1949 Austin A40 Devon Saloon

1949 Austin A40 Devon Saloon
Chassis no. 071802
1,200 cc OHV Inline-4 Cylinder engine
Single 1bbl Downdraft Carburetor
40bhp at 4300 rpm
4-speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front-wheel Suspension, Live Rear Axle
Hydraulic Front, Mechanical Rear Drum Brakes

*Austin's first post-war production car
*Nearly all were exported
*Vital to England's effort to help generate foreign revenue
*Partially-restored

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

Along with its two-door sister, the Dorset, and later the Countryman station wagon, the four-door A40 Devon was Austin's first effort to help rebuild the shattered British auto industry in the years immediately following World War II. The A40s were launched in 1947 and were well-received. Because England was essentially bankrupt after the war, the country was in desperate need of export revenue, and nearly every new car produced by the industry was tagged for distribution overseas. Production ramped up steadily in Birmingham; in 1949 Austin produced almost 91,000 A40s of which only a few thousand remained in the UK. The A40s were all-steel-bodied, and the Devon had a sliding top. The little saloon had a pair of individual seats in front, with a bench set in the rear that could accommodate three passengers, adequately if not comfortably. A40s were front-engine, rear drive, powered by a modest 1200 cc OHV inline four producing a meager 40 horsepower with a single carburetor hidden beneath a large oil-bath air cleaner. A four-speed manual transmission with floor shift fed a live rear axle. The painted dashboard contained a large square speedometer with both an odometer and trip-meter. Included in that instrument were other readouts such as a gas gauge, ammeter, and so on. Bakelite switch knobs controlled various systems such as lighting. The large Bakelite steering wheel with three banjo-style spokes included a central horn button and a finger switch on top that controlled the Trafficators hidden in the B-pillars. The interiors were tastefully upholstered in broadcloth with rubber mats underfoot. Performance was modest; acceleration was not a consideration, but the Devon could achieve a maximum of almost 70 mph, a rare vehicle indeed that could almost peg its speedometer! A40s were supplied with a comprehensive tool kit so that owners could perform basic services themselves; the tools included a hand crank, a fairly common item in post-way British cars, and eve a pair of tire irons for accessing the inner tubes should a tire go flat. Interestingly, the A40 inspired a small fleet of small children's pedal cars, which have become collectible in their own right today. In fact, there may be more J40s surviving than A40s!

This A40 Devon has been partially restored with what appears to be a dark silver respray and would be a good candidate for a complete project. Its odometer reads 11,177 miles, but total mileage is unknown.