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.
Median 93 hp across 145 similar cars
Lead trim: A70 Hereford 2.2 four (2199 cc)
Austin A70 Hereford1950–1954
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Austin A70 Hereford 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 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 A70 Hereford replaced the Hampshire in 1950 (50,421 produced by the time the A90 Westminster replaced it in 1954): wider and slightly longer, with an extra 3 inches of wheelbase, fully hydraulic brakes as the notable mechanical change, and a new A70 Coupé, a 2-door convertible with coachwork by Carbodies of Coventry. The smaller A40 Somerset had similar styling and shared the same doors and rear wings. It retained the 2199 cc four-cylinder engine first seen officially in 1945 on the Austin 16; performance was adequate but the car was not particularly quiet (an Autocar road test in 1950 reported a "small vibration at about 40 m.p.h. on the overrun"), and it came with "the latest Smiths fresh-air installation" heater as standard. A rare Pickup/Ute variant shared the estate's platform with fully faired bodywork behind the cab, and was the last large Austin coupé utility, replaced by the Austin J4 in 1960 (Austin also assembled the A70 in Australia).
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 Hereford 2.2 four (2199 cc) | 1950–1954 | 2.2 L Inline-4 | 67 hp | 116 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
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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.
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