Austin 16

File:Austin Eighteen Chalfont 1936 (11756964174).jpg

Chalfont Sixteen 18 hp limousine 1936

The Austin Sixteen Light Six is a British car that was made by Austin from 1927. Announced in October 1927, the first deliveries were planned for March 1928.<ref name=TT44715>Austin, The Times, Tuesday, Oct 18, 1927; pg. 10; Issue 44715.</ref>

To distinguish the car from the smaller engined models in the range a plated Austin Six script was fixed to the radiator grille.

1927

The Austin Sixteen was introduced as a medium saloon sitting within Austin's range above the Seven and Twelve models but still much smaller than the 3.6 Litre Twenty.

The six-cylinder engine was new but had similarities to the engine fitted to the Twenty with its timing chain at the rear of the block. The design was up to date with the gearbox mounted in-unit with the engine and semi elliptic springs all round for the suspension. Triplex safety glass was fitted to all front screens from March 1929.

A wide range of body types was available at first but was simplified over the years. The coupés went first in 1930Template:Citation needed followed by the Weymann type fabric saloons in 1931.

1934

In August 1933 various improvements were announced for 1934 models. The gearbox gained synchromesh on 3rd and 4th gears and an alternative larger (2511 cc) 18 hp engine was made available at no extra charge.<ref name=TT46523/> An early automatic gearbox was available between 1934 and 1936 but few sold.<ref name=AZ1930>Template:Cite book</ref> A longer Template:Convert wheelbase chassis became an option.

Of this version 5742 16s and 2630 18s were made.<ref name=AZ1930/>

Hayes selfselector transmission

"This provides a drive which is automatic in variation of ratio within limits, easily set by a finger and thumb lever on the top of the steering wheel. The actual transmission is through steel rollers which transmit the drive between curved steel races, the ratio being altered by rocking the rollers to different driving positions to engage with differing diameters of the driving and driven races. There are no gears—except for reverse—and a wide variation in ratios is available automatically. The driving rollers are rocked or precessed to give varying ratios by hydraulic means and the driver by his little lever can modify the performance as road conditions require. Subject to the control setting, the automatic functioning ensures a constant engine speed whatever the tractive resistance met with on the road, the transmission varying its ratio to balance the resistance as it increases or decreases. The engine speed by creating oil pressure in the hydraulic control system, tends to precess the rollers to give a high ratio drive. This is counterbalanced by the reaction of the tractive resistance, which tends to give a low ratio precession. A valve worked by the movement of the forward and reverse lever which engages the drive —in the ordinary way and is centrally placed like the ordinary speed lever—releases the pressure in the hydraulic control unit when the lever is in its neutral and reverse positions, so that the drive is always at low ratio for starting from rest or reversing.

"The finger and thumb control lever works in a small quadrant which is marked at the top "Traffic" then "High" and at the bottom "Low" and finally "Cold" with spaces in between. Variations of this lever govern engine speeds. The forward, neutral and reverse positions for the central hand lever are stepped. To start the car from rest a driver presses out his clutch, moves his hand lever forward, and lets in the clutch in the ordinary way with slight acceleration. Thereafter the whole of the drive is done with the accelerator pedal, the accelerator allowing the engine to run up and keep constant maximum speed governed by the control lever on the top of the steering wheel by which engine braking power can also be regulated. When the accelerator is pressed after being released the effect is rather similar to that with a free wheel in use, in that the engine picks up to the speed that is suitable to the drive. The engine is available as a brake, and greater power of this kind can be had by moving the control lever down towards low"<ref name=TT47069>Cars Of To-Day. By our Motoring Correspondent. The Times, Tuesday, May 21, 1935; pg. 8; Issue 47069</ref>
Motoring correspondent, The Times

1935

Further upgrades were made in 1935. The body range was simplified and now had only the 5 and 7 seat saloons. Externally the most obvious change was to the radiator surround which was painted body colour rather than chrome plated, and a small external boot was added to the rear which contained the spare wheel. Synchromesh was added to second gear. The larger engine was modified to have only four rather than eight main bearings.

1936	Westminster saloon (4-light) 18 or 16 hp	Chalfont saloon (6-light) with division 18 or 16 hp	York saloon (6-light) 18 or 16 hp	Hertford saloon (6-light) 18 or 16 hp
length	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
width	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
height	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
wheelbase	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert

1937

In 1937, the last year this car was made, the smaller engined Sixteen was dropped and pressed steel road wheels replaced the previously fitted wire wheels.

Between 1935 and 1937 12,731 were produced.<ref name=AZ1930/>

Performance

The 16 hp engined car could reach Template:Convert and return Template:Convert depending on the body fitted.

• Austin Six registered July 1929 2249cc Tickford bodied.JPG

  Sixteen with Tickford
  body by Salmons 1929

• 1932 Austin 166 Open Road Tourer 192394996.jpg

  Open Road Sixteen
  tourer 1932

• 1932 Austin 16 westminster Saloon 192394989.jpg

  Westminster 4-light
  saloon 1932<ref name=bump group=note/>

• Interieur Austin-wagen.jpg

  Berkeley Sixteen
  saloon interior 1932

• OC 8149 - 1934 Austin 166 Carlton Saloon.jpg

  Carlton Sixteen 7-seater
  long wheelbase saloon 1934

• Austin.berkeley.1934.750pix.jpg

  Berkeley Sixteen
  saloon 1934

• 1934 Austin Berkeley - Plaza Cinema.jpg

  Berkeley Sixteen
  saloon 1934
  in period setting

• Austin 18 1935 2510cc.JPG

  Chalfont Sixteen 18 hp
  5-seater saloon 1935
  wire wheels<ref group=note>Description from display in windscreen</ref>

• Austin Eighteen Chalfont 1936 (11756838243).jpg

  Chalfont Sixteen 18 hp
  limousine interior 1936

• Austin Six (1).jpg

  Hertford Sixteen 18 hp
  5-seater saloon 1936
  pressed steel wheels

• 1935 Austin 16 York Saloon 9138829492.jpg

  York Sixteen
  5-seater saloon 1935
  wire wheels

• 1935 Austin 16 York Saloon 9138830054.jpg

  York Sixteen
  5-seater saloon 1935
  wire wheels

Catalogue 1927 to 1937

The first name for this car was Austin Sixteen Light Six. In 1930 Light Six was dropped and it was an Austin Sixteen. From 1933 it was deemed necessary to offer an 18 hp engine at no extra charge, in mid 1937 this car's body was replaced by a new shape only available with the 18 hp engine and known as an Austin Eighteen.

Body	Model	seats	side windows (lights)	wheel base		March 1928<ref>The Times, Tuesday, Mar 20, 1928; pg. xliv; Issue 44846.</ref>	March 1929<ref>The Times, Tuesday, Mar 12, 1929; pg. xxii; Issue 45149</ref>	Oct. 1929<ref>The Times, Friday, Oct 18, 1929; pg. 21; Issue 45337</ref>	May 1930<ref>The Times, Friday, May 23, 1930; pg. 21; Issue 45520</ref>	Feb. 1932<ref>The Times, Thursday, Feb 11, 1932; pg. 17; Issue 46054.</ref>	Aug. 1933<ref>The Times, Tuesday, Aug 15, 1933; pg. 6; Issue 46523.</ref>	April 1935<ref>The Times, Wednesday, Apr 10, 1935; pg. 5; Issue 47035</ref>
						Light Six	Light Six	Light Six	Sixteen	Sixteen	Sixteen 16 or 18	Sixteen 16 or 18
Chassis only								£240
Tourer	Open Road	5				£355	£325		£310	£290	£295
Tourer	Open Road	2					£325		£310	£290
Tourer	Clifton	5					£305	£305
Tourer	Harrow	2									£295
Saloon	Burnham	5				£395	£375	£375	£375	£325
Saloon	Burnham drophead<ref name=Sal group=note>The advertisement states that this car is a 'saloon'</ref>	5								£325
Saloon	Fabric	5	4			£435	£365	£365	£365
Saloon	Fabric	5	6				£375		£375
Saloon	Windsor	5								£298
Saloon	Westminster	5	4							£350<ref name=bump group=note>Supplied with bumpers, front and rear, at no extra charge</ref>	£348	£348
Saloon	Berkeley	5	6								£318
Saloon	Hertford	5										£318
Saloon	Carlton<ref name=Sal group=note/>	7	6	long							£328
Saloon	Iver<ref name=Sal group=note/>	7	6	long							£338
Saloon	York<ref name=Sal group=note/>	7	6	long								£328
Saloon	Chalfont<ref name=Sal group=note/>	7	6	long								£338

Note

<references group="note"/>