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
Wheel Base 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
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
Wheel Base 9ft 2.7ins Track front 4ft 8ins rear 4ft 8ins
If you own a Taxi or Hire Car please send me pictures and a short history on the vehicle so that I may add it to this page.