Real (NZ) Road Test: 1956 Austin Cambridge A50 (New Zealand-assembled)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- Built in New Zealand from a Completely Knocked-Down kit (CKD), this Cambridge is a little different. Join me as I drive it around a suburb of Auckland in rather inclement weather.
Sadly, this was while I was having microphone issues, so the sound could be better. The whine of the transmission and gentle growl of the 1489cc B-Series engine can be heard nicely however.
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As a young man my father worked in the Austin plant here in Wellington in the mid fifties for a time, he told me he used to install the headlining... He met a chap who also worked there and they became lifelong friends and even today, well into their eighties, they still meet once a week for a quiet pint or two at a local pub.
An amazingly charming old classic, I don't really mind the cow hips on that car, sort of suits it oddly enough. Very well used and loved, what with it's slightly tatty interior and the squeaks and creeks, it's utterly adorable, and still going strong, well as best it can for an old girl.
This car conveys ''original'' and ''authentic'' 1950's BMC all the way.
Easy to assemble, easy to repair and easy to maintain.
Gives a whole new perspective on the meaning of ''durable''
That amazing chrome toothed bonnet scoop actually feeds the cabin fresh air vent and fan... quite contemporary
The only thing missing from this video is the wonderful smell of a nice old car on a rainy day.
The smell of oil and petrol leaking you mean.
I thank the God of motoring blogs that you make such great videos
"I liked it a lot, despite it being mostly hopeless" @14:53
Seiskid ...Why, Why, Why, Seiskid?!
Move them up one spline. Less clack and a bit more sweep on the passenger side. Mechanism probably needs new bushes. Still on C41 cross plies? 35 years old and tackling wet roundabouts. Nasty!
I expected the word pantograph to be uttered as the train wen by . Overhead electrics.
@@delukxy Agreed they really need adjusting, that constant clacking would drive me bonkers. Well, more bonkers.
When I was a kid in the mid 60s in rural east Devon, an elderly couple down the road had a fawn/creamy Austin A50. It wasn't used much, but it was clearly much loved, and the old boy washed and polished it quite a bit. Even then, I thought it looked very old fashioned by comparison with most of the more modern looking cars on the roads then, but it was probably only 6 or 7 years old. A reminder how much British car design radically changed between 1955 and 1965.
What a lovely old car.. I love how it isn't perfectly restored. Clearly being used daily and well looked after. Full credit to the owner 👍
Yes, being used daily because I bought his Ford Fairmont!
I just love the good old British cars from the fifties and sixties
You wouldn't if you had to drive the things BUT keep it under 60mph and go round corners carefully you might survive.
Hubnut: We have a British car here in NZ!
Weather: Turns British
Having grown up with Austin's I appreciate the simplicity of everything. Everything has an on and off. Everything always worked, even if it didn't turn off. Like every small car, you grew to like the mannerisms. You adjusted your drive to suit your Austin or Morris and they just keep going.
My first ever car was an A50: a 1955 model bought in 1969, suitably in Cambridge when I finished at university. It never failed to start first time and never let me down on the road. I suppose anyone's first car is special, but this was a good'un. Ian, you're right that BMC/BL failed to develop these models, but actually Fifties Austins were ahead of the competition and probably the best mass-produced cars you could buy. Certainly up to about 1955 Fords, Vauxhalls, Hillmans and the old MO Morris Oxford had sluggish side-valve engines, no independent front suspension, and mainly 3-speed gearboxes. And Fords in particular were pigs to start in the morning. Driving behind that grand old Austin mascot made you feel good to be British.
You are right about the Ford's. I remember the mum with a late 40s Ford Popular would opt out of kingarton run if it was wet outside because her car would not start. On the fine days starting took many attempts.
Oxford MO independent torsion bar suspension. Cannot think of any post war car that did not have independent suspension
It lasted long for a 50s car in Britain. I'm sure the B(L)MC hate crowd would be surprised.
And there were no Motorways in the UK at that time....'A' Road cruising speed was 45-50 MPH for the Majority of Vehicles
Lorries would zip along at a dizzying 25-30 MPH !
I like it when a bonnet is opened, and the space is largely empty.
I know right? I don't like it when I open a modern bonnet only to find a second plastic "bonnet" covering the engine.
The joy of old cars. Sit on the wing, dangle your legs in the engine bay and work on them.
The best place for a Tom Jones CD is somewhere that doesn't have a CD Player!
Hahahah........I'm afraid I have to agree. What a good call.
In the past I would have agreed. I saw Tom perform at Glastonbury many years ago, he was bloody great.
I have a wide musical taste but have to agree with you.....he can only do loud and brash......awful singer.
Barry Allen some of his earl music was great world class singer
@@iseeolly9959 I wouldn't call him awful, but not every song was written for a voice like his, and it is an acquired taste.
All of a sudden I can smell this cars interior! My Grandfathers last car in the 1970's was an A95. It had a radio!
Cars with engines quieter than the radiator fans, lovely fan drone accompaniment with the revs building.
My dad the A55 remember going on holiday in it and the shock absorbers went and the steering would shake like hell at a certain speed me and mum were terrified when it would start to shake noisily .This car vlog brought it all back😲😲👍👍
Great video. I learned to drive in an Austin A50 in 1963. It was a lovely car. It's a shame the horn didn't work on the one in the video as that was one of the best parts of the car, a pair of Lucas Windtones, if I remember right.
Nice to see it on the road and not in a scrap yard!
An old friend that lives near Melbourne has recently restored a Westminster that had been languishing in a local farmers field for many years. 'Charming' is definitely a suitable adjective, unlike sporty, dynamic, quiet and economic.
Peg to hold the choke out - yep that’s NZ for you! Thanks again Hubnut for the vid, informative and enjoyable as always😀
In the UK winter required a 'twin peg' set up for my Mini Clubman 😁
Hey Mr H, my first vehicle was a 1957 A55 van which my parents bought for me way back in 1962, so this is extremely nostalgic for me. I'm now 74 and I clearly remember going on a camping trip with my folks and ascending Porlock hill, 1 in 4, with a tooth missing on first gear, but we made it. Golden, irreplaceable days. Thanks for sharing ---yes it's that old Yorkshire "Gezzer" in Ireland again.
These cars were also imported to the US, because my father drove one of these in 1963-64 for about one year. He eventually traded it in for a more practical family-friendly Pontiac Chieftain ( we had four children in our family).
What I remember the most was that flashing directional arm. As a five year old I was fascinated by it
Interesting! I remember seeing a few of the larger Austin Cambridges growing up in Pennsylvania,in the 70s,but not these smaller Austins. I think the Cambridges were badged as Austin Cambrians in The US & Canada. Here in Britain,we also had them badged as Morris Oxfords & Riley Kestrals,also I think there was a Wolseley version,as well...the two latter versions were sold as luxury versions.
@@markhealey9409 There must have been very few Cambrians sold in the US, because I have never seen such a car since, sixty years later.
@@hcombs0104 I agree,I only ever saw a few of them.
Hi Hubnut. Much to comment on here! Some British cars in AUS and NZ were fully imported, but the greater number were manufactured complete in Australia or assembled in NZ from CKD kits. And then AUS made cars went to NZ and NZ assembled cars went to Australia. A case in point is that most of Australia's Rover P6Bs were assembled in Nelson NZ. These CKD kits actually had the roofs cut off the unibody to save shipping space, and welded back on in NZ. On the B series engine, British engineers in the mid 50's reckoned 1500 was as big as they could get it. But BMC Australia engineers determined that siamesing the bores would work and got it up to 1600 (or so the story goes). Given that 'clue', the British engineers later got it up to 1800. The 1600 appeared in the Australian Morris Major Elite. Imagine a Wolseley 1500 with a Morris grille and tailfins and you'll be close. Perhaps you'll see one. On the dumpiness of 1950's British cars, I had meant to comment earlier that the Singer Hunter was probably the dumpiest of the lot, to the point where they couldn't even sell them in and UK. And I too was surprised to see the horn button not turning with the wheel on the Austin. It made sense when the trafficator switch was in the centre of the wheel, but the point was entirely lost once the stalk switch came into use. Cheers.
Jaguar xjs were also built in that Nelson factory and shipped to Australia. Towards the end of local production. NZ 'assembled' cars were nudging around 45-50% local manufacturing content. And with the import licensing system. The higher the local manufactured content was. - That then enabled an assembler to use their import licence allocations on importing more of the parts not manufactured locally. And therefore, they could build and sell more vehicles overall. Ps, just a thought. It might be that the radiator Hub Nut mentioned is an imported replacement one. As this car was built in 1955. If they were fitted with NZ made radiators. I doubt there would be large numbers of those radiators still in stock. - 30 to 40 years after this car was built. Which would be the most likely time a replacement radiator might have been needed.
I like the way the logo on the steering wheel doesn't turn with the wheel but stays straight!
Good catch! That's a lovely detail!
Ah now that is classic Hub Nut, from the whack of the wipers to the classic sound of the indicators, and man that gear change is awesome 👍 Tam.
Lovely car with that flying A wing on the center of the bonnet. Windshield wiper allert will keep driver reminded to concentrate on road more in rainy day.
The column shift gears did it for me. Memories in abundance and no half shaft issues. I'm still looking forward to an A40 Somerset real road test but, for now this fills the gap sublimely.
Blimey, takes me back. My Dad had an A55 mk1 and it made all the same noises, clonking wipers, whining transmission and the speedo needle went all over the place. Never needed to use 1st gear. No seat belts in our car. The p switch was for the panel lights. Thank you hubnut for showing us this car.
This was the first car I owned, I bought a very cheap "well used" one as a teenager about 40 years ago, and from what I remember it wasn't that uncommon to find myself on 2 wheels when I flung it around the corners. Obviously I gained much more respect for classic cars as I grew up (and they grew in value).
I think it's great we can see or even purchase a car of this era nowadays. Very entertaining. Thank you.
I bought a 1955 A50 in 1962, and coming from a 1950 Morris Minor MM side-valve, the A50 was 'cutting edge' luxury. Far from being a nice little car - as you called it, in its time, it was considered a big family saloon. Full leather seats - the front two being square and when siamese'd, seated three ... the column gear change, and 'umbrella' handbrake, also helped. Getting reverse gear wasn't as difficult as you seemed to make out. You simply pulled the knob on the lever before moving the lever ... a Bowden cable running inside the lever - released by the pulling the knob, prevented accidentally selecting reverse instead of 2nd gear. Interestingly, the column change system on the Austin - and on other cars such as the Ford Consul, eventually wore and became imprecise, floppy. The problem was easily solved by replacing the 'cotter pins' that fixed the levers to the selector shafts on the side of the gearbox. The lever to gearbox shaft arrangement was exactly the same as the pedal arm to crankshaft on a pedal bicycle, using the same 'cotter pins'.
I noted also that your NZ model had an SU carburettor, which doubtless gave you less bhp than the UK built models which used a Zenith downdraught with an 'accelerator pump'. I found the A50 to be one of the nicest cars I have ever driven, then and since. I think we have forgotten that the cars of the 1950's were specifically designed to give a smooth ride whatever the road surface - quite often cobbled, and potholes are nothing new. A great sadness for me, was that I couldn't afford the A50's more streamlined replacement, the A55. I don't mean the Farina model, the A55 I refer to was almost identical to the A50, just a bit longer in the tail, usually two-tone paint, nicer headlights, and more chrome up front.
It's a beautiful car in my opinion. I like the unpretentious lights particularly at the rear and the roundness. The Farina was a right enormous clodhopper in comparison. Must have weighed far more. Ladybird books of the fifties and sixties usually had a car like this in them, going to the seaside.
They were everywhere when I was a kid. Bloody gorgeous I wish I'd had one ...
Lovely. I love the fade in and out indicator lights as opposed to the on off affairs of later and modern cars.
Another great video! - Can't see an A50 Cambridge without remembering my Primary School's Secretary - a tall, friendly and efficient woman in glasses who drove a black A50 to school in the early '60s
As much as I appreciate some period charm that wiper "clack" would driving me nuts and have me moving the arms up a spline within a couple of miles...
Think you need to start selling shorts with knees alert printed on them XD
Maybe the "Clack" occurs because the wiper arms need adjusting ...would also allow the left side (near side) of the screen to be cleared a bit better too.
I wear stubby shorts.. and currently driviiie an open top all weather .. bike. I Would rather get slapped silly by that wipper than some dipshi house girl in a hurry n the 4x4... Roll on old girls..girls?. You guys know... ..lol.
Just subbed.. I make inept. Ract..!!?. Bad shity . If you dont like. Fuck off and watch sesy street , and keep chew. On yrs Mcdees, .Hub nut. A young country filling up with do gooding know it alls..The base of Nz will . Give the shirt of her back.unles u Australia. Lol. Ignore public disturbance..Especially if there is women involved.. injured our country. With love. Come back soon..xx
@@briandufty1609 I'm sure those wipers could be adjusted to eliminate the noise and ensure a greater portion of the left screen gets cleared.
Wow, a single 1 1/4" SU on a 1500cc engine! They hold things up enough on a 998cc A series! Nice to see cars like this still getting around!
No, the 1500 big-block has the 1-1/2" SU.
@@nzsaltflatsracer8054 "No, the 1500 big-block has the 1-1/2" SU." Your right, it should have that, but this looks alittle smaller
@@nzsaltflatsracer8054 Ahh! That would make a bit more sense! The vertical bolt pattern on the carb made me think it was a HS2, but being the age it is, it's probably a H4. Thanks!
@@glennpowell3444 Yeah, still afflicted unfortunately! Down to 5 Minis (soon to be 4!) , a Leyland P76, 2 1980s Corollas, Mazda MX5, Holden Ute and some daily drivers!
Nice weather (normally), sunshine, gorgeous scenery, clean streets and full of well-preserved yet patinated old cars. What's not to love about New Zealand?
listening to those wipers would do my head in lol
The wiper noise would great a bit along with the squeaky cluch pedal, and given its such an old car probably others we couldn't hear haha.
The wiper noise reminds me of a car I used to own. Trouble is, I' dont remember which one..........
Yeah and every 7th wipe was longer!!!
Very annoying!
@AC/DC ABOMB ANDREWS I suspect 1 spline would be too much although worth a try as it's an easy option.
Bonus double indicator action to finish on. Fun times!
Ian missed a trick by not adding the blinking indicator stalk as well at the end.
I'm sure that feature must have been the inspiration for the flashing eyes on the wall portraits in Thunderbirds when one of the family was "phoning home".
21:40 "The horn button is fixed, but it should have a proper parping horn"
I didn't know about the fixed button, but it had a good parping horn. A local business / property magnate did a very risky overtake in his Dino 246GT, and my father hit the horn button. It jammed, so it stayed on for a full 1/4 mile as we followed him, and while we waited behind him to turn at the end of the road, and then across the bridge. Bob Jones got a real ear-full that day, and I bet that didn't happen often.
Brilliant, you were driving around my old stomping ground when I was a teenager! I went to high school in Henderson.
Learnt to drive on one in 1967....wonderful old lady
It's amazing that cars over six decades old work at all. When I was a kid, those cars were everywhere and people used to hustle them along using every ounce of their meagre performance - they could be made to go a lot faster with a bit of tuning too. But my overriding memory was that they had a very good ride. I noticed all the banging and crashing over bumps in the film; such a shame. With new bushes and shocks and so-on you'd be amazed how smooth they were. I thought them ugly at the time but compared to modern cars they are really quite appealing.
managing to nearly get into a power slide coming out of a roundabout is quite impressive.
That column gearshift does seem to have some merits (and the same principle as modern paddle shifts.) I've never seen one being used before; quite educational.
Love this old car reviews the trouble is am at an age
When I can remember seeing them on the road when
They were brand new
My parents first car was an A55, a wedding present from my mum's dad who was the Austin dealer in Christchurch. Grey with blue leather interior.
We actually passed it on to my step brother for customising in about 1987, so had it a good long time.
Amazing fact, considering the long stroke and rather weedy engine...
We used to take it on grass track hill climbs. Let the air out of the back tyres and four kids bouncing up and down on the back seats for grip. It did actually make it to the top 😅
I was going to visit New Zealand, but seeing how fast beards grow I can't afford the razors.
You just get in some hormon treatment, but he filmed this one bfore he went to the barber. I don't know standing upside down in New Zealand, hair grows faster who knows.
@@Pfirtzer Lol.
@@Pfirtzer The earth is FLAT.
My Dad had a black A40 Cambridge in the '60s which took us to Wales and back without a murmur. Very slowly, of course. Brought back memories - thanks for uploading.
We had a A95 with the 3 litre C series engine at the garage I worked in 1968 at Palgrave Suffolk. We used it a a breakdown 'tow-truck'.
It would shift and tow well but would yaw like a yacht on bendy roads. I think it was made in 1959.
An old friend i had inherited a 1958 A55 Cambridge when he was 17, and drove it to school in 1971 in Canada. (Left Hand Drive) It was so unusual he got a couple of girlfriends because of the car.It was two tone blue, and one of the girls drew a cartoon face on the Boot. with the handle in place of the nose. She called it he Boogle. It had a problem with reverse, (Had to pull out the knob on the end of the stalk, and shift down. It Broke. ) Ray always was a rugged Individualist. This car reminds me of his. Cheers from Canada.
I remember my grandfather having one of those when I was very young. I didn't remember what car it was but did remember the steering wheel. I was amazed by the steering wheel center & how it worked. I only identified the car years later looking through old photos. Another Hubnut video that triggers so many memories. Superb.
Really enjoying these New Zealand trip vids..best thing on my subscriptions at the moment.well done
Hello all great vid. In the late eighties I brought a 1957 Austin A105 twin carbs, on column 3 stage BW Automatic trans.factory radio, heater, padded dash and super rare factory Sun roof!!! The previous elderly owner said his dad was a farmer, was able to transfer funds to UK to buy the car brand new. He paid another 185 pounds (massive amount at the time) to have the Sun roof fitted. Correspondence from factory to his dad noted this to be a highly unusual request. However the Austin limousine of the same year was offered with Sunroof so the transfer was made. Everything on this vehicle was in great working order, always flew through WOF's. The A105 was a step down from the very hoipolloi A105 Vanden Plas. 1980 the Austin costed me $600, even at the time, I thought that was a good price. However at 23 years old, my Austin A105 was some what over shadowed by my other car, an immaculate 1961 Lincoln Continental HT 4 sedan, known as a Kennedy car. He was assassinated in a 1961 Lincoln that had been updated to 1963 specs. The same vehicle would never again have an open top.
I’d love to own an A30 one day. I’ve always loved those little guys.
love the wiper sound when finishing the down sweep
Very welcome Vintage car review - thanks Ian !
Oh loved this just my cup of tea, I'm in the minority I know but i always loved the styling of these, in fact the rear lift model (@1957) is not as stylish I think. Not sure I'd be brave enough to own one though. Terrific stuff Mr H, much thanks :)
Yes I thought there was facelifted version of this before the pininfarinas. Hubnut misled us there...I'm sorry he'll have to go stand in a corner... 😊
th-cam.com/video/ROykTGMeW3M/w-d-xo.html
@@mr-wx3lv Yes that's the chap, more practical of course with the boot opening much lower to get stuff in, but losing the round rump and those cool circular tail lamps too.
@@profrumpo But isn't that pretty usual for most manufacturers, in my opinion that in order to gain some sort of improvement or practically to a certain car, they seem to make it less cool. I find car development fascinating actually.
What a beauty. I’m looking for a Cambridge or Westminster of this era.
I’m Currently in Scotland but have immediate family in NZ, a home in Oz.
Please reply here if you have a poorly one that needs rescuing. I will rescue it and give a really good price..
How did you like the steering Hubnut? It’s quite an experience in the rain sometimes!! 🤣 Thanks; lovely vídeo.
Lovely sound coming from that engine
Never heard about the disastrous factory tour inspiring the Farina models before. What a great story.
What a cute little car that Austin Cambridge is. I’ve got a Dinky toy of it in light blue. It also reminds of TWC ,
A motley collection of tools - story of my life ! (but never the right one when you most need it).
Well, shockingly vigorous and slop- free wipers impress even before engine motivation and electrical output from the mighty Lucas dynamo. NVH heavy soundtrack on the move unsurprisingly identical to my late uncle's A60 van version in about 1970 when I rattled around in the back accompanied by fumes from petrol spilling out of his Atco mower fleet. The Austin later broke his leg when it capsized in a narrow Devon lane reversing incident. More boxes ticked with this review, thanks Ian.
Lovely car hub my dad had Austin cambridge 1622 cc blue white striped take care Richard ann
Lovely honest old car and that gear whine is exquisite!
My father (was for several decades Vet in/for Marlborough, so his cars got heavily used/thrashed) had a floor change manual one of these from new for a few years. Then around 1962 got a new Austin Cambridge A55 Turquoise Green (a much bigger and more comfortable car), then later in 1960s a new Austin 1800 (the best one yet). BMC/British Leyland Cars were assembled at the British Leyland Factory in Nelson (now Honda Factory).
the wiper action hypnotized me, I'm not sure if I watched this video or I dreamt it
I did loads of LSD in my youth and I think we both dreamt it. x
I ran a 55 A50 for a few years. I would have another in a heartbeat.
Lovely car. And have a look at the front marker lights - what a nice detail! But at the rear all the design ethusiasm was gone... "Rear lights? Oh come on, just put them anywhere!"
Those front markers catched my eye too.
Lovely interior seat and door card colour.
My grandfather had a brown one just like this, it had shock absorbers so worn out, it was like sitting on a pogo stick. He also wore coke bottle glasses, I have never been so terrifed in my life. Before that he a big Hudson in which he used dual the Trolly Trams with, then spend his Sundays beating the dents out the thing
Great thanks. Enjoyed very much. Informative with a 'natural touch' and friendly. Much appreciated.John (Australia)
The very first car that owned. 1956 Austin A50. Brought it off my grandmother in about 1976 for $300.00 Drove it all over the place, including up Ruapehu. Had no heater. Great first car. Same colour as this one. With a good tail wind, it got up to about 70mph.
Excellent review the sound of that gearbox reminds me of the wolseley 1500s I had back in the day and they weren’t slow
Really enjoyed that one, look forward to many more from NZ & Oz
What a charming little car mate !.....I worked today , Saturday, after a 50 hour week and got tired.....at 2PM I laid my self across the seats of my brand new Vauxhall Vivaro and used my Hubnut hoodie as a pillow...zzzzz. Now tucked up in bed on the east coast of Suffolk (with half a bottle of whiskey) I'm sure that I speak for many when I state that you are doing a great job entertaining us.....well worth the Patreon subscription! Happy Days x
Lovely little car. I can't help but notice how many Suzuki Swifts there are in New Zealand, it seems to be full of them.
It is
Yes, they're loved out here.
Yup, the Suzuki Swift has surpassed the Toyota Yaris as the most popular small car over here!
Austin and Morris were all CKD in Australia as well. Built in Zetland, a suburb which no longer exists in Sydney.
Thank you for sharing.
This takes me back. I changed the brake shoes on my friends identical model. In 1972.
We went to our first paid band gig in this the whole band. Guitars, amps drums the lot. It had a roof rack. It was the fish and anchor in Evesham. Very noisy gearbox. Many happy hours in this car.
Wow your hair grows quick! This is gonna be an expensive trip, but Michaela and her like could make a fortune! Haha
It looks like the same driving experience as the A60, though the 1622 had a taller top gear. Lovely old motors.
A Lovely little car and I like it👍 Re the passenger train. It's the first one you have seen because it's the only one we have Lol.
Excellent video of a lovely old car. Old chap behind my nan's home in Plymouth had a black one in the early '70s. Was always preparing a tank of water 'just in case' for summer driving! Boy, that car sounds very agricultural, but I'm sure I'd love a drive in one, especially on a quiet NZ road! Last one I saw was a little over 2 years ago, in Galle (Sri Lanka)….cruising happily and looking very sharp!
What a wonderful old bus. it certainly is loved but not overly so. Very nice indeed. Many thanks HubNut.
I like the shape. A chunky cuteness.
Such a beautiful looking car!
My Grandad had a dark brown (almost looked black!) very shiny 1969 Morris Oxford. I seem to remember the engine sounding like that in the Cambridge, which I love. Very brave for driving that in today's traffic. Especially judging busy roundabouts.
I had an A50 over fifty years ago. i loved it the gear change was OK I put another engine in from the scrappy and with an MG head with 10 thousand skimmmed off. It went like the clappers and far more economical than standard. I have fond memories it and my old Morris 1000 and Mk2 Jag.
Has it always been negative earth? Enjoying all of your videos - thank you for posting!
Not sure. Most cars were positive earth at the time.
@@HubNut my first car was passed down from my dad - 1968 wolseley 16/60 - it was positive earth & i remember that was uncommon (by the time of the mid 80s) - perhaps a feature of earlier BMC?
Passenger side wiper seems to be hitting the windscreen surround. Brilliant reveiw though Ian and great little motor, thank you.
Thanks, Ian. Loving these videos. Two points:
1) If memory is correct, that 'P' switch is for parking lights. It was mandatory that, if you parked within 15 yards of a junction, or on any road with a speed limit above 30 mph, you had to run an offside front and rear parking light at night.
2) Those wipers are badly adjusted. Notice that they rarely reach the left extreme position, and always clatter onto the bodywork at the right extreme. They should not quite reach the horizontal position, and clear most of the passenger side of the windscreen - apart from that Sector of Shame in the top corner.
I remember travelling in those cars as a child. Riding in the back seat always gave me a headache, within minutes, because of the low frequency noise and vibration. Maybe a touch of Carbon Monoxide poisoning too? I always felt sick for hours afterwards. Have never been travel sick in any vehicle (even at sea in a hurricane), except for in the back seat of a 1950’s or early 1960’s British car!
New Zealand looks exactly like Orpington.
😊
Orpington has palm trees?
@@xyz2121 I'll have you know that Orpington has a plague of palm trees.
Someone with a major roundabout fetish designed that road layout! 😄
Spot on point about BMC depending on commonwealth sales of outdated cars. Looked quite a handful to drive with the column change too,
Nice wee car from the days when drivers weren't in a mad rush to get anywhere. It's quite surprising how much of these old classic British cars have "thinned out" on our NZ roads in the last 30yrs. A bit sad actually. Thankfully there are fans if these kind of cars that hold onto them.
Gotta love a "proper shut the noise sound".
Smashing Stuff!! Trying to Catch up on your videos (:
It has a cheeky little face.
I also like how the steering boss is fixed.
Yes it does, I'd like to see Hubnut in a Frog eyed sprite !. x
The little frowning grill morphed its way onto the early Minis..
Thanks for sharing. I'm quite into classic cars but know very little about vehicles produced outside the US. I will say the engine looks very much like the engines used in the MG B and Midget that were imported to the united states from the late 1950s to 1980. Hello from Madison WI USA.
Yes, same engine as the MGB - the B Series albeit a little smaller in capacity. Midget used the similar-looking but smaller A-Series engine.