Austin A40 Farina

Austin A40 Farina
Overview
Manufacturer	Austin (BMC) Innocenti
Also called	Austin A40 Futura
Production	1958–67 342,162
Assembly	United Kingdom Australia Mexico South Africa Netherlands
Body and chassis
Class	Compact car / Small family car (C)
Body style	2-door saloon 3-door hatchback 3-door van
Layout	FR layout
Chronology
Predecessor	Austin A35
Successor	Austin 1100

Austin A40 Farina Mark I
Austin A40 Farina (Mark I)
Overview
Production	1958–61 169,612
Designer	Pininfarina
Powertrain
Engine	948 cc A-Series I4
Dimensions
Wheelbase	83.5 in (2,121 mm)
Length	144.25 in (3,664 mm)
Width	59.5 in (1,511 mm)
Height	56.5 in (1,440 mm)
Kerb weight	1,764 lb (800 kg) approx

Austin A40 Farina Mark II
Austin A40 Farina Mark II
Overview
Production	1961–67 172,550
Designer	Pininfarina
Powertrain
Engine	948 cc A-Series I4 (1961–62) 1098 cc A-Series I4 (1962–67)
Transmission	4-speed manual: synchromesh on top 3 ratios
Dimensions
Wheelbase	87 in (2,210 mm)
Length	145 in (3,683 mm)
Width	59.5 in (1,511 mm)
Height	56.5 in (1,435 mm)
Kerb weight	1,764 lb (800 kg) approx

The Austin A40 Farina is a small family car introduced by Austin in saloon (1958) and Countryman (1959) versions. Although usually referred to as the A40 Farina, to distinguish it from previous A40 models, it was badged simply as the Austin A40. Austin was merged into the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1952, and unusually for BMC at the time, the body shape was sold only as an Austin; no other marque names were used to badge engineer it.

The Countryman version was an early example of what became known as a hatchback, combining many of the virtues of a saloon and estate car in one body. There is more headroom for the rear passengers because of the angular instead of curved lines of the roof, while as a two-seater it provides an exceptional amount of luggage space.

The saloon luggage boot has a tail board that lets down (the rear window remains fixed) and the space behind the rear seat is usually covered by a vinyl tonneau cover. This can be removed, and the rear seats folded to permit the whole of the back of the car to be used for luggage, though the loading deck achieved was far from being flat.

The design was by Pininfarina of Italy. At a time when Turin auto-design studios were, for the most part, consulted only by builders of expensive "exotic" cars, the manufacturers made much of the car's Italian styling, with both "Pinin" Farina and his son Sergio being present at the car's UK launch. The car appeared as a scaled-down version of the Austin Cambridge and Morris Oxford, but without an extended boot. These cars were also designed by Pininfarina.

The A40 designation had been used on previous Austins, most recently the Cambridge, but the "Farina" suffix was new with this car.

The Farina name was not used in Sweden, where the car received the name "Futura" because a mix-up with a common type of with a similar name was believed to be unavoidable.

Presented as a saloon at the London Motor Show in October 1958, the A40 Farina was intended to replace the Austin A35, from which it inherited much of its running gear, and was a capacious thoroughly modern small car, with a brand new distinctive "two box" shape and headroom in the back seat. It was a saloon, the lower rear panel dropped like a then conventional bootlid, the rear window remaining fixed.