While most district nurses once trundled round in Morris Minors, BMC created an in-house rival when it launched the practical new Austin A40. Paul Guinness tries them both for size

Imagine you’re a district nurse at the end of the 1960s. (Yes, I do realise that if you’re a six-foot builder with a beard and a beer belly, that may be a tad difficult … but let’s try.) And as it’s the tail end of a decade that has seen car ownership increase at record rates, this means easier mobility for people who need to be… well, mobile. And yes, that includes your ever-reliable district nurse.

So you’re a district nurse in the market for a secondhand car. Something that’s probably two or three years old. And, of course, it needs to be practical, economical, reliable and cheap to run. But do you necessarily have to go the tried and trusted route of opting for a Morris Minor in which to go about your rounds? After all, by the end of the Sixties, this legend of the British motoring scene was getting on in years, with a wide range of more modern machinery providing it with tough competition. And that included rivals from within BMC itself.

Take the Austin A40. Sharing the same 1098cc A-series engine in later Mk II guise as the final-phase Minor 1000, it provided a more modern take on small-car motoring. Like the Minor, it was mechanically straightforward, ignoring the front-wheel drive format that had dominated BMC’s sales throughout the Sixties, thanks to the success of models like the Mini and 1100/1300. But where the Pininfarina-styled A40 really was an advance was in its styling, with its sharp ‘two-box’ body style making other saloons look ultra traditional by comparison.

You could argue that, for the hard-working district nurse of 40 years ago, the A40 offered the best of both worlds. But would that be enough to tempt her away from the much-loved Minor?

AUSTIN A40

Bearing in mind the all-round ability of the old soldier that was the Morris Minor, it’s perhaps surprising that BMC saw the need for an in-house rival. But these were times when brand loyalty was still a major part of any car buyer’s decision-making process, which meant the need for a replacement for the successful little Austin A35 by the late Fifties.

Austin fans would always be swayed by an Austin rather than a Morris, presenting BMC with a challenge before discovering the joys of badge-engineering in the 1960s. And so what arrived was the Austin A40 ‘Farina’, the first of several BMC models to be styled by Pininfarina, hitting the streets in 1958.

While its mechanical layout was conventional compared with the front-drive Mini that BMC would be launching the following year, the A40 hit the headlines for its modern styling and its lack of a protruding boot. Instead, it was a two-box shape, with the boot lid being bottom-hinged and folding down to provide a surprising amount of room for your belongings.

Beneath its radical looking skin, the new A40 used modified A35 running gear (including the gearbox, front suspension, back axle and 948cc A-series engine), uprated to 1098cc in 1962 – the same year as the Minor’s upgrade, and just a year after the launch of the Mk II A40, featuring a 3.5-inch longer wheelbase, more modern radiator grille, wind-down windows and various other refinements.

Most significant of all the A40s though, was the Countryman, which launched in 1959, continued in Mk II guise and boasted a horizontally-split rear tailgate – effectively giving the baby Austin all the versatility of a hatchback, more than a decade before most manufacturers even began to consider the idea. And for any district nurse of the 1960s, such space and versatility (aided by a fully folding back seat) in such a compact car would have been an absolute boon.

From an enthusiast’s point of view, the A40 arguably trailed behind the Minor, lacking its rack and pinion steering and immensely ‘chuckable’ handling. But the A40 was (and still is) a pleasant drive, its later 1098cc engine offering similar performance to the Minor’s, despite weighing around 150lb more in Countryman guise. It responds well to an eager right foot, its gearchange is hassle-free, its handling is safe and secure rather than exciting, and its brakes are as effective as you’d expect from any all-drum set-up. It’s a thoroughly pleasant little car, in fact – with that unique selling point of hatchback-like usefulness.

1967 AUSTIN A40 COUNTRYMAN

OWNER PROFILE
Crewe-based Carl Hanley bought his ’67 A40 Countryman in January, paying just £990 for this presentable and very useable classic. And since then the little Austin has been in regular use, as well as displayed at various classic events. In fact, with 21 shows booked for 2010, TPB 428F looks like having a busy summer. Carl is trying to set up a north-west area group of the A40 Farina Club. If any A40 fans in that area are interested in joining him in his venture, you can contact Carl via the website forum at www.a40farinaclub.co.uk.

BUYING TIPS: AUSTIN A40
Sharing the same A-series engine as the Minor but with its transmission and running gear being modified versions of what went before in the Austin A35, the A40 is equally straightforward and free of complication. But because there isn’t the same level of non-mechanical parts availability, you need to be sure any purchase is structurally sound.

The A40 Farina Club is a big help when it comes to spares and technical advice, and can even help with hand-made body panels (see right). But because A40 values are relatively low, it makes sense to buy the best example you can find – with presentable and useable cars going for £800-£2000 or so, depending on their history and originality. Ultra-low mileage examples will obviously fetch more, yet still offer great value.

Body-wise, be vigilant when checking inner and outer sills, front wings, rear quarter panels, doors and boot lid – as well as the entire underside, including spring hangers and floor pans. Ensuring that any A40 you buy is the best you can find within budget will save plenty of hassle later on.

MORRIS MINOR

By the time our district nurse of the late Sixties was thinking of buying her first car, the Issigonis-designed Minor had been around for more than 20 years, having been unveiled at the 1948 Earl’s Court Motor Show. But to keep it competitive, the little Morris had been steadily developed and updated during its career – from the earliest sidevalve-engined MM models, through the 803cc A-series updates and on to the eventual Minor 1000.

The Minor 1000 – the most useable of all the range – actually dates back to 1956, when BMC’s A-series engine was uprated to 948cc and a heady 37bhp. And it certainly helped to give the Minor a useful boost compared with the 803cc model that had gone before. But by 1962, a 1098cc version of the same A-series unit found itself under the bonnet of the little Morris, bringing the output to a far more useful 48bhp at 5100rpm. And that 11bhp boost over its predecessor gave the ‘new, improved’ Minor 1000 a less strained, more relaxed driving style, quicker round-town progress and easier motorway cruising.

Little else about the car had been altered, aside from the four-speed gearbox being uprated to cope with the extra power. But that was understandable; after all, why would BMC meddle with something that was so right? And yet it’s remarkable that a simple increase in power and engine size managed to keep the Minor reasonably competitive throughout the Sixties.

What’s even more remarkable is that driving a 1098cc Minor 1000 now can still be such a delight, the extra power of its bigger engine giving it some useful extra get up and go. But what really impresses is the Minor’s rack and opinion steering, giving it a far sharper feel than you’d expect of a machine dating back to the late Forties. Combine that with the Minor’s torsion-bar independent front suspension and you’ve got a family-size machine that boasts (and let’s remember, all these things are relative) a surprisingly agile character.

Not that this would be of prime importance to our district nurse, of course, who’d be far more interested in the Minor’s decent size boot, its light and easy driving style and its reputation for being both frugal with fuel and cheap and reliable in daily use. Yes, despite its age, the Minor 1000 was a hard act to follow on the used-car market.

1966 MORRIS MINOR 1000

OWNER PROFILE
Tony Price bought this ’66 Minor 1000 for £2500 from the Morris Minor Millennium Company six years ago. Since then, Tony and his wife, Pat, have used their much-loved Morris all year round, clocking up a healthy mileage and even venturing over to France for the popular Minors On Tour excursions. With more than 102,000 miles now under its wheels, it’s little wonder that the Minor has needed a reconditioned engine and gearbox (plus new shocks and rear springs) during Tony’s ownership so far. But that’s not bad for a car in such regular use…

BUYING TIPS: MORRIS MINOR
When it comes to affordable family saloons with top-notch back-up from specialists throughout the country, few models can compete with the Morris Minor. But you should still be wary when buying, as it’s all too easy to fall for a poorly restored example that will turn into a money pit.

As long as a Minor is sound, it’s relatively easy to replace panels (the doors, wings and boot lid) if they’re suffering from rust. Structurally though, look for rot in the front 'chassis’ legs, the bottom of the inner front wing, inner and outer sills, front and rear spring hangers, rear boot corners, inner floor areas and the central crossmember. There’s no mechanical complexity, though A-series engines and Minor gearboxes will need attention with miles and/or neglect – and although an engine rebuild needn’t cost a fortune, you need to factor this in.

Most valuable Minors are Travellers and factory-spec Convertibles, leaving two- and four-door saloons as the relative bargains of the range. Pay £1000-£2500 for a decent, roadworthy example, depending on condition and mileage.

CONCLUSION
Even on today’s traffic-packed roads, either of these Sixties’ sweethearts from BMC holds plenty of appeal. They’re both compact enough to make the urban grind easier, they’re both likely to prove reliable and durable in daily use thanks to their simple and well-proven engineering, and they’re both guaranteed to be cheap to run via 40mpg fuel consumption and low-cost servicing and maintenance.

Of course, the Minor 1000 has a major advantage on today’s scene for its plethora of specialists supplying most items you’ll ever need – including body panels – off the shelf and at competitive prices. (The A40 Farina Club can supply hand-made body panels via one of its talented members, but that’s not quite as convenient as instantly available stock.) On the other hand, you can buy an A40 privately in presentable, sound condition for £1000 or less, while a Minor in similar order might cost twice as much from a private vendor.

But this test started out by going back in time, placing ourselves in the situation of a district nurse looking for a secondhand car for her local rounds at the end of the 1960s. And we have to say, in that scenario the A40 Countryman tested here wins hands down. It might not have quite the same driver appeal as the Morris (lacking the Minor’s rack and pinion steering, for starters), but with its fully opening back end and folding rear seat, it’s the closest any British company came to producing a hatchback-style compact saloon at the time. And for a nurse who needed to be not only mobile but who also needed the most easily accessible loadspace in its class, the A40 was the one to beat.

Us? It’s a close call. And on this particular occasion, we’d opt for the slightly sharper driving style of the Moggy – although the extra value of an A40 on today’s scene makes it a particularly tough decision.

Published in the May 2010 issue of Classic Car Mart.

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