Help identify this car

[Guest ZEROgringo]

My dad had this car for many years and supposedly its a mercury from the 1940, but when I google it its not the same car. Maybe one of you guys can identify my dads car. Maybe it was a home made car. Some of the cars body parts like the front bumper have been custom made.

Here I attach some pictures:

Hope you guys can identify this car because I sure cant =D

[Bleach]

It looks like an Austin a70 Hereford. They made them from 1948 to 1954. It's British.

The mataburros is definitely custom.

[Buicknutty]

I agree, it certainly looks like an Austin. It looks like the slot for the "trafficators", which were the flip out turn signals at the trailing edge of the front door. The hood ornament looks like a mid 50's Chevy, instead of the flying "A" that an Austin of that vintage should have.

Keith

[Guest ZEROgringo]

Wow, now that I google Austin a70 hereford it looks exactly like my dads car amazing!!! thanks for your help

[dictator27]

It looks like an Austin a70 Hereford. They made them from 1948 to 1954. It's British.

The mataburros is definitely custom.

Hereford production was 1952-54. The Hampshire was 1948-52.

Terry

[1939_Buick]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_A70 and its underpowered sibling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_A40_Somerset

[Rusty_OToole]

"underpowered sibling" Austin A40 had a 40 HP 1200cc engine when VW had a 30HP 1200cc engine. I had an A40 and I had VWs, the Austin was a far nicer car with luxury features undreamed of by VW, and this is coming from a VW fan.

Here in Canada, English car makers once had 90% of the import market. That was in the late 40s and very early fifties, about the time VW started selling against the A40.

If the English makers played their cards right, VW never would have gotten anywhere and we would be driving Vanguards instead of Volvos, Austins instead of Hondas, Rovers instead of BMWs and Jaguars instead of Mercedes.

But, they threw all that away 50 or 60 years ago. It still makes me sad.

[Bleach]

I guess I missed the years a little on the Hereford production.

IMO, the English auto makers threw it all away by using Lucas electrics. It would have been different if they would used Bosch.

[Guest Skyking]

"underpowered sibling" Austin A40 had a 40 HP 1200cc engine when VW had a 30HP 1200cc engine. I had an A40 and I had VWs, the Austin was a far nicer car with luxury features undreamed of by VW, and this is coming from a VW fan.

My 1954 Metropolitan has an A40 with 40 HP and is way underpowered. I'm doing a 1500 later motor to replace it....................

[dictator27]

"underpowered sibling" Austin A40 had a 40 HP 1200cc engine when VW had a 30HP 1200cc engine. I had an A40 and I had VWs, the Austin was a far nicer car with luxury features undreamed of by VW, and this is coming from a VW fan.

Here in Canada, English car makers once had 90% of the import market. That was in the late 40s and very early fifties, about the time VW started selling against the A40.

If the English makers played their cards right, VW never would have gotten anywhere and we would be driving Vanguards instead of Volvos, Austins instead of Hondas, Rovers instead of BMWs and Jaguars instead of Mercedes.

But, they threw all that away 50 or 60 years ago. It still makes me sad.

Totally agree, Rusty. As someone who has owned/driven cars with as little as 2 cylinders and 26 horsepower, I never found any of them to be "underpowered". We are just accustomed to too much horsepower today, IMHO, Growing up, my family owned several Austins: 1946 10 (aka Cambridge 1100 cc 27 hp), 1948 and 1951 Devons (1200 cc 40 hp), 1954 Somerset (ditto), 1955 Cambridge (1500 cc 50 hp), 1959 Cambridge (1500 cc 51 hp). Also owned a 1946 Morris 10 (1200 cc 37 hp, top speed 58 mph). Also don't understand why people keep ragging on Lucas electrics. No problems. Ever.

Terry

[sambarn]

they repeat what others said about the seventies UK vehicle production when wavering production quality due to incessant striking led to lots of cars that suffered from electrical problems and believe that the Lucas of the 70s/80s was the same industry leader that suplied a great number of european models with quality electrical parts from the turn of the century to today. Fine with me. Helps keep the prices down on fine small cars from the other side of the pond.

Edited October 13, 2014 by sambarn (see edit history)

[Bleach]