1958 Austin Cambridge
We look at a finely-kept example of this beloved classic
Published on 29 Dec 2021
Austin’s Cambridge is one of those fondly-remembered British cars from the past that graced our shores in the Fifties, Sixties and well into the Seventies. Produced by the Austin Motor Company of Cowley in Oxford, it ran through several model designations during its life (known as the A40, A50, A55, A55 Mark 2 and A60) and was most commonly seen in four-door sedan guise.
However, it was also produced in four-door Estate form, as well as two-door van and two-door coupe utility – also known as pick-up. The two A55s were assembled by BMC Australia for that market as well. The A40 Cambridge brought modern unibody construction, replacing the body-on-frame design that its predecessor the A40 Somerset.
The A40 Cambridge ran from 1954 to 1957 and was available only as a four-door saloon with a 1.2L B-series pushrod engine that put out 42bhp. Transmission was a four-speed manual controlled by a column-mounted gear-shift. The A40 bowed out in 1957, after recording sales of only around 30,000 which was less than Austin expected.
The A50, also produced between 1954 and 1957 was available as a four-door sedan, a five-door estate for Japan which was built by Nissan under license, and a two-door coupe utility. The A50 saw a 50hp 1.5L B-series engine, and the deluxe version came with a heater, carpets, twin horns, extra chrome garnishings and lashings of leather on the interior. It sold significantly better than the A40, at around 114,000 units. Radio and clock were optional extras, and the A50 was timed by the British Motor magazine in 1955 as taking 28 seconds to reach 60mph from rest! Curiously, the model was lowered and given smaller 13-inch wheels in October 1956.
The A55 was introduced in 1957, as the replacement for the A50. It saw a restyle with a larger boot. The lowered stance and 13-inch wheels remained. Two-tone paint was an option as well. The half-ton commercial variant was introduced as well. The engine gained a higher compression ratio and put out 51bhp as a result. The zero to sixty improved by one second, to 27 seconds
1959 saw the A55 Mark 2 introduced, with a restyled body courtesy Pininfarina (it was actually a rebadged Morris Oxford), and the engine was tweaked, now producing 55bhp. The heater remained an option. Whilst the front seats were two individual leather units, they were spaced closely enough to allow carriage of a third passenger up front in a pinch, making the car a temporary six-seater. A ‘Countryman’ estate was introduced as well. The Mark 2 sedan could do the zero to sixty dance in 24.5 seconds, and braking was via nine-inch drums on all wheels.
The A60 entered the scene in 1961 and ran for eight years until 1969. The 1.6L B-series engine was similar to the one in the MGA, and put out 61bhp in the A60, and a manual version was tested and found to crack the 20-second barrier in the 0-60mph test, sneaking in at 19.8 seconds. A Borg Warner three-speed automatic was an option, as was a 1.5L diesel engine that put out 40bhp. The chassis was slightly longer and wider, and anti-roll bars were fitted at the front and rear. From 1966, a dual carb version with more power was offered for the relatively ‘sporting’ driver who wanted an A60.
This is a 1958 Austin Cambridge A55 Mark 2 as reported in
its CR; and it was purchased from a gentleman in Hambantota in 2020 by its
current owner Sampath Wasala Mudalige. The car was in good condition and was driven
to Colombo via the Southern Expressway. Sampath
subsequently performed some repairs on the electrical and braking systems,
suspension, interior and paint touch-ups at his home. He has obtained parts
from BMC UK, as well as Sumana Motors in Panchikawatte. The car sports the
original Lucas fog lamps and horn set, both of which are in working order.
Being a Mark 2, it has the 55bhp engine and drives the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission, affording a top speed of 75.5mph. Front suspension is independent, while the rear is a live axle with leaf springs. Sampath reports that the car is in good health and mostly runs on weekends.
