Austin 3 Litre Saloon
(ADO61)
The car was developed at
Longbridge although all production was at Cowley. The above picture
is the version that was shown to the press in 1967. It uses the
centre section of the 1800 (ADO 17) and had a inline six cylinder 3
litre engine and rear wheel drive. The engine of 2912cc was brand
new with a complete new cylinder block and head, it was also
shorter and lighter than the old 'C' series which it replaced, the
new engine was also installed in the MGC
The
Austin 3 litre early version
As you can see from the
above picture it had rectangle headlamps. When the car was
available to the buying public they had been replaced by twin
headlamps. Independent suspension using Hydrolastic interconnected
front to rear gave a good ride, but the self leveling did not work
particularly well. The interior had a pleasant air with comfortable
seats and the extensive use of wood, but was let down by a very
ordinary looking dashboard. So it really did not have a good
reception with the press or buying public.
De-Luxe
version
Married to the new engine
was a all-synchromesh four-speed manual gearbox with an optional
Laycock overdrive. As shown above your could order a Borg-Warner
Type 35 automatic transmission.
In October 1968 it had its first and only face lift, and now
available only as a de-luxe version. The improvements included a
revised facia and more comfortable seats along with better
sound-deadening which made it a very quiet car to drive. Even after
these modification it struggled to find friends and even with
dealer discounts in the last six months of production had little
impact on sales so in early 1971 it was axed.
Production
Version
Date when launched
1968
Discontinued in 1971
Total produced
9,992
Engine
2912cc 124 bhp at 4,500 rpm
Max torque 161lbs/ft at 3,000 rpm
Length 15ft 5.7ins Width
5ft 6.8ins Height 4ft 8.8ins
Wheelbase 9ft 7.5ins Track
front 4ft 1ins rear 4ft 8ins
The Following Pictures are
a 1970 Austin 3 litre SOF956H belonging to Tom
Ward
The first owners of the car were the
Department of Health in Birmingham, where it was only driven by a
chauffeur. It was registered in 1970 and was black with red
interior, with a 4 speed manual gearbox but no
overdrive.
