Austin A40 Devon Pick-up

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After the end of the Second World War it took a while for the British motor industry to fully function once again.

As a stop-gap, Austin resumed production of its earlier models from the late 1930s until, in 1947, the company launched its first post-war family saloon range, the A40 Devon and A40 Dorset. Both cars were built on a separate chassis but with modern saloon body styles and conventional overhead valve 1,200cc engines rated at 40hp (hence the A40 name).The transmission was also conventional, with a four-speed gearbox and a propshaft to the live rear axle mounted on semi-elliptic rear springs. A floor-mounted gear shift was standard, however a steering column change was optional from 1952.

The Devon was the first Austin car to use independent front suspension which featured coil springs and a neat double wishbone layout in which the lever arms of the dampers also doubled as the upper element of the wishbone arrangement. It proved to be a popular machine and when tested by the magazines, commentators commended the "excellent gear change" and the smooth clutch action.

The Devon was the more popular of the two cars, its four-door body being ideal for small families; in fact by 1951 Austin had decided to drop the two-door Dorset from the range. A sliding sunroof and heater were extra cost options on the UK market. The versatile chassis lent itself to various options, and soon other A40 Devon variants were also available including a Sports version, a Tourer, a Countryman estate car, as well as a Van and Pick-up versions. The rear load bay of the Pick-up was made in aluminium by Jensen of West Bromwich who were also responsible for the attractive bodywork on the Tourer model.

The Devon served well during its production run, earning much needed export orders from around the world, but by the time Austin became part of the BMC empire in 1951, the writing was on the wall for the Devon which was eventually replaced in 1952 by the larger, more bulbous A40 Somerset range. However, the Devon-based Pick-up remained in production until the end of 1956.

Finished in Green, the Stondon Collection Austin A40 Devon Pick-up was first registered in Plymouth in October 1953 and has been on display in the museum since December 2003. With four previous keepers registered, this pickup is a rare example of an early Fifties classic commercial, most of its brethren having succumbed to rust and sheer hard work. Always a treat to see these useful and hardy commercials, it should not take too much recommissioning until HJY 938 is back on the road.