Austin A35 fuel economy test

[JB052]

My first car was an Austin A30 (similar to the A35) seem to recall it used as much oil as it did petrol.

 

[DRM]

I recall a Black A35 that was in storage at my Grandads garage business, I've no idea why it was in there, or what was wrong with it, but I remember saying that they have an A series engine in, is that right? he said yes they do, so I followed that with, so you could fit a 1275cc mini engine in it? to which he said probably, but don't forget it's all well and good making it go fast, you need to make it stop too, damn another cunning plan foiled at the first hurdle! mind I would only have been about 9 years old, but was thinking it would be cool to have 8 years to build this up ready to have driving lessons

 

[JB052]

DRM isn't the only person to consider fitting the later 1275 engine. These days the A35 is back in fashion as a popular race car and can be pedalled along quite briskly, but a short wheelbase combined with high centre of gravity can cause issues.

View: https://youtu.be/aWfrcut4KuI

 

[oldwheels]

I had an A30 van with windows and a crease in the front bulkhead where it had been shunted sometime before my ownership. Nobody was too bothered about such things in the 1960,s.
Served us well until replaced with new mini which I seem to remember cost about £450.
One disadvantage was top speed was something like 55 mph downhill with the wind behind you.

 

[Grant Fondo]

My Morris Minor had the same engine, seemed good on mpg? Did we worry about filling up in the '80s though?
I put £120 full tank in a few months back and it just seemed wrong.

 

[Jenkins]

DRM isn't the only person to consider fitting the later 1275 engine. These days the A35 is back in fashion as a popular race car and can be pedalled along quite briskly, but a short wheelbase combined with high centre of gravity can cause issues.

View: https://youtu.be/aWfrcut4KuI

And as captured at Brands Hatch a few years ago

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I love the sat nav.

 

[tyred]

I wouldn't mind an A35 van to be honest. Lots of character, should be a simple and inexpensive classic to look after and it ticks the most important box in Tyred's car buying criteria - room for a bike. I only do a few thousand miles per annum nowadays and it can't be any less reliable than my stupid Fabia.

 

[JB052]

A35 van was James Hunts preferred mode of transport.

 

[tyred]

A35 van was James Hunts preferred mode of transport.

Yes, I have a huge collection of car magazines from down through the years and I do have one where they featured his A35 and interviewed him about it. It was printed only a few weeks before he died.

I think Graham Hill was another devotee of the A35.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I came across this on YouTube where the RAC tested an Austin Healey A35 to check it's fuel economy. I won't give any spoilers (and don't read the comments if you want to remain in suspense). Have at it!

Ps: IDK much about this car but wiki search shows that it was in production from 1956 for a few years.

My dad had one - it preceeded an A45 Farina.

Tiny little thing but we kids felt dead posh going out in it.

In truth we were pretty hard up and it was far from new.

Fuel economy - it shows just how far we have improved over the years too. Plus that would have been running on leaded petrol.

Positive messages that get drowned out imo.

 

[presta]

the big knob in the middle of the dashboard for the semaphore indicator arms

I remember that on an A35 owned by the mum of a mate at primary school. The complexity of semaphore signals compared to flashing indicators always struck me as an intriguing example of being blinkered by what went before, and lack of lateral thinking.

 

[Drago]

My first job from school was in a factory while waiting for my application for the Army to progress.

There was one old boy who had a Morris Minor and was fanatical about tuning and modifying it for economy.

Every Friday the old boys would walk up the pub at lunchtime and that's when us young Herberts struck. We'd have a whip round and nip up the petrol station for buy a couple of gallons of fuel in cans, then We'd nip back and pour them into the Morris Minors petrol tank.

Suddenly his calculations were showing he was getting 80 to the gallon. And he was so excited. He was writing to Tomorrow's World, the patent office, anyone who thought might listen about his latest fuel economy modification discovery while we tittered behind his back. I left before he discovered the truth..

 

[Gunk]

I wouldn't mind an A35 van to be honest. Lots of character, should be a simple and inexpensive classic to look after and it ticks the most important box in Tyred's car buying criteria - room for a bike. I only do a few thousand miles per annum nowadays and it can't be any less reliable than my stupid Fabia.

You’ll need deep pockets, the days of picking a good one up for a couple of grand are long gone.

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1515263

 

[Gunk]

It’s no wonder BMC we’re in financial trouble back then, they made the A35 and Morris Minor Van concurrently - absolute madness.