Английская Википедия:Austin 10

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Шаблон:EngvarB Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox automobile Шаблон:Infobox automobile engine

The Austin Ten is a small car that was produced by Austin. It was launched on 19 April 1932[1] and was Austin's best-selling car in the 1930s and continued in production, with upgrades, until 1947. It fitted in between their "baby" Austin Seven which had been introduced in 1922 and their various Austin Twelves which had been updated in January 1931.

Design

The design of the car was conservative with a pressed steel body built on a ladder chassis. The chassis was designed to give a low overall height to the car by dipping down by 2.75 inches (70 mm) between the axles. The 1125-cc four-cylinder side-valve engine producing Шаблон:Convert drove the rear wheels through a four-speed gearbox and open drive shaft to a live rear axle. Steering was by worm and wheel. Suspension was by half-elliptic springs all round mounted on silent-bloc bushes and damped by frictional shock absorbers. The four-wheel brakes were cable and rod operated by pedal or by hand lever on the offside of the speed lever. The electrical system was 6 volt. For the first year only, a four-door saloon was made in two versions. The basic model cost £155 and was capable of reaching Шаблон:Convert with an economy of 34 and the Sunshine or De-Luxe with opening roof and leather upholstery at £168. Bumpers were provided.[1][2] The chassis was priced at £120.[3]

Road test

Шаблон:Quote box

Шаблон:Clear left 1933 saw the saloons joined by an open two-seater or Open Road tourer, a Colwyn cabriolet and a van. A sports model, the Шаблон:Convert, Шаблон:Convert Ripley joined the range in 1934. Mechanical upgrades for 1934 included a stronger chassis, synchromesh on the top two gears and 12-volt electrics.

Файл:1934 Austin 104 Ripley Sports Tourer 4300790066.jpg
Ripley sports tourer, 1934

The Ripley was a close-coupled four-door tourer with lowered front doors and no running boards. Improved engine breathing—Zenith downdraught carburettor, revised manifolds and camshaft—all combined to improve engine output to 30 bhp.

Austin's range now included five "sports cars":

  • Seven open two-seaters: Speedy and Nippy
  • Ten-Four sports tourer: Ripley
  • Light Twelve-Six sports tourer: Newbury and sports saloon Kempton[4]

Шаблон:Clear left

Facelift for 1935

The first styling change came in August 1934 with a change to the radiator when the plated surround or cowl was replaced by one painted in body colour and it was given a slight slope. Synchromesh was added to second gear and dual screenwipers, flush-fitting self-cancelling trafficators (worked by the steering) and a foot-operated headlamp dip switch were fitted. The engine controls were simplified by the adoption of automatic ignition, compensated voltage control, and the provision of a "choke" (combined strangler and throttle control). The saloon was given the name Lichfield and got a protruding boot which enclosed the spare wheel.[4] During 1935 the friction dampers were replaced with hydraulic dampers.[5]

Шаблон:Center Lichfield

saloon

Colwyn

cabriolet

Open Road

tourer

Clifton

two-seater

Ripley

sports tourer

length Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center
width Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center
height Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center Шаблон:Center

Six-light Sherborne

Файл:1936 Austin 10 Sherborne.jpg
Austin front
Файл:1936 Austin 10.jpg
'Airline' back

A new six light (three windows down each side, with one behind the rear door) Sherborne body style was added in January 1936, the roof line swept to the rear without interruption to provide a flush back, the then fashionable 'Airline' style. The new seating was extra deep at the rear, now with armrests and somewhat longer from back to front than on previous models. The new Sherborne with fixed or sliding roof was priced at £10 more than the equivalent Lichfield.[6]

The forward doors opened rearwards which was considered safer, steering was now by worm and sector with an hour-glass worm. The road-tester described the engine in The Times as having "a steady plodding nature'" and advised that its trustworthiness and simplicity made up for any lack of refinement. The weight of this car was quoted as 17 cwt Шаблон:Convert as compared with the Lichfield's 15½ cwt, Шаблон:Convert[7]

New body for 1937

Файл:Austin 10 Saloon.jpg
Cambridge 4-Door saloon 1938
in Waimate, Canterbury
Файл:Austin 10 4 door cabriolet March 1938 1040cc.JPG
Conway 4-door cabriolet 1938
in Cambridgeshire

A big change came in December 1936[8] with the almost streamlined Cambridge saloon and Conway cabriolet. Compared with the preceding cars the passengers and engine were positioned much further forward, the back seat now being rather forward of the back axle. There were six side windows like the Sherborne and the quarter lights were fixed. Again like the Sherborne the forward doors opened rearwards. At the back there was now a compartment large enough to take a trunk as well as more luggage on the open compartment door when it was let down.[8]

A new smoother single plate spring-drive clutch was now fitted, the two friction rings carried by the centre plate were held apart by leaf springs. Other changes included Girling brakes with wedge and roller shoe expansion and balance lever compensation using operating rods in tension with automatic compensation between front and rear brakes all four of which might be applied by hand or foot. Drums were now 9 inches diameter. 16-inch steel disc wheels replaced the 18-inch wires Top speed rose to Шаблон:Convert.[8]

The car's wheelbase was now ¾ inch, Шаблон:Convert longer. Rear track was now increased to 3' 10½", Шаблон:Convert. The vehicle's weight was now reported to be 18½ cwt, Шаблон:Convert[8]

The Times, when they had a car on test, commented favourably on the new clutch, saying no previous Austin clutch had engaged smoothly and added "the car is built for steady economical running rather than for speed or brilliance".[8]

These changes did not appear on the open cars, which no longer included the Ripley sports, until 1938 when the Cambridge and the Conway cabriolet gained an aluminium cylinder head on the engine and a higher compression ratio.[9]

Semi-unitary construction for 1940

Файл:1939 Austin 10 GQC tourer 192394990.jpg
tourer late 1939
with alligator bonnet

A virtually new car was launched in May 1939[10] with the body shell incorporating the floor to give a semi-unitary structure. The car was completely restyled by Argentine born Dick Burzi who had joined Austin from Lancia in 1929. The bonnet was hinged at the rear, replacing the side-opening type on the old car and the radiator grille became rounded and there was no cabriolet. It was now available as four-door saloon with fixed or sliding head or as a sporting type four-seated tourer.[11]

The new chassis consisted of a platform braced with box members bounded by reversed U channelling the full length of each side. The body was then bolted, not welded, alternately to the top and bottom of that channelling. The forward end was strengthened by diagonal bracing and the centre given extra strength by the tunnel over the transmission. Windows were of toughened glass. The cylinder head was now aluminium for high compression and output now 32 bhp at 4,000 rpm. Shock absorbers were now hydraulic and of the double acting piston type. Bumpers were now given over-riders, lighting was 12-volt.[11]

New dimensions: track front and rear: 3' 11", Шаблон:Convert and 4' 0", Шаблон:Convert[11]
Overall height length and width were: 5' 4", Шаблон:Convert, 13' 2", Шаблон:Convert, and 4' 10½", Шаблон:Convert,[12]

War

Файл:Austin 10 (1944) (owner Remco Algra) pic2.JPG
RAF 1944
Файл:Austin 10hp pic2.JPG
Tilly

Despite the outbreak of World War II, production of the Ten continued in large numbers; there were no tourers but there was a pick-up. In all during the war, 53,000 of the saloons and utilities—pick-ups and vans—the last two unofficially known as "Tillys", were made.

Postwar

Файл:Austin Ten.jpg
Ten GS 1 saloon 1946
delivered in the Netherlands
Файл:Austin 10 at Schaffen-Diest 2016.jpg
Post-war Ten

With peace in 1945 a change was immediately made to civilian production but because of the post-war financial crisis the cars were nearly all exported, with the first one arriving in the United States in July 1945. In September 1945 the first passenger cars produced after World War II's end to arrive in Switzerland were two Austin Tens exported from England.[13]

The car continued in production in saloon form only until October 1947 to be replaced by the A40. The van also re-appeared post-war with a slightly larger 1237-cc engine.

Military operators

References

Шаблон:Reflist

  • "Austin's Top Ten". Jonathan Wood. The Automobile May 1999.

External links

Шаблон:Commons category

Шаблон:Austin Motor Company Шаблон:Authority control

  1. 1,0 1,1 Ошибка цитирования Неверный тег <ref>; для сносок TT46111 не указан текст
  2. Cars of Today. The Times, Tuesday, 21 June 1932; pg. 20; Issue 46165
  3. The Olympia Show. The Times, Thursday, 13 October 1932; pg. 6; Issue 46263
  4. 4,0 4,1 Cars of 1935. The Times, Tuesday, 14 August 1934; pg. 10; Issue 46832
  5. The Exhibits. The Times, Thursday, 17 October 1935; pg. 8; Issue 47197
  6. New Body Design. The Times, Monday, 27 January 1936; pg. 3; Issue 47282.
  7. Cars of To-Day. The Times, Tuesday, 17 March 1936; pg. 11; Issue 47325.
  8. 8,0 8,1 8,2 8,3 8,4 Cars of To-Day. The Times, Tuesday, 8 December 1936; pg. 14; Issue 47552.
  9. The Motor Show. The Times, Thursday, 13 October 1938; pg. 8; Issue 48124.
  10. Display advertisement, The Times, Friday, 19 May 1939; pg. 9; Issue 48309
  11. 11,0 11,1 11,2 An Improved Austin Ten. The Times, Friday, 19 May 1939; pg. 7; Issue 48309.
  12. The Austin Ten. Road Test, The Times, Tuesday, 5 September 1939; pg. 3; Issue 48402
  13. Шаблон:Cite book