear. Happy days, I beat a couple of them arm wrestling in the pub but they still bought me a beer!
Thanks for knees alert btw.
I think the whole series - 1100's, maxi's, 1800's, and this had inspired design, creating so much interior space.
Great ride too.
Because of the centre driveline hump, the 3 litre had less room inside than the 1800
If I could buy any big British classic car right now, it would definitely be an Austin 3 litre, I love every inch of its styling, and gotta love those huge thick chromed bumpers 👍
I worked for a British Leyland dealership back in the 70's and this was a car that was extremely underated. If I could get a good condition one now I would have it in a heartbeat. it was based on the best cars that were produced by BL in the 70's. The 1800, 2200, and we could also include the Maxi. In my experience of working on these vehicles they were for the most part well designed. Unfortunately the other cars produced by BL were utter crap. At the time back then I owned a Maxi then a 2200, in their day I would not have changed them for the more stylish cars of the day, these cars were ultra practical and the internal room could not be matched by other cars in their class.
the Maxi was a phenomenon. practicality and efficiency in one. a British answer to the French.
My parents had one when I was growing up in the early 1970s. It had the smoothest ride I have ever known in any car and the engine was almost silent. It had nice upholstery and was incredibly comfortable. The tail is beautiful!
Downton did indeed do some wonderful things with the agricultural 3-Litre in the Austin and MGC. It was slightly detuned in the 3-Litre saloon to my understanding (compared to the MGC) but nevertheless when they got their hands on it like the MGC Downton breathed new life into both cars. I was lent an Austin 3-Litre whilst living in UK in the 90s and loved the big old barge, the comfort was second to none etc. I loved it and everyone who rode in it, though its thirst for petrol was a bit on the high side! Later I owned an Downton tuned manual MGC GT for a mere few weeks, but what a beast...! Downton had the knack for ringing the best out of some pretty pedestrian engines of the time.
I would love to instill some of that Downton genius into one of our 3 Litres one day!
Back in the late 1960's I was aware of British Leyland having problems in shifting these large Austin 3 litres cars. They had enormous amounts of room and at the time the joke was you could hold a dance in the rear compartment because the legroom was enormous. I was a Police officer at the time in Lancashire H.Q Traffic Dept. When they purchased a number of these cars heavily discounted to be used as senior officer chuafer driven staff cars. They never really caught on with the public and I believe after a couple of years in production B.L. pulled the plug and stopped production. hence the rarity today.
My Dad had a brand new white one in 1969 (in the UK). I was 17 and just passed my test (1st time though) and drove a ratty old Ford van. I had also just fell in love for the first time and invited said girl to spend Christmas day with me and my parents. She lived 20 miles away and Dad said "you are not picking her up in your van, so take my car", I was gobsmacked to say the least. Anyway, poor Lynn (girlfriend now wife) was expecting me in said van when I rocked up to to her house in what she thought was a stretched Limo. Boy did that impress her, and that, together with my limited guitar playing skills and long hair,....well, lets just say "the deal was sealed!". Always thought it was an underestimated car. Thank you so much Dad & RIP (he passed away in 1978 at age 58). PS: Still together after 51 very happy years and love her as much today as the day I met her. #lockdownmemories
Great memories Andrew! Nice to think your Dad's car played a role in you both together! Regards John.
My 1970s childhood featured the skin on my legs being burned away by the vinyl seats in a Landcrab. The summer of 76 was particularly painful. Despite the pain, we have fond memories of our Landcrabs so it’s fun to see so many common components visible in the 3 litre.
My Scottish grandfather sold his Austin to my father, his first car. My father and mother with my two brothers,
we always had a great time, going for picnics around the Niagara Peninsula. It was two-tone gray, really nice.
Seeing the remains of British fortifications and the cannons that still aim at the United States, makes it good.
When I was an apprentice many years ago, I worked with a guy who had one of these. Absolutely huge inside and super comfortable.
The Leyland garage that I served my apprenticeship at used to see a few of these in the mid seventies.
The biggest customer was an undertakers that had a hearse and two cars. Did loads of work on the Austin 3 litre in my time.
The owner of the local toy shop used to own one in black when I was a small child. Apparently I was already a petrol head, knew what the car was and could identify it's similarity to the 1800 which my mother's best friend drove. I actually found it reasonably impressive for the time.
I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS ONE IAN!
YOU DID NOT DISAPPOINT!!!
much love for this old beast!
The back end of a Bentley, and the front looks like a Humber, and if they had just done a more upmarket quality interior which it deserves. Can't get over the size of that steering wheel it's massive. You were spot on about the Wolsely version of the land crab it was a beautiful version of the 1800 line. Thank you very much for another great video Sir 👍 Tam.
Significantly pre-dating the Skoda Roomster then, which is surely now the ultimate front of one car and the rear of another!
Interesting you mentioned the front. I always thought of this car as introduced to compete with the Humber Super Snipe.
the old man had a Wolsey one,
I can remember laying down on the back seat and hearing him moan that he had spent 74p on petrol.
My dad owned one for a short while! I was gutted when he sold it! Gorgeous car! A real limousine! So comfy!
Great :) thanks! The station commander at RAF Valley had one of those as a staff car in the early 80s
New Zealand is HubNut heaven.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me it looks elegant and very stylish indeed. The vinyl seats have survived in better condition than leather seats would have done. I even like the 'cheap' looking window winders and speedometer; they give the car an understated air, which I find most appealing. No need to show off or try too hard to impress. Very British and very lovely indeed I would say.
If the current owner can look back into the history of that car, I believe he will find it was first owned by Allan Greenslade who was the owner/director of Armaghdown Motors in Palmy. I was an apprentice there at that time & the only one he allowed to work on his cars. Armaghdown was a BMC dealer on Princess st.
This one was sold new in Pukekohe to a grower who used it on Sundays and did 22,000 miles in 22 years. Cheers from John Vevers.
Back when I was a young whippersnapper, all my mates lusted after Italian supercars...I lusted after the Austin 3 litre. That's the kind of strange kid I was and I adore them still.
Thanks Ian for a lovely little review of a Great British classic.
Well done Jack. I hope you wish comes true.
austinthreelitre.co.uk
I think the 3-Litre was a noble effort, but a few modernisations and updates to the big Farinas would probably have been a better option.
Probably on the outside but I think it's a pretty smart looking car. I am glad they went with the double round lights rather than the lozenge style as originally planned.
The front end definitely has something of the Edsel about it with the high mounted quad lamps. Not an ugly thing by any stretch though. I suspect that if we weren't so familiar with the Landcrab centre section we may look at it in a different light altogether.
I think it kind of looks like a baby Checker Manhattan. Especially the grill. But I totally agree about the headlights.
I'm not familiar with the "Landcrab" (American), so I think it looks quite nice. Unfortunately, it's easier to find a Soviet car than an old British one here in the US.
I thought Nissan Cedric! :-)
I think the front on it looks most like a fiat 1500 crusader..and that's all good!
I like the looks. Mind you, I like landcrabs and Allegros too!
Grant Buttars can't agree with you about the land crab apart from the Wolesley 2200 version but I never saw a lot wrong with the Allegro especially the top of the range series two models with the chrome finishers round the window and on the boot lid and with a vinyl roof.
I see an Allegro every day, now it looks like such a nice clean uncomplicated design.
I will take my hat off to you sir, for also LIKING all the interesting, philosophical designs of the British Leyland group! There are quite a lot of snobs who never like any thing home grown, and are determined on principle to only like anything German or Japanese!
@@philnewstead5388 HOORAY! An Allegro fan, like me! I think the rounded shape makes it look "ownable" for ordinary people, so that's exactly what made it a target for snobs, who look down on anything "affordable" I think the Allegro looks cute!
Nygel Miller I do have a soft spot for the Allegro because it was my first car and for a few weeks in the late eighties I had use of a 1750 Équipe which was fun. You are right they do get a bad press from people who don't like them on principle rather than any first had knowledge. In retrospect I don't think in conceptual and engineering terms they were any better or worse than the Fords, Chryslers and Vauxhalls of the day and contrary to popular belief were no more or less prone to corrosion than their contemporaries. I have a soft spot for all seventies BL products and they were nowhere near as bad as people make out the problem was the woeful quality control and lack of development of new models so a customer would buy a car and then spend the first two months of ownership going back and forth to the dealer getting all the often minor but irritating faults sorted out. I've always considered styling a subjective thing but I think cars were much more individual back then you certainly wouldn't confuse an Allegro with an Escort, a Marina with a Cortina or a Granada with a Victor for example whereas today with drag figures and wind tunnel styling being all important I can't tell one from the other most of the time and there are very few cars that I really like the look of.
We had one of these when I was a kid, it was huge, I loved it! But those sticky vinyl seats were a killer on bare legs on a hot sunny day, felt like second degree burns!
Wow it looks brand new!
I loved the look of the 1800, my dad had one, and to us kids it felt like a limousine, but these, with their long bonnet and double headlights, always reminded me of a Humber Hawk!
My dad had one in the late 70’s , it was brilliant . He painted it white and used it for weddings. I’d love one.
I've got one of the other 15 in NZ. Pretty special car but very slow.
We need to chat 😉 John Vevers
mrpalm54@gmail.com
We have several...
I think for those us who love classic cars the name Austin holds a special place in our hearts, especially we old 'uns who grew up with them
I am in my 70's now, as a penniless youth I owned various Austin models, they were just old bangers then, not the highly-priced classics they have now become
For any Austin fan, I can highly recommend a book called 'Cape Cold to Cape Hot' by Richard Pape (around 1956). The author drove an Austin A90 Westminster from the most northern point in Norway, all the way down to Cape Town in South Africa (hence the title), according to Google maps is well over 10,000 miles
A HubNutter decades ahead of his time!
Always into cars, I read it when I was a schoolboy, never forgot it, with Austin nostalgia triggered by this video I have now ordered a copy, can't wait to read it again. So thanks Ian!
Is it OK to put a link to a video you and your followers might enjoy?
ua-cam.com/video/nuwTWujeMM0/v-deo.html
I always liked the styling, very nice to be on board with you, in such a nice example
Owned one for three years ,father in law gave it to me. Beautiful car, power, comfort and reliable too. Only sold it when I couldn't get an exhaust to get it through the MOT.
No-one mentioned the _gorgeous_ ''Blackberry'' paint colour on the main car! I think it's the best colour they came in. And I rather like the styling. All of it if I'm honest.
Many folk think the BlackBerry with Grey trim is one of the best combination. Quite the gentlemans express.
It was a great car to own, comfortable, spacious, felt refreshed after long journeys, I really liked them.
I don't think there is any car that can beat the suspension, the cornering, the interior space and comfort than these Austins, my dad had an 1800 in the late sixties and to this day it still stands, this car is beautiful and it gives the land crab the more conventional proportions that were lacking before and as you say, if only it had been given more time to prove itself in the super luxury editions that were planned.
I got my 1st taste of british cars when my dad purchased an Austin Cambridge A60 1964. I just loved this car.Wooden dash, little shift lever that you had to pull out to change gears. This is the car i learned how to drive. Winters were funny watching my dad use the crank bar to start the car in sub weather temps while others needed a boost.Enough now moving on...... This particular model the 3 liter is quite a attention getter. I love the chrome front grill with the double head lights, something that lacks on todays vehicles. Most chrome today is plastic. The interior is very rich with the wood trim, like i have in my Phaeton (04)
Being in Canada parts would be a waiting game, but this car is a driver. Happy Motoring
Just before I left NZ, I had a customer with a Wolseley Version in the same maroon. At the time anything leyland/BLMC etc was cursed in NZ,especially the poor P76 leylands. The garden looks nice...
I owned a 6/110 for a few years when I was there, a superior cruiser imho, and picnic tables in a car are a deal maker with me.
Mercmad: I had a P76 bLOODY AWESOME BOOT BUT THE bOOT LID WAS SO HEAVY IT DROPPED ON MY HEAD AND i WAS OUT FOR 10 MINUTES
Those dreaded doors actually suit this car well, the rear overhang and longer bonnet are better proportioned
my mates Dad had one of these, and remember him giving us a lift to the pub once or twice in it, and as I recall it was a lovely quiet comfortable ride. A lovely car.
Don't forget it went into production some six years after it was designed. There must be a lesson in there, somewhere.
All the messages below are complementary about its appearance. And quite right too.
Yes, it got rather held up because of the Bentley link I think.
Fascinating car, a great commentary on how the British car industry could have done much better but usually managed to screw up in stupid ways.
Super video - excellent as always - keep up the great work. Interesting comparison with contemporary XJ6. Hope you can manage to get back to UK before corona outbreak stops flights, or perhaps you're already back in Wales, we never know where you are now! Keep well. Best wishes.
A very good video. I am from new Zealand and the first car I ever owned was a land crab
I have seen these 3 liter land crab look alike very occasionally. Think the first one that I saw was in Christchurch new Zealand about 40 years ago. It was an army staff car painted green. Ever since I have had a curiosity about this car. It sort of a novelty value to me. Was good to learn so much from this very informative video. I thought the ride would be good as the land crab was pretty ugly and underpowered for New Zealand conditions with all the hill work that needs to be done here
The land crab had a nice ride due to hydralastic suspension. Where the land crab had the advantage over the big Australian cars was in the cornering. The front wheel drive was much better at cornering on gravel roads than the more powerful Holdens and Falcons.
It’s odd how attitudes change. When the 3 litre and the MGC (and MGBGT V8) were new, they were slated for not looking different enough from their lesser brethren, but so many modern cars have higher performance/luxury versions that are barely distinguishable.
Ford already understood this well, though, with eye catching go faster stripes and ‘E’ or Ghia badges.
When this car was sold new, the national speed limit in NZ was only 80kph!
Very few adhered to this speed limit in NZ then and still don't, 100 kph is 110kph usually before a vehicle will be pulled up.,
The real limit was the quality of road and the many winding hill roads made this a challenge.
The desert road in the North islands center was a favorite run for testing speed back then.
My father was booked for speeding in 1956 on the Levin straights in our family's New Zealand assembled 1952 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe with a 216 cu inch (3.6 liter) 6 cylinder engine by a cop in a 1947 Ford V8 Coupe eventually receiving a ticket for 2 pound 10 shillings I believe for doing 75 mph.
Before leaving the scene both my father and the police officer lifted their respective bonnets and dicussed engines, ie flathead V8 Ford 239 cu inch vs the Chev with 6 cylinder overhead valve engine.
The Chev had 3 on the tree and the Ford had 3 on the floor.
(the OHV Chev 6's were better at keeping cool in the summer heat or on long hill climbs than the sidevalve Ford V8's incidently)
Both ate fuel with those big heavy bodys, around 20 mpg cruising in the old Chev, though if I remember petrol was around 2/6d a gallon for super.
The police officer said he had had his (right hand drive Ford V8 coupes were supplied to the NZ police in the late 40's for highway use) up to 86 mph just to see what it would do.
My father asked how nuch did his ticket for speeding cost and he just laughed !
My father told him he had got the Chev up to 80 mph and chickened out as it was wallowing on the old roads and close to valve bouncing.
Aaah the good old days?
Great review of a very underestimated car
My grandfather had many of those cars and he loved them!
That Austin 3.0 litre is in beautiful condition with lovely dark purple paintwork...!!! 👌
I absolutely love the 3 litre. The ride quality is superb. At the start of the 70s my uncle Alec was on the board of directors of Potterton Boilers and he had one as a company car. He took me out for a drive in it (I was six at the time) and it blew me away. I was only used to the Ford Anglia estate that my parents had and this was another world of motoring. Ever since then I have always wanted one but have never owned one and due to their scarcity I probably never will. A fantastic review, thank you.
Have a look at
austinthreelitre.co.uk
Great sound out the exhaust at the end! wasn't quite expecting that.
It's funny how much better these look from the 2020s, in the 70s they only looked good for the 50s.
An corner left unswept by wipers is called 'a corner of concern' goes nicely with your triangle of doom Ian.. Nice car and an excellent video, thanks!
Ah, memories of being scorched more than once by the brown Ambla seats in Dad's '77 Sandglow Maxi - I still choose jeans over shorts even when the mercury is in the top eighth of the capillary tube lol. I like the styling, there's a certain utilitarian elegance to it - it's a real shame that the Wolseley version with the 3528cc ex-Buick V8 didn't make it past the boardroom panel, I suspect it had the potential to be a Q-car. It'd be fascinating to back-to-back this with a Wolseley Six landcrab, another (perhaps deservedly) underrated '70s pseudo-luxobarge. Great work as usual, sir :-)
My great uncle,in Salisbury, had one in mid 70s(beautiful car)-Really loved visiting on holidays driving down from the northwest in dads wolseley 2200 in burgundy colour 4 speed manual I think.(Plus he had a Honda goldwing on which he would take us for a ride(7/8 years old at the time)
The brochure car reg VOP 436J is on an Austin Healey Sprite in green. New on September 1970, still on the road. Taxed until May 2020.
Had a white one of these in the late 70'. The rarer manual version. Very thirsty but great torque. Pulled like a train!Vast inside, enough for us two, three kids and camping gear! Nice 8 track stereo. The rust maggot got it in end!!Thanks for posting.
British cars of this vintage were designed by men in suits who smoked pipes, sat in a walnut or oak panelled boardroom and drank tea from china cups with bisuits served on the side.
If there were women, they had the job of bustling around in the background, organising papers and bringing in more tea and biscuits.
There was a lot of pouring over hand-drawn blueprints whilst peering over half moon spectacles and terms like "tradition", "coachwork", "walnut trim" and "dynamically balanced crankshaft" were thrown about.
What was not thrown about was "performance", "newest technology", (and I need double quotation marks) " "handling" " (he said the word like something he scraped from the bottom of his hand made Oxford brogue leather shoes).
An elegant car by gentlemen for gentlemen from a more civilised age. Having space for your bowler hat, umbrella, briefcase and a copy of today's Times was far more important than any such fripperies like 0-60 times, cornering G forces or Nürburgring lap times.
They handle like a Mini and ride like a RR. A pretty good combination.
I have always loved these cars, probably because along with the MGC, they were launched at Earls Court on the day of my birth in 1967. I have always loved the looks and the presence of this car. Had they fitted it with the Rover V8 engine, what a beast it would have been.
I think the Kiwis got better UK cars than we did here in Australia Holden and Ford did not want too much competition
Just reading some of the comments. A lot of people seem to like the styling.
Landcrabs were great. So simple to maintain. Surprisingly thrashable. Immense fun to throw around on NZ gravel roads - very predictable slide characteristics. Comfy.
So simple to maintain? Not in my experience - engine out for just about anything (other than changing the plugs) ;)
@Blackie BMW Motorwerks Still more preferable in my mind to a whole host of other cars, both modern and from the 3-Litre's time period. I'm looking for one to import to the States currently.
I remember the first time I saw a photo of an Austin 3 Litre, accompanied, of course by the usual crap about how unimaginative, ungainly and ugly etc etc.. I thought that looks really class because I compared it with the 1800. As you do because you recognise the doors so you are not comparing it to a Jaguar or a Mercedes. Having later learnt how well they are built and drive it is reassuring to know that badge snobbery can often be complete nonsense. God Bless all the Granadas , Senators, Super Snipes, 25s and Safranes, 604s, 300Cs, Crowns, Fiat 130s, Sigmas, Legends. Indeed, legends all. Thanks again, another beautiful car Ian.
I used to visit a famous ad agency in Berkeley Square, London in 1990. My contacts there would drag me to a pub and they told me that some embassy nearby which had an ambassador's car that was a "stretched Maxi." Anyway, I saw it one day, it had some flags on the wings, and I told them it was the Austin Three Litre- a very rare bird. They were disappointed as they liked the idea of a stretched Maxi!
Very good video well filmed and entertaining as well as informative. Watched it all the way through. Far better than many car reviews on the TV or the internet. Thanks for making this. A great blast from the past.
Another really interesting video Ian .. you are very very good at what you do mate ..
This would be my ideal place to live, a good bit of land and old cars scattered about. And wow, I was waiting for you to start it up and you already had! So quiet!
I had an automatic, damask red one of these in 1976, when I was 21. I'd loved them since they were first launched. I knew a retired Home Office Engineer, and he tuned mine so that you could stand a 50p piece on it's edge on that aluminium radiator filler nut ! A beautiful car, but I was too young to really appreciate it. where is VOT 868H now ????
This is an all-round great video. Love the way you've put it together & "warmed"(!) to the big old motor!
Weirdly I like the styling. Nice torquey engine too. My kind of car.
The styling grows on one, I particularly like it. Then again, I'm American, and like unusual vehicles.
I wonder if they did put the Rover V8 in the engine compartment instead would have improved sales? Sad, we will never know.
I'm also curious as to wonder why British vehicles never offered Air conditioning? If sold in very warm climates, it would have made their models more bearable to live with. As fir the Borg-Warner automatic, I believe they were always a lazy transmission. AMC used them until about 1972 when they switch to Chrysler Torque Flite, which was a much better, more responsive transmission than the Borg-Warner. I do like this; then again, I like quirky, unusual vehicles.
As an American who's never seen this car before (or those less luxurious vehicles from which it descends), I think it looks just fine. There is nothing flashy or distracting about the interior, or the exterior. It certainly seems luxurious in ride, and oriented toward the comfort of the driver and passengers.
My old man got an H reg old english white/red leather interior 3 litre - got it triple carbed / dual exhaust by Downton in Wiltshire - manual w/overdrive. c 180 bhp reputedly. Local dealership had little idea how to balance triple carbs. Only maximised it's hushed, smooth and fast (for its day) performance after a long retired racing driver spent 1/2 hour with his head under the bonnet with a small screwdriver achieving optimum tuning state. Next service interval - out of kilter again !! Still - fond memories of an honest 'goer' - great for us big lads/family.
Great story Tim.
I think the design is lovely, reminds me a little bit of Maserati Saloons with double headlights. The spartan interior I like, plastic handles I can live with, wood is lovely, leather would have been nice in a posh car, but hey it's the 70's, plastic fantastic!
I really quite like this car. It would be a very comfortable long distance cruiser. With a Rover V8 it would be a real beast. The front lights are very reminiscent of a Checker Cab.
The Rover engine would be a mistake. One of the car's great joys was its ultra-smooth straight six.
The Rolls Royce four litre engine (actually being used by BMC at the time) was capable of very useful development.
This (and the MGC) should have been its moment in the sun.
I would happily park one in my driveway. Thanks for uploading!
Many thanks for this review, it's my favourite car!
Hope you are having a great time in New Zealand.
Fantastic. I would love one of these, a proper motor that's trying so hard to be posh. Love the looks, love the character of the car. Great video HubNut.
multi bearing crankshafts where to strengthen the engine and stop them "throwing" con rods and knocking,trust me I worked on Fords, and Austin
Great review. A friends parents had one of these from new. The boot was so big they would occasionally put their 12 year old son in there if the car was full! He claimed it was quite comfortable.
Being in the US I've never seen one in person but I really like this car. We never had any cars that had that suspension design here. It's well advanced over the cars here at the time. Did they make a LHD version? Import to US? I'd love to find one. Great video Ian!
They did do LHD, but not many. A few made it to Europe. You did get the Austin 1100 with the same suspension (albeit not the self-levelling bit). Sold as the Austin America I think?
@@HubNut Yes, Austin America. They were advertised as(something like) " The Perfect Second Car." The ads mentioned that there was more leg room in the rear seat than a Lincoln Continental. Might have even been more room in the whole interior? It was a long time ago... Memory not 100%.
Yes I had a two door Austin America. It was a great riding and handling car. Much better than the small cars we had here. I even had the hydroelastic machine to pump up the suspension. I regret selling it.
There are just two or three LHD cars left in Europe. Just one on the road and another being restored.
I don't mind how it looks, it isn't exactly beautiful but I wouldn't call it ugly. And as an overall package I quite like it! Shame about the lack of grunt, but it looks smooth and comfortable, and makes reasonably good noises.
The answer to vinyl seats in New Zealand, where sheep still outnumber people, is sheepskin seat covers. Not so common now, as cloth or real leather have taken over, but very nice.
My dad had a Maxi with vinyl seats and it would have been unbearable in summer and winter, if it wasn't for the sheepskin seat covers.
And retro!
I still have a pair of original 1970s sheepskin front seat covers. Last used in the late 90s on my brown vinyl vw seats. Safely stored for my next vinyl seat adventure.
@@paulkirby5479 I drove a fiat 127 in Spain a few years ago with vinyl seats,nearly took the skin of my back and legs! Ouch.
I'm still saving for sheepskin seat covers. Honestly I would love some for this and the other car crowd funding perhaps. 😉 John.
My dear father had two of these cars, both bought new, the first one in 1969, the second in 1971. The 1969 one was red, I think it was Damask Red. The second one was blue with a light blue roof. We all thought they were rather comfortable to ride in. Thank you for the video.
That's a damask red car behind the BlackBerry with grey trim car.
The doors from the land crab were also used on the Panther DeVille, an ultra-luxury (but weird) car of the late 70's early 80's. The Land Crab had loads of interior space and leg-room in the rear seats. Loads of modern cars are just too small if you happen to be over 6 feet tall.
Another great review of a maligned machine clearly outsuspending most of today's jittery cars. Characteristic encyclopaedic technical details thanks!
I Want One !
Adorable car, that I'd feel privileged to own and drive. Had to chuckle at the ashtray though; it looks like something you'd make in woodwork class when you were 11.
Wow, that scenery took me back, I thought you set off in Buckland Road, so familiar especially with the roadside power pylons and the warbling of the minar birds . I lived in Auckland 1971-74 and I expect I saw those Austins as a child on my way to Three Kings School. My memories of NZ cars were of ancient 1940s/50s Ford Prefects and big Aussie V8s. My dad had a mk2 Cortina to start with, then a new Hillman Hunter estate in Sunshine Yellow in 1973. NZ import tax on new cars was extortionate and with roads not needing salted, older models lived on long well beyond their years.