Austin A40 Somerset

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In 1952 Austin launched a facelift A40 to replace the ageing Devon which had first appeared in 1947.

Carrying on with the Home Counties name theme, the new car was christened the A40 Somerset. Little more than a restyled Devon, it had the same 1200cc straight-four pushrod engine though slightly uprated to give 42bhp and a respectable top speed of 72mph.

Aimed very much at the export market, the Somerset shared its curvy, transatlantic body shape with the much larger A70 Hereford, and was also available in an elegant convertible body style. Inside, the Somerset continued the American theme with column change gears, a front bench seat and an umbrella handbrake lever.

Despite the Somerset's leisurely performance, its good looks meant that it managed to sell well during its short production run, which ended in 1954 with the launch of the all new A40 Cambridge.

The vendor purchased this late model car from its original owner late last year. Last used on the road in 2011, it runs sweetly and the vendor is hoping to refit the door-cards prior to the sale.

No doubt requiring some recommissioning following its recent hibernation, it looks like a straightforward and worthwhile project, comes with a current V5 and is both MOT and Tax exempt.