Austin 1800: less than success

by David Burrell

When the British Motor Corporation’s (BMC) new Austin 1800 was released in October, 1964, the company’s boss, George Harriman, set a sales target of 200,000 a year.

He had many reasons to be confident.

The Mini and 1100 models were selling up a storm and the 1800 was merely an upsized version of both.

Success was assured, surely?

Indeed, the 1800 boasted innovative front-wheel-drive, Hydrolastic suspension, transverse engine, rack-and-pinion steering and an all-synchromesh four-speed gearbox.

Its drivetrain layout ensured impressive interior space.

Motoring magazines reported exceptional handling and roadholding.

It was voted European Car of the Year in 1965.

Trouble was, as appealing as all technology, interior room, handling and awards might have been, it did not entice UK buyers into dealerships.

BMC struggled to shift 40,000 a year.

By comparison, Ford saw 250,000 Cortinas exit it dealers.

So, what went wrong?

For a start, the styling was a big turn off.

Despite being designed by Pininfarina, with input by BMC’s technical director Alec Issigonis, the 1800 looked frumpy.

Mind you, given Issigonis’ opinion about car styling, the outcome is no surprise.

Here’s what he said in a 1964 New York Times story.

“I've always felt that stylists, such as you have in America, are ashamed of a car and are preoccupied with making it look like something else, like a submarine or an airship. As an engineer, I revolt against this,” he said.

For those who looked past the tortured sheet metal, they then had to confront the price.

BMC made buyers pay almost 15 per cent more than the Austin Cambridge it replaced.

At the same time, it was more expensive than its Ford and Vauxhall rivals.

But that was not all.

After a buyer took delivery, other issues arose.

Heavy steering coupled with a bus-like steering wheel angle made driving less than relaxing in traffic.

Early examples tended to jump out of 1st and 2nd gears.

A wrongly designed oil dipstick led to overfilling and the emission of blue smoke.

Engine mounts failed and the steering rack rattled.

These woes combined with the 1800’s lack of styling and higher price, ensured Ford’s Cortina and Vauxhall’s Victor enjoyed sales booms.

For me, the 1800 is one of a number of poorly developed BMC/Leyland cars that started the company down a path that led to its demise.

David Burrell is the editor of retroautos