1947 Austin '8' Tourer

Launched in 1939 under the direction of Leonard Lord, Austin's new 8hp model was Longbridge's answer to the Morris Eight, a car that took over the mantle of Britain's favourite small car from Austin's Baby Seven for much of the Thirties. The Austin was powered by a 900cc in-line four-cylinder that was a development of the Big Seven unit, developing 27 hp thanks to a higher compression ratio. Other notable features included the new pressed-steel chassis with elliptic springs and Luvax hydraulic dampers front and rear, plus rod-operated Girling brakes. Two basic styles were offered, in the form of a neat little four-door saloon or the open tourer. The Eight successfully updated the concept of the small car without losing the features that made the original Seven such a success, offering a lot more refinement, more modern driving experience. With the intervention of World War Two in 1939, production of the Eight was curtailed somewhat and only resumed for a couple of years in the post-war period, with 56,103 made before production ceased in 1948.