248 Austin A40 Farina (Mk.2) (1966) 4730 FZ by Robert Knight Via Flickr: Austin A40 Farina Mk.2 (1958-61) Engine 1098cc S4 OHV BMC A series Production 169,612 Mk1s plus 172,550 MkII and III. Registration number 4730 PZ (Belfast) AUSTIN ALBUM www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157623759808208/ Designed by Pininfarina and launched at the 1958 Earls Court London Motor Show. the A40 Farina was intended to replace the Austin A35, from which it inherited much of its running gear, and was a capacious thoroughly modern small car, with a brand new distinctive 'two box' shape and headroom in the back seat. It was a saloon, the lower rear panel dropped like a then conventional bootlid, the rear window remaining fixed. The Countryman hatchback appeared exactly a year later in October 1959, and differed from the saloon in that the rear window was marginally smaller, to allow for a frame that could be lifted up, with its own support, while the lower panel was now flush with the floor and its hinges had been strengthened. It was a very small estate car with a horizontally split tailgate having a top-hinged upper door and bottom-hinged lower door. . At launch the car shared the 948 cc A-Series straight-4 used in other Austins including its A35 predecessor. The suspension was independent at the front using coil springs with a live axle and semi elliptic leaf springs at the rear. The drum brakes were a hybrid (hydromech) arrangement, hydraulically operated at the front but cable actuated at the rear. The front drums at 8 in (200 mm) were slightly larger than the 7 in (180 mm) rears. Cam and peg steering was fitted. The Mark II version appeared in 1961, built with a longer wheelbase increasing the rear passenger area and the front grille and dash were redesigned. The Mark II had more power from its 948cc engine, 37bhp, with the SU carburettor replaced with a Zenith but was otherwise mechanically identical other than the addition of a front anti-roll bar In Autumn 1962 the 948cc BMC A Series was replaced with a 1098cc version with an output of 48bhp shared with the rear wheel drive Morris Minor and front wheel drive Morris 1100 which was to be joined by an Austin version the following year. Although this increased performance with a new top speed of 75.2 the car was now looking cramped and dated against the Morris-Austin 1100. Sales slowed but the MarkIII A40 remained on sale until 1967 MOTORSPORT - RALLYING In the January 1959 Monte Carlo Rally driven by Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom the A40 won the Coupe des Dames, Houbigant Cup, RAC Challenge Trophy and Souvenir Award, "L'Officiel de la Couture" and was 2nd in class for standard series production touring cars up to 1000 cc. The little car was 10th in General Classification n the closing stages of June's Alpine Rally (Coupe des Alpes), Moss and Wisdom lost the use of first gear on their A40 and were obliged to retire having completed the second stage of the rally still "clean" CIRCUIT RACING In August 1959 in practice at Brands Hatch Dr George (Doc) C Shepherd broke the saloon car record in an Austin A40. Going on to win the 1960 British Saloon Car Championship in his Mark 1 A40 Farina In the popular television series Heartbeat, the character Dr Tricia Summerbee (played by Clare Calbraith) drove a blue 1963 mark II saloon in series 10–12, with the registration BNK 228 A Diolch am 95,448,609 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr. Thanks for 95,448,609 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated. Shot 10.07.2022, at Walsall Classic Car Show, Walsall Arboretum, Walsall REF 161-248.
