Austin PDF Brochures

Austin Motor Company Limited (Austin) was started in 1905 by Herbert Austin, one of the earliest car developers in Britain and one of the founders of Wolseley Motors in 1901. For the first decades Austin produced large, expensive vehicles. During the First World War also aircrafts, three-ton trucks and other wartime equipment.

Due to heavy taxes on larger engines in automobiles in Britain, the Austin Seven was introduced in 1922. It was a very small car with a 696 cc four stroke, 7 hp engine and a 75" wheelbase. American Austin, (reorganized as American Bantam) in the US, Dixie (later acquired by BMW) in Germany, Nissan in Japan and Rosengart in France all built the Austin 7 under license in the 1920 and 30's.

Morris Motors Limited (MG, Morris, Riley and Wolseley) and Austin merged into British Motor Corporation Limited (BMC) in 1952. Morris Mini-Manor Mini was introduced in 1959 as a small, economic vehicle along the lines of the Austin Seven almost 4 decades earlier. BMC acquired Jaguar Cars Limited in 1966 and merged with British Leyland Motor Corporation (Leyland) in 1968. The Austin brand was discontinued in 1987 and Austin cars became Rovers, a more prestigious name. Rovers, badged as Sterlings were sold in the US until 1992.