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Spain, AUTHI Austin 1300
As we featured yesterday, this month marks 50-years since the introduction by AUTHI of the Spanish built Austin versions of the ADO16...
...today we feature the AUTHI Austin 1300 4-door saloon; there was no 2-door whilst both the 1000 and 1100 version would come in ensuing years. Production of the Austin 1300 was short lived and was ended in August, 1972 after just 9,226 cars had been produced.
One of the more fascinating features of the AUTHI Mark II saloons was a colour coded fascia, something first seen when the AUTHI Morris 1300 was launched.
Our featured car belongs to Rufino; the images are of particularly good quality – have a close look at the fascia, it’s not silver as one might expect, it is factory painted white. Harder to see is that the centre sections of the seat faces were trimmed with fabric of a contrasting colour; in Rufino’s car it was red.
With special thanks to Rufino Gómez and Dean Gray.
We are the global umbrella for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – in well over 60 countries with a Facebook Group of over 2,400 members! You can join us too; the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level: www.ado16.info/membership-join
The body coloured dashboard is an excellent idea. I have always preferred the Mk2 1300 and this example is excellent.
January 1971, Spain – Austin 1300 Mark II
It was 1966 before manufacture of the Morris 1100 began in Spain by AUTHI (Automoviles de Turismo Hispano Ingleses) in a joint venture between the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and Nueva Montaña Quijano (NMQ) – in the following years the AUTHI range was expanded but cars bearing Austin badges were not seen...
...January, 1971 marked a distinct change in direction; the Morris badge would be dropped and replaced with Austin – MG production remained unchanged and was now joined by an Austin 1300 4-door saloon and an Austin 1300 Countryman.
We feature a number of press images and adverts, celebrating the new models!
With special thanks to Dean Gray and Rufino Gómez
We are the global umbrella for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – in well over 60 countries with a Facebook Group of over 2,400 members! You can join us too; the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Russia – 1974, Morris 1300 Samara – Fitting the New Coil-Over Suspension
At the beginning of July, 2018 a very important and long awaited parcel was delivered to Denis in Arkhangelsk, Northern Russia for his 1974, Morris 1300 GT which out of necessity was having to lose its hydrolastic suspension...
...Denis had purchased a Kayba adjustable coil-over kit for the Lada Samara family (VAZ 2108 to 2115) from Aka-Air in Rostov-on-Don. Denis also ordered a long drive shaft, knowing that he would have to shorten it!
Comparing the new coil-over units with the original VAZ items it was clear the Morris would be brought down to a sensible ride height – Denis didn’t waste any time and set about installing the rear assembly, and then he laughed loudly; all his previous work with the drop plates had been a complete waste of time!
Putting the hubs and drums in their original place was spot on – at some point the drop plates would be cut off.
Denis knew that in comparison to the Lada Samara he had brought the front suspension top mounts together by a huge amount and that without some modification this would create a large degree of negative camber – just how much was now fully apparent, he would also need to address the ground clearance at the front...
...and rectification would also involve shortening the Lada Samara drive shafts.
We are the global umbrella for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – in well over 60 countries with a Facebook Group of over 2,400 members! You can join us too; the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Is the roof still 1100
Is it finished by now?
The Netherlands – A BMC Prototype?
Following our Netherlands posts here’s another and we certainly make no apologies for featuring this ADO16 again, especially as we now have even more pictures of it...
...this Austin 1100 is not a Crayford Convertible but it is understood to have been manufactured as a convertible during the 1960’s – indeed the current owner Henk believes the car was a BMC prototype and even appeared at a Motor Show or two; we would love to validate this, perhaps someone seeing this post can shed some light on the history of this car.
What we can say is that it is a very rare LHD Mark I 2-door; it has a Mark II, Vanden Plas dashboard and fitting that would have been a small challenge involving welding in a cross-member, followed by replacing the pedal box and fitting a different steering column. The seats look to be Mark II, Wolseley and then there’s the tow bar and side exit exhaust – it certainly raises many questions...
...some of you might also think this is the most glorious looking ADO16 of all time!
With special thanks to Herbert Kuyvenhoven and Henk Honhof.
We are the global umbrella for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – in well over 60 countries with a Facebook Group of over 2,400 members! You can join us too; the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level: www.ado16.info/membership-join
De bumper is vervangen net als de gt uitlaat auto is ook voorzien van een trekhaak hoort niet maar kan er een fietsdrager achterop, de motor zat vast geroest en heb er een metro donor motor voor gebruikt
That is a rare and desirable ADO16, love it. However I suspect the later interior, slotted wheels and Mk2 rear bumper possibly came off another car and possibly the VP dash too.
Technical it's not a convertible but a open roof vehicle. Pilar post and roofline are intact. But nevertheless a very nice car!👌
Very similar to the early Nash Rambler convertible roof treatment.
GT exhaust fitted as well. Looks excellent.
Look great.. wish I can own one of this model.
Weekly Model Series – Vanguards – Revised Austin Countryman
Just as the Vanguards Morris Traveller model was revised as we highlighted last week, so too was the Austin Countryman...
...the original Austin Countryman was Snowberry White and was followed by VA05601 finished in El Paso Beige with an Adam Beige interior and also VA05602 finished in Flame Red with a Navy interior.
These two additions meant that Vanguards had produced six versions of the ADO16 estate and as far as we are aware, with just one exception which we’ll feature soon, they are the only estate scale models that have ever been offered to collectors – our lead image shows five of the six together.
We are the global umbrella for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – in well over 60 countries with a Facebook Group of over 2,400 members! You can join us too; the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level: www.ado16.info/membership-join
