Austin A40 Sports

About the Austin A40 Sports

The A40 Sports was an amalgamation of a Jensen designed and built body with a specially strengthened chassis, using the mechanics of an Austin A40 Devon. Performance was increased by using a twin SU carburettor set up of the engine. The car was introduced in 1949 at the London motor show, intended as a sporting touring car rather than an out and out sports car. This was one example in a series of collaborations between Austin and Jensen Motors of West Bromwich.. Austin's chairman Leonard Lord saw the Jensen Interceptor and requested that Jensen develop a body that could use the A40 mechanicals. The resulting body-on-frame A40 Sports was designed by Eric Neale, a stylist who had joined Jensen in 1946. During production, A40 Sports bodies were built by Jensen and transported to Austin's Longbridge plant for final assembly. The centre section of the chassis was boxed to provide rigidity for the open body.

Two series of the A40 Sports were built The initial GD2 Series began in November 1950 and featured a floor gear change and dashboard identical to that of the Devon. The later GD3 Series began production in August 1951 and ended in April 1953, featuring a steering-column gear change, full hydraulic brakes, and a revised dash with a centred instrument panel.