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1967 Austin
"Petrol Hire Car"
Donated to the SDAM by Steve Sourapas
| Engine |
4 cyl |
Assembled in |
England |
| Bore & Stroke |
N/A |
Number Built |
N/A |
| Displacement |
2199 cc |
Transmission |
Automatic |
| Valves |
|
Fuel Economy |
N/A |
| Horsepower |
50 @ 3500 rpm |
Top Speed |
60 mph |
| Wheelbase |
110 inches |
Cost New |
$3500 |
| Weight |
3800 lbs. |
Other |
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This car was purchased on January 17th, 1968 by Frank Sinatra. After
owning the car for several years he sold it to sausage king Jim Deane
in 1971.
Herbert Austin became involved in auto production as a way to keep his
factory employees busy during the off season. Determined to build a car
that could be afforded by the middle classes, Herbert started small, but
was soon building cars at a good clip. A natural engineer, he designed
several cars prior to the Second World War, most famously the Austin Seven,
a scaled down car that was built all over the world - as the Rosegart in
France, the Dixi in Germany, the Datsun in Japan and the Bantam in America.
Austin has a long history of building taxis for use in Britain, and they
continue to ply the streets of England. This vehicle maximizes space for
hauling passengers and their bags, and is tall enough to accommodate
passengers wearing hats. Two jump seats are located on the back of the
front seat which face the rear seat and another jump seat next to the
driver's seat can be folded down to make room for luggage.
In 1968, John Lindsay, mayor of New York, found fault with the cars that
New York was using in its taxi fleets. He wanted to bring the well-known
Austin cabs to the "Big Apple," but the cost of the London cabs made them
unfit for use in the US. According to information received from England,
this car was built as a left-hand drive export model described as a petrol
hire car. Delivered in June 1967, this car was owned by Frank Sinatra
until 1971.
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