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Austin Westminster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Austin Westminster | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | BMC |
| Production | 1954-1968 96,362 |
| Predecessor | Austin A70 Hereford |
| Successor | Austin 3-Litre |
The Westminster series were large saloon and estate cars sold by the British Austin Motor Company from 1954, replacing the A70 Hereford. The Westminster line was produced as the A90, A95, A99, A105, and A110 until 1968 when the new Austin 3-Litre took its place. Essentially badge-engineered versions of the Westminster were also produced using the premium Wolseley and Vanden Plas marques.
Contents |
| A90 | |
|---|---|
| Production | 1954-1955 55,100 (approx including A95/110) [1] |
| Body style | FR 4-door saloon |
| Engine | 2.6 L C-Series I6 |
| Wheelbase | 104 inches (2635 mm) [2] |
| Length | 170 inches (4324 mm) [2] |
| Width | 64 inches (1626 mm) [2] |
The A90 Westminster was introduced at the 1954 London Motor Show at the same time as the small A40/A50 saloon range. It used the new BMC C-Series straight-6 engine which, at 2.6 L (2639 cc), produced 85 hp (63 kW).
The A90 designation had previously been carried by the 1948-1952 Austin Atlantic.
| A95/A105 | |
|---|---|
| Production | 1956-1959 For production figs see A90 |
| Body style | FR 4-door saloon FR 2-door estate (A95) |
| Engine | 2.6 L C-Series I6 |
| Wheelbase | 104 inches (2635 mm) 106 inches (2686 mm) from May 1956 [2] |
| Length | 170 inches (4324 mm) 181 inches (4597 mm) from May 1956 [2] |
| Width | 64 inches (1626 mm) [2] |
| Related | Morris Marshal |
The A90 was updated for 1956 as the A95 Westminster. Along with more power, the A95 was longer and now offered an estate model. Overdrive and an automatic transmission were new as well, something of a novelty in British cars of the time.
Introduced along with the A95 was a top-of-the-range A105 Westminster. It had triple carburettors helping to produce nearly 105 hp (78 kW). For visual effect, two-tone paint and whitewall tyres were fitted.
Both the A95 and A105 were produced together until 1959.
A badge-engineered version of the A95 with different grille, trim, and badges and a bench front seat was sold in Australia as the Morris Marshal from 1958-60.
| A99 | |
|---|---|
| Production | 1959-1961 15,162 [1] |
| Body style | FR 4-door saloon |
| Engine | 2.6 L C-Series I6 |
| Length | 188 inches (4775 mm) [2] |
| Width | 68 inches (1727 mm) [2] |
| Related | Wolseley 6/99 Vanden Plas Princess |
The A99 Westminster appeared in 1959 with new Pininfarina-designed bodywork. Pininfarina had also re-styled Austin's compact A40 and mid-sized A60 Cambridge ranges the year before. Under the bonnet was the 2.9 L (2912 cc) C-Series straight-6 engine from the Austin-Healey 3000. This engine produced 103 hp (77 kW) in Westminster tune. Borg-Warner supplied a 3-speed manual with an overdrive unit or an automatic transmission. Power assisted brakes with discs in front were also new.
A specially trimmed A99 was sold as the Princess 3-Litre, (note, not an "Austin" Princess — Austin was removed from Princess badging during the time of the previous Princess IV, in August 1957) and later under the Vanden Plas marque as the Vanden Plas Princess. A Wolseley version, the 6/99, was also produced. Production ended in 1961 with the introduction of the larger A110.
| A110 | |
|---|---|
| Production | 1961-1968 26,100 [1] |
| Body style | FR 4-door saloon |
| Engine | 2.9 L C-Series I6 3.9 L Rolls Royce I6 overhead inlet, side exhaust |
| Length | 188 inches (4775 mm) [2] |
| Width | 68 inches (1740 mm) [2] |
| Related | Wolseley 6/110 Vanden Plas Princess |
The final major update arrived in 1961 with the A110 Westminster. This version had an extended (by 2 in/51 mm) wheelbase, floor-mounted gear lever, and twin exhausts. 13 in wheels were substituted in 1964's Mark II models. Wolsely produced a 6/110 version, and there was a Vanden Plas Princess Mark II with the C-Series engine, now uprated to 120 hp. The same basic body was also used for a Rolls Royce-engined Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R, and the body even formed part of a prototype Bentley.
The Westminster range was finally replaced by the Austin 3-Litre in 1968.
- Cambridge-Oxford Owners Club – including advice for preservation of this vehicle