Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was founded in Birmingham by Herbert Austin, the former manager of the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company in 1905.
1935 Austin Ascot
Around the 1920s the company produced the Austin 7, an inexpensive, small and simple car and one of the earliest to be directed at a mass market. At one point it was built under licence by the fledgeling BMW.
A largely independent United States subsidiary operated under the name American Austin Car Company from 1929 - 1934; it was revived under the name "American Bantam" from 1937 - 1941.
In 1952 Austin merged with the Nuffield Organisation (parent company of Morris) to form the British Motor Corporation (later British Leyland). The name continued in use, as in the following examples:
- Austin versions of the 1959 Mini
- 1960 Austin 1300
- 1973 Austin Allegro
- 1975 Austin Princess
- 1980 Austin Metro
- 1983 Austin Maestro
In 1982, the by now greatly shrunk British Leyland company was renamed Austin-Rover Group, with Austin acting as the "budget" brand. However, the continuing bad publicity associated with build and rust problems on the Metro, Maestro and Montego meant that the badge was dropped, and the last Austin-badged car was built in 1987.
The rights to the Austin badge are at present owned by MG Rover, the current heirs to the once massive empire that was once BMC and BL. There are no plans to resurrect it at present.
See also: List of automobiles