Leonard Lord’s look-a-likes — the Austin A30 and A40

What is the link than ties together the Austin A30, 1958 Edsel, 1936 Ford, mid-sixties Lincolns, Studebakers of the late 1940s and early 1950s, 1949 Ford and mid-fifties Hillmans?

Give up? 

Well, all were in some way influenced by American car designer Holden “Bob” Koto. 

Koto’s contributions to all of these cars, and many others, deserves more recognition than he has been given over the years. 

But for now, I’ll focus on his styling of Austin’s little A30.

In early 1950 the A30’s styling contract was given to the famed American industrial designer Raymond Loewy. 

Koto was one of Loewy’s team and spent four months in the UK on the project. 

After Koto retuned to the USA, Austin’s boss Leonard Lord, and his chief stylist Ricardo Burzi, changed the A30s shape to align it more with the 1951 A70 and upcoming A40 Somerset.

There is an ongoing debate about the year the A30 was launched. 

The A30 was first shown at the 1951 Earls Court Motor Show and some say that it is a 1951 car, and has been celebrated as such.

I differ.

Production did not start until May, 1952 so that makes it a ’52 car.

Anyway, the tiny car pioneered Austin’s transition to unitary construction and featured the new A-series 49 cubic inch/ 803cc OHV engine. 

Speed and power were not this car’s selling points.

Zero to 80km/h arrived in just under 30 seconds

It also redefined the description for “small”.

But it was affordable and 10 per cent less than a Morris Minor.

Adding a radio and heater to your sales invoice added that 10 per cent back.

Austin sold 223,000 A30s, which includes the Australian built versions.

It was replaced by the more “powerful” A35 in 1956.

Austin’s other big news in 1952 was the mid-sized A40 Somerset. 

It replaced the Devon which had seen service since 1947.

The roly-poly shape of the sheet metal was based on the larger Herford A70 and the 1948 A90 Atlantic. 

But the rounded exterior panels sought to cheat the eye.

Underneath was the same old 1947 A40.

Same basic mechanical components and same chassis.

A convertible appeared in late 1952 and in December a deal was inked with Datsun in Japan to sell locally assembled Somersets. 

You might recall a story I did not so long ago about 22 brand new Austin A40s which were dumped into Vancouver harbour on May 9, 1952. 

David Burrell is the editor of retroautos

 

 

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