The Austin A70 Hampshire split the difference on its brakes — hydraulic at the front, old-fashioned mechanical at the rear.
Median 90 hp across 90 similar cars
Lead trim: A70 Hampshire 2.2 OHV four (67 bhp)
Austin A70 Hampshire1948–1950
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Austin A70 Hampshire yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe Austin A70 Hampshire split the difference on its brakes — hydraulic at the front, old-fashioned mechanical at the rear.
The Austin A70 Hampshire and later Austin A70 Hereford were produced by Austin of Britain from 1948 until 1954 (85,682 built in all), conventional body-on-frame cars styled like the smaller A40 Devon and Somerset but on an entirely larger and wider body and chassis. Most first-generation A70s were Hampshire 4-door saloons, with some estate and pickup versions produced as the A70 Countryman and A70 Pick-up. The 2.2 L (2199 cc) straight-four pushrod engine provided the same 67 bhp as it had in the earlier Austin 16 hp, but the new car was lighter and correspondingly brisker: 0–50 mph took 14.5 seconds and the maximum speed was 83.3 mph. The Hampshire used Girling hydraulic brakes on the front wheels only, with mechanical rears shared with the early A40 Devon. Production ended in 1950 with 35,261 built, and in 1950 the UK price was £648, including the heater.
Collectors Spotted in the Austin A70 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Austin A70 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A70 Hampshire 2.2 OHV four (67 bhp) | 1948–1950 | 2.2 L Inline-4 | 67 hp | 116 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The Hereford's big mechanical upgrade over the earlier Hampshire was simple but overdue: brakes that were finally hydraulic on all four wheels, not just the front pair.
The Austin A70 Hampshire split the difference on its brakes — hydraulic at the front, old-fashioned mechanical at the rear.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
It briefly served as senior sibling to Marquette, a GM companion brand cancelled after just one year.
Nissan hired former BMW engineers to help develop the 510's suspension, which is why period reviewers frequently compared its handling to the BMW 1600/2002.
A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.
The 600 was a stopgap: the P50's body over the 601's mechanicals, and for a while its estate was built alongside the new 601 saloon.
The G80 Sport brought a 370 PS twin-turbo 3.3 V6, a mesh grille and copper-tinted chrome with copper stitching to match.
The Vigor was sold only with a five-cylinder engine, an unusual configuration Honda used to fit a longer engine transversely under a short hood.
The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.
This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.