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Norway – Selling the ADO16
The ADO16 sold well in Norway and many period images can be found showing various versions – adverts are another matter!
It is interesting that whilst sales brochures tended to be produced in the UK and simply translated for the local market, adverts in local publications were the work of the main importer and local garages.
As we continue our look back at Norway we have a great street scene which also shows one of the main rivals to the ADO16, a Simca 1100. An image outside a Noewegian dealership and two adverts from around 1969/70.
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Norway – ADO16 Period Images
Following yesterday’s Norwegian Constitution Day we have a number of fascinating period images from Norway...
...there used to be a regular car ferry between the UK and Norway and in 1968 Colin took his 1967, Morris 1100 across the North Sea to visit Norway! Then we have the 1300 GT on a trailer behind a Land Rover belonging to the family of Erling Winje who ran a British Leyland dealership. Next we have a Mark II, Morris 1300 on the garage forecourt of Gjermundsen auto, a Morris 1100 driving through the cleared snow of Hoyfjellsovergang, a Mark II, Austin 1300 outside the Volkswagen dealership Sannes og Co., Haugesund, and finally a very rare example, even in its day, of a Mark II, Wolseley 1100 with Greek diplomatic registration plates!
With special thanks to Colin John Ford, Chris Cowin, Erling Winje, Gjermundsen auto, and O.A. Brekke.
With hundreds joining our club, with a Facebook Group approaching 2,050 members, contacts and representatives in over 40-countries; you can join the only ADO16 club with FREE or PAID (just £10.00) membership levels here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
"There used to be a ferry to Norway"... I had to look that up as I remember Newcastle to Bergen (now discontinued). Today a ferry runs from Immingham (NE Lincolnshire) to Brevik (a few miles SW of Oslo and almost the only place that could claim to be on the E Coast of Norway lol)
There were a lot of ADO 16s around in Norway in the 70’s as I remember. They sold quite well
Norway National Day
Today we celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day (Syttende mai) with images that date back to the seventies...
... Haugesund Auto on the Haugalandet peninsula on the West coast of Norway has been an authorised Ford dealer since 1927 and has an interesting history – after the war, rationing was introduced to Norway and one had to have a purchase permit from the authorities to be able to buy a new car. It was not until 1960 that rationing of new car sales was lifted in Norway and it was greeted by a formidable increase in sales of new cars throughout the country. Subsequently Haugesund Automobile Co. A/S had five localities across the city of Haugesund, clearly an unsustainable situation...
...in 1970 the company re-branded as Haugesund Auto and brought the business under one roof in a new building of 3,500 square meters on a 13-acre site. At the time the location, at Svehaug, was a few kilometres out of the city into the countryside; indeed many said it was too far out and that no-one would buy a new car from a dealer located so far from most people.
Haugesund Auto set about attracting potential customers to the new site; one of their ideas was to arrange a treasure hunt starting outside the dealership in 1972 – Norwegian treasures were out...
...the first car to start, car number 1, was an ADO16, a Mark III Austin 1300 4-door Super Deluxe – interestingly fitted with front wing indicator repeaters. We show you images which include the first five starters but later there is a Mark II, Austin 1100 2-door Deluxe
With special thanks to Karmsund folkemuseum fotosamling.
With hundreds joining our club, with a Facebook Group approaching 2,050 members, contacts and representatives in over 40-countries; you can join the only ADO16 club with FREE or PAID (just £10.00) membership levels here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
"The Norwegian West Coast" being about as precise a satnav direction as "that hot place in Africa" 😉, I looked it up and found that Haugesund is SW of Oslo opposite the "bay" from Stavanger. Hard to believe nowadays that Norwegians were then so poor (following German occupation unlike Sweden) when oil has made them so rich today.
Adoration. Norway is awesome.
South Africa – Austin Apache 35 Automatic
With its more modern styling the Austin Apache was able to remain in production in South Africa for longer into the 1970’s than globally any other ADO16 version. That said the Spanish version, the Victoria, may have also survived longer had there not been a fire at the AUTHI factory.
The challenge for Leyland South Africa was to keep the Apache fresh...
...in May, 1976 the Austin Apache 35 Automatic was introduced. Production was limited to just 300 cars although some may argue this was an ambitious figure given how poorly some ADO16 specials sold.
The Apache 35 offered a kind of luxury that could never be for everybody – to start with it was finished in Harvest Gold. Mechanically there was nothing new; this was all a styling exercise.
With special thanks to Paul Cowie, Dean Gray and www.austinapache.co.uk
An ever growing club with a Facebook Group approaching 2,050 members, contacts and representatives in over 40-countries; you can join the only ADO16 club with FREE or PAID (just £10.00) membership levels here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Apache was really nice car, considering to be a transformed Ado 16, it's a real impressive work, pity it was not sold on uk and continent
I doubt the Victoria would have survived longer than the Apache. Not only the fire, Authi was near bankrupcy when the fire occured and the motor press in Spain was anouncing the Marina as the next step for Authi to delete the Victoria. My father had a Victoria Deluxe with twin carb and Cooper engine
I believe South Africa's "harvest gold" was a different shade (darker) than the harvest gold used so profusely on BL products in the UK.
South Africa – Austin Apache TC
Alongside the updated Apache we featured yesterday, Leyland South Africa also launched the Austin Apache TC...
... Just as in the UK with the 1300 GT, the Apache TC featured a host of 1970’s go-faster hardware such as TC badges, a vinyl roof, brushed nylon seat facings, a sports steering wheel, additional stainless steel side beading, and the all important rev-counter! Also, and certainly being one up on the 1300GT, there were actual Rostyle wheels manufactured in South Africa.
Under the bonnet the engine was equipped with twin 1¼" SU carburettors and boasted 70bhp – significantly the engine ran at 9.75:1 compression and had an 11-stud cylinder head but this was an engine block cast in South Africa instantly recognisable by the re-located oil filter.
It could be claimed that the Austin Apache TC offered more than the 1300 GT whilst it was the only overseas manufactured ADO16 variant to offer the A-series engine in its highest state of tune – Leyland South Africa certainly had an ADO16 variant to be very proud of.
With special thanks to Dean Gray and www.austinapache.co.uk
An ever growing club with a Facebook Group in excess of 2,030 members, contacts and representatives in over 40-countries; you can join the only ADO16 club with FREE or PAID (just £10.00) membership levels here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
