Austin Taxi
Where did the name of Taxi come from. Well
you have probable heard the name hackney which has its origins in
France and called ‘Hacquenée’ meaning a horse for hire.
Various forms of transport were dreamed up, but it was 1906 when
the General Cab Company's imported 500 Renault cabs into London. It
was because of this sudden influx of cabs that the licensing
authority decided that it would impose rules on the their design.
One of the conditions was the 25ft turning circle. The next change
was in 1907 when the fitting of taximeters was made compulsory, it
is from this that they became know as ‘taxicabs’, it was not long
before the name cab was dropped and they were just called
Taxi.
Taxi on a Austin 12/4
Chassis (High Lot)
The regulations were revised in 1928 to
encourage more manufactures to start producing Taxi's. The car
dealer Mann and Overton Director Will Overton who had been selling
cabs in London since 1906 approached Herbert Austin about modifying
the 12/4 chassis so that it would comply with the London
'Conditions of Fitness'. So a chassis from a Austin 12/4 was
modified with bodies from various coach-builders.
Controls on a Austin 12/4
Taxi
Because the overall height of the Taxi was
higher than the competition, it received the nick name 'High Lot'
but this design gave the Top Hat customers plenty of room. It was
soon outselling the Bearmore and Morris-Commercials versions.
Building on its success a new model the 'Low Loader' was introduced
in 1934.
Austin Taxi-Cab 1938
Back page of Brochure
Price of Cab complete with
luxuriously upholstered Standard Cab Landaulter Body, cellulose
blue with full windscreen and including front and rear bumpers.
Fire extinguisher, horn, number plates, license holder. Taxi sign,
Trico visional wiper and speedometer.
All exterior fittings are Chromium plated
The List Price was
£395
Hire purchase terms were
Deposit £50 monthly installments of £10 making a total price of
£472 (that what it says)
Your would receive a bonus of £18 if purchased completed in 40
months.
NB. Bonus reduced by £3 for each month exceeding the above
mentioned period.
Vincent Body
Standard Fitment
Jones Body £5 extra
Cavalcade
After the war Mann & Overton decided
that it needed a more up to date design. So it was agreed that
Austin would supply the engine/chassis with the body been supplied
by Carbodies in Coventry, although the body was actually designed
by Austin's chief body designer Jim Stanfield. In 1948 a new Austin
Taxi appeared on the streets called the FX3, it was soon the market
leader. Although in 1952 a diesel engine from Ferguson was
available as a conversion, it was 1954 that Austin were producing
there own 2.2 litre diesel engine as a factory fit. Also produced
was the FL1 this was the same model but had no luggage space by the
driver instead it had a bench seat and the roof sign was
deleted.
Austin Taxi
FX3
FX3D ready for
hire
Austin Hire Car
FL1
FXL-3 Rear Seats
Arrangement
(note slide down side
windows)
Date when launched late
1948
Discontinued in 1958
Total produced 13,737 (All chassis produced at
Longbridge)
Taxi
Engine Petrol
2199 cc 50 bhp at 3,500 rpm Max torque 102lbs/ft at 1,600
rpm
Hire Car 68 bhp at 3,800
rpm Max torque 116lbs/ft at 1,700 rpm
Diesel version
2,178 cc 55 bhp at 3,500 rpm Max torque 89lbs/ft at 2,800 rpm
Main measurements Taxi & Hire Car
Length 14ft 5.3ins Width 5ft 7.5ins Height 5ft 10.8ins
Wheelbase 9ft 2.7ins Track front 4ft 8ins rear 4ft 8ins
Price ex Works
Taxicab
Petrol Feb 1957 £910 no tax
Diesel .: . . . : . £1012 no tax
Taxi Chassis - Petrol Feb 1957 £777 incl. £151 Purchase
Tax
..: . . ...:.... : - Diesel
.
.:.. ..:.. £904 incl. £177 Purchase
Tax
The next chapter was the Austin FX4
version in 1958 this is the Taxi that has become a London icon. The
main reason for its longevity was that nether Austin or Mann and
Overton were prepared to fund a replacement so it soldered on. In
1960 the chassis production was transferred to Morris Commercial Cars
plant at Adderley Park Birmingham from Longbridge. Chassis
production was again moved in 1971 to the Car Bodies plant at
Coventry at least assemble was now under one roof.
British Leyland decided in
1982 that they wished to withdraw from been involved with the FX4.
This meant that a Land Rover diesel engine was used, this was a
move that gave reliability problems. To address the problem in 1985
the Nissan 2.7litre diesel unit was fitted. The next milestone was
in 1989 when the final version of the FX4 was announced which along
with the Nissan engine could now accommodate wheelchairs and was
called the 'Fairway'. This continued in production to 1997, so from
a 1958 design in had for been in production for 39 years. Although
Carbodies looked at producing a replacement, in the end after a
couple of prototypes they decided to buy the production rights from
Austin.
Car Bodies
Production
FX Diesel
Engine 2178cc
Austin Taxi
FX4
Hire Car
FL2
Date when launched late
1958
Discontinued in
1981
Total produced
1,696 (Longbridge built chassis)
16,079 (Adderley Park built
chassis)
25,450 (Chassis - Build at Carbodies Coventry)
Grand Total
43,225
Taxi
Engine
Petrol
2199 cc 68 bhp at 3,800 rpm Max torque 116lbs/ft at 1,700 rpm
Diesel version
2,178 cc 55 bhp at 3,500 rpm Max torque 89lbs/ft at 2,800 rpm
Main measurements Taxi & Hire Car
Length 15ft 0.5ins Width 5ft 8.7ins Height 5ft 9.5ins
Wheelbase 9ft 2.7ins Track front 4ft 8ins rear 4ft 8ins
LWB Version FX4