Austin A 90

Immediately after the Second World War British Car Manufacturers got back into Private Car Production, albeit with models of pre-war design. As the 1940`s drew to a close radical new designs appeared, some with an American influence. The Standard Vanguard with its swept down tail being one and the Austin "A90" Atlantic another.

The "Atlantic" Convertible was a striking car and stood out from the crowd with its streamlined all steel body, power operated hood and windows. From September 1949 buyers had the option of a manually operated hood and windows if they so preferred. The line of the front wings was carried back along the doors and swept down to the rear quarter panels. The dummy radiator had a spotlamp prominently placed at its centre and two Austin motifs were placed above and behind the headlamps

Power was providby a 4 cylinder o.h.v. engine of 2660 c.c. (162.2 cu.inches) and having a compression ratio of 7.5 to 1. This gave 88 b.h.p. at 4000 r.p.m. Fuel was fed to the engine via two S.U. Carburettors with combined air cleaner.

The drive was taken to the rear axle via a four speed and reverse gear-box, syncro-mesh on second, third and top gears only. Gear changing was accomplished by means of a lever mounted on the Steering Column.

When first produced in 1948 a Coupe body was only available, the curved windscreen had joints each side of the main portion but from September 1949 a one piece curved screen was fitted and a Sports Saloon was introduced (top picture). The early type windscreen can be seen in the picture of the convertible, this being a 1948 model. The Coupe was discontinued in October 1950 and the Sports Saloon in October 1952.

The following has been taken from Austin Sales Literature of the time:- 'Modern in every detail and designed for a brilliant performance, the A.90 Atlantic Sports Saloon comes as a spectacular addition to the Austin range of dependable cars. Motoring enthusiasts will revel in the vivid acceleration and high cruising speeds afforded by the four cylinder O.H.V. engine power unit of the car which has created world-wide interest as the holder of 63 American Stock Car records. The gracefully styled four or five seater saloon body is a delight to the eye, and the distinctive interior, softly upholstered, gives a high degree of passenger comfort. All round unobstructed visibility is an outstanding feature of this car; the full width rear window which is of curved glass can be opened, and the rear quarter windows may be swung outwards when extra ventilation is required. The A90 Atlantic Sports Saloon is indeed a car of distinction that will bring an added zest to modern motoring. The A90 Atlantic Sports Saloon is available in an attractive range of colours with interior furnishings and trim to match. The roof is fabric covered and the coachwork has a lasting high lustre finish'

As you will see production only lasted some four years and very few of these cars are seen today. The cost new including purchase tax in October 1948 was £953.0. 0d. for the Convertible, this fell to £825. 0. 0d. in 1950. When the Convertible became available with a manual hood the new price was £787. 0. 0d. The Sports Saloon introduced in September 1949 was £889. 0. 0d. rising to £1,316. 0. 0d. in 1951 and £1,431 in 1952 the final year of production.

If, in early 1957 you had decided to purchase a 1949 Convertible, the retail price as quoted by Glass`s Guide, the trade bible, was just £310. or £220 Trade if you already had one and wished to sell to a Dealer.