Did you own one of these?

A friend of mine owned an A40, she told me the steering was a bit strange, I tried it and was virtually unable to turn the steering wheel. Turned out it was the front pinion wheel joints that had seized.

Mike

PS Great cars!!!!!
 
I'm saying nowt ................................:)

Tony.
 
My sister owned a lovely red beetle :p
But someone went into her car and then it was the end of it :(
 
My sister owned a lovely red beetle :p
But someone went into her car and then it was the end of it :(
Always a shame, normally its trying to brake, and that's the end of em......
 
My goodness Trev, that is one rare motor car. Is it based on an A40 Devon?

As for the comment about fast A35s, have you seen them racing at the Goodwood Revival. They are absolute giant killers, mixing it with Ford Galaxies. Amazing to watch.
 
I had the A35 and the A40 as off road learner cars. Where I was brought up had a brilliant estate road and I cut my teeth as a rally driver in the A40. The A35 was the first car I rolled and because of the shape I thought it was never going to stop rolling, man I was dizzy for days. The road did feature in a local rally some years later, which I competed in in a mini.
 
Yup, Austin A40 was my first car HEF 627 circa 1959/60, bought in 1968, green with a drop down boot lid complete with hinged rear number plate for big loads!! Real go faster machine with big bore Peco exhaust, ditched the hub caps and painted the wheels cream, chrome cover for the single SU carb, must have given me an extra 2mph in top speed (68mph). :coolsteer)
Mind the braking was a bit rubbish with the cable operated rear drum brakes. (extract from Wikipedia - The drum brakes were a hybrid (hydromech) arrangement, hydraulically operated at the front but cable actuated at the rear)
 
My first car was an A35 did'nt have it long , rolled it over into a ditch . Very glad it had a strong roof but no seatbelts . Ended up with some nice bruises.
 
When we used to race at Boston's shale track stadium there were banger races. One night an A35 rolled out onto the track alongside Zodiac, Zephyrs, Austin Cambridge, Morris Oxfords etc. you get the idea. Well, the little Austin was picked on mercilessly and I wish I had a quid for every time it was rolled but because of it's shape it would land on it's wheels and to a huge cheer would be off again.
Sadly, eventually one time it was rolled and it rested against the inner crash fence and sat there waving it's wheels in the air, a big aaaaahhhhh went round the stadium as the driver got out and legged it just before another of the big boys finally killed the little Austin.

Tony.
 
My son still has a 1960 Beetle which he has owned for about 16 years now with 12volt elects, back to metal respray some new body parts new engine 1800cc upgraded to about a 2.2 with twin carbs different cam and various other alterations and used at Santapod and has a timed record on the stright. I will try and find a pic and spec. it has had new suspension and Porche wide wheels at back slim at front disc brakes

Geoff
 
When I was learning to drive my dad had to go out with me in my mums vw beetle and my dads fiat 131,
And I took my driving test in a mk 1 Toyota Starlet it was my driving instructor new car which he picked up
On the morning of my test.
And at NEC classic car show saw a mk 1 Toyota starlet and it nice to see one after all these years
 
1970 VW Beetle. Poverty spec 1200 in dark blue. Awful thing, I hated it. It was good in the snow though. My girlfriend at the time loved it so I gave it to her to smoke around in. God knows how VW managed to flog 20 million of them....
 
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