Motoring Yesterdays.

[melv16]

A friend of mine bought an Austin Westminster A 90, and has been restoring it.

[melv16]

Cont.. (fat finger syndrome) He let me drive it this morning. Well, what a performance. It's got column change so there's at least 18" between gears. No power steering..you need arms like Charles Atlas. No syncro on 1st. Manual choke. Worst of all was the lack of power assisted brakes. According to some people the 50's were the golden age of motoring... My posterior..

[Bazile]

Sounds like true raw in your face motoring to me .

I bet it hasn't got any reversing sensors

[penelope2]

You are looking at a car that was produced 60 years ago before all the 'accessories' we now take for granted were introduced. I owned the smaller version, the Cambridge A40.

[vulcan42]

I don't think it was called the golden age because how good the cars were, it was because there were so few of them it was a pleasure to drive without traffic jams and all the hassle we have today.

[bhg481]

Penelope - surely the Cambridge was A55/A60, not A40.

[penelope2]

Hi bhg481.The early Cambridge(s) were the A40/A50 (1954/56). The later versions were the A55/A60 from 1957 onwards.

[bhg481]

Thanks Penny.

[hc4361]

It's true you don't miss what you've never had.

[tamborine]

I drove this when M4 was first opened nr Heathrow in 60s, to try out the overdrive (foot button push). Fab car & much envied by all.

http://www.picsauto.com/imgs/18605-austin-a95-westminster/2/

[RATTER15]

I remember driving such cars. I love the column change and the double de-clutch. In those days you needed to be able to drive!

[Hopkirk]

Any relation to the Morris Oxford?

That lived on for years in India as the Hindustan Ambassador.

[bhg481]

The A60 was the same as the Morris Oxford.

[tamborine]

No speed limit on motorways in 60s! Twas dads car & he taught me to drive in it. Really solid & safe car. It wasnt heavy for 6stone teen girl!

[bhg481]

Speed limit of 70mph introduced on motorways in 1966 - almost academic, since few cars could do much more than that anyway.

[melv16]

I forgot to say it has a 2.6lt engine and it does 22mls to the gallon!

[tamborine]

At 5' 6" I couldnt see over the steering wheel so sat on a cushion......no air bags or seat belts but we survived ;)

[TWR]

Can you remember the Side Valve Woolsley? they all came in Black.

[derekpara]

The 1954 A40 was the Somerset - I owned one and loved it. Floppy column gear change and all. The Somerset followed the A40 Devon.

D

[Hopkirk]

Interesting, Methyl.

I note the following from the blurb on the A90:

"A heater is fitted as standard on the de luxe model but optional on the standard version."