Austin K8

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Austin
Austin K8
Austin K8
K8
Manufacturer: Austin
Production period: 1947-1954
Previous model: Austin 10 Van / Pickup
Successor: Austin 1000 / 1500kg Van
Technical specifications
Designs: Box trucks , flatbed trucks
Engines: Otto engine :
2.2 liters (48 kW)
Payload: 1.25 t
Side view

The Austin K8 / 25cwt (1250 kg payload) van was a pickup truck that the Austin Motor Company produced from 1947 to 1954. It was also known as the Three-Way-Van (3-way van).

On June 25, 1946, at the celebrations for the millionth vehicle, Austin presented the prototype of a new 25cwt van, which was about to be completed, to the invited guests. It was not until early 1946, shortly after the end of the Second World War , that development of the prototype, known as the K8, began. It was supposed to replace the Austin 10 van / pick-up and expand the range of commercial vehicles upwards.

It was given the common name Three-Way-Van because of the arrangement of double doors, both on the driver (behind the driver's door) / passenger side and at the rear. This was unique at the time. The design with a curved front and high seating position with very good all-round visibility was also outstanding compared to the competition.

Production began in early 1947 at a cost of £  535. Unlike the prototype, it had a grille that was firmly attached to the bumper. This construction made it possible to pull the motor and gearbox out on rails after loosening the screw connections without having to dismantle the individual units, which made maintenance and repair much easier.

The short wheelbase of a commercial vehicle with a payload of 1250 kg made it very nimble and manoeuvrable for the time. The engine used was the new Austin 2199 cm³ OHV gasoline engine with 48 kW (65 hp) at 3700 rpm and a maximum torque of 114 Nm from the Austin 16 passenger car that was put into production again . The forward-control cab with large windows that could be opened on the driver side, separated by a partition wall with window from the cargo area. The complete assembly took place at the Longbridge plant near Birmingham , while the chassis, which was fastened to a wooden frame with sheet steel, was produced by Carbodies in Holyhead Road Coventry . In addition to panel vans , minibuses , chassis with cab (£ 409) and chassis with engine (£ 340), all of which were painted a single color in the standard green, there were also other colors for £ 28 or two-tone paintwork for £ 35 extra.

An ambulance was also produced on the basis of the panel van. This was equipped with low-pressure tires and could be ordered with different springs and shock absorber settings. Optionally, the side doors were also omitted, and the load compartment was equipped with magnesite, a composition of magnesium oxide with wood flour. An air inlet with a filter was installed on the roof and a Clayton air conditioning system, fed by the engine cooling system, was installed. The temperature was regulated by means of a room thermostat. Different combinations of seats and loungers were possible. The base model for the ambulance, excluding lounger / seating, was £ 805.

At the end of 1947, in addition to the Benelux countries, exports to North America began, with initially low sales there. In 1950, however, sales began to rise and in 1951 a separate sales organization for commercial Austin products was opened in Vancouver .

Jensen Motors Ltd. built a flatbed truck from 1949 , which was sold by Austin dealers from £ 565.

In May 1950, the government imposed the so-called Purchase Tax = 33% tax on commercial vehicles , excluding ambulances and various municipal and emergency vehicles. This increased the price to £ 824 for the panel van and £ 711 for the flatbed truck without the loading surface painting.

Austin ended its independence in 1952 when it merged with its biggest competitor, the Morris Motor Company, to form British Motor Corporation . As a result, future commercial vehicles should be developed by Morris and sold by Austin using badge engineering . The plan to build a diesel engine and other changes into the model was therefore dropped in 1953, and from May 1953 all production took place at the Austin Longbridge plant. While the price of the van had risen to £ 841 in the meantime, the price of the flatbed truck was lowered to £ 678 in order to remain attractively priced in the segment where more and more vehicles with diesel engines are becoming more popular. The default color was now gray.

Production ended in September 1954 and the successor was the Austin 1000 / 1500kg Van based on the Morris LD Van that had been launched in 1952.

Web links

Commons : Austin K8  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files