Austin 8… belonged to an old lady

The Austin 8 is a small car produced by Austin between 1939 and 1948. Sometimes finds are simply unlikely. In Drempt we found an Austin 8 that is by no means flawless, but it is enchantingly beautiful. In addition, the Austin has a fantastic, almost entirely documented history.

The Austin 8 so

Presented on 24 on February 1939, the production of the Austin 8 continued until the war, until 1943. About 9000 - 9500 of the Austin wartime models were two-seat military 8AP tours produced for the armed forces and the government. After the Second World War the model was made with minimal adjustments from 1945 to 1948.

The new car, which was shown to dealers in February 1939, retained the Big 900's 7 cc, four-cylinder side-valve engine, but now with a higher compression ratio of 6,5: 1. The car had a completely new chassis. This was a type of apprentice load-bearing body, in that the main element was a pressed steel floor tile with a box section welded on each side of the car with three others across the floor. The body was then bolted to this structure. The suspension was by means of semi-elliptical leaf springs with hydraulic dampers.
After the war, the Austin 8 was manufactured in a slightly different way than the pre-war 8s. The main differences were: the steering wheel, chrome headlights (instead of painted) copies, a horizontal air filter instead of a standing air filter, rosettes on the bumpers, a whole rear bumper instead of a quarter, a rather unique movable license plate holder on the boot lid. Only two models were available after the war.

From an old lady

The copy that we found at Venema Classic Cars is a 1947'er and absolutely unique. It's been a nurse's car for a very long time, mrs. TB Offringa. At the end of her business trip, she awarded the car to the National Automobile Museum, the later Autotron. The correspondence on this is heartwarming and preserved. Through a number of wanderings, the almost fully documented Austin is completely in its authentic condition and has been adopted by Albert Venema with an overwhelming patina. And whether the car is driving? Of course he does. In fact, the only things that can be changed on the Austin without severe physical punishment are the window rubbers. They are really beyond the possibility of being saved. Well, a bunch of fresh tires should also be allowed underneath. Furthermore, the Austin 8 will only be less beautiful if it would be made more beautiful.

Can be used as a classic?

Such a rare beautiful survivor must of course be cherished. And with its 27 hp side valve, the Austin is also not the car to take all the Alpine passes. But where is the biggest pain point for us modern Dutch? Cars designed for the Second World War, which are made for not-too-heavy people of about 1,75 m maximum.
As a full sized current Dutchman you don't sit in the Austin 8, but you put it on. But once in the once very luxurious interior you feel as safe as a happy turtle in its shell.