THE AUSTIN A30/A35 COUNTRYMAN – A CELEBRATION

In 1954, the motorist in search of a small estate-car had four options. The recently launched Morris Minor Traveller looked most appealing, while the new Hillman Husky was essentially a modified Commer Cob van. The parsimonious/utter cheapskate could always convert a Thames E83W into a station wagon, but it was both dated and incredibly slow.

Meanwhile, Austin introduced an estate version of their splendid A30 at the Commercial Vehicle Show. The original saloon debuted three years earlier, and Longbridge billed the new model as “A Universal Vehicle for Town and Country Business or Pleasure Passengers or Goods”. The Countryman also predated the Ford 100E Escort/Squire and the Standard Ten Companion, both of which were launched in 1955.

From a 2021 perspective, the A30’s limited attempts at creature comforts seem almost surreal, the brochure inviting the reader to note “…the foam-rubber comfort of the seating”. However, the Countryman was perfect for a 1950s shopkeeper or commercial traveller who required business transport during the week and family transport at the weekend.

Austin claimed the A30 would “…cruise pleasantly at 50 mph in open country”, and that it offered the buyer 47 cubic feet of luggage space when the rear seat was folded. However, it had a major in-house rival, as the Countryman shared its bodywork with the A30 Van as well as its advantages, albeit at a lower price. Many Britons decided to save on Purchase Tax and simply fit their Austin light commercial with an aftermarket rear seat.

September of 1956 saw the entire A30 range replaced by the A35, gaining a 948cc engine and improved transmission with a remote-control lever. By the following year, the Countryman was the third-cheapest British estate car – the hierarchy started with the Husky at £646 7s and progressed through the ranks of the 100E Escort, the Austin, the 100E Squire and the Minor 1000 Traveller. The A35 and the Morris were both BMC products, but they had different images, the Minor having slightly upper-middle-class pretensions.

The two and four-door A35s were discontinued that same year but the estate version continued until 1962. One odd detail was the Countryman being the last British car fitted with trafficators. The Van remained in production until as recently as 1968, being replaced by an Austin-badged version of the Minor.

The Countryman is now more seldom sighted than an EastEnders in which the cast members do not sound like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. To say they are vehicles of quite remarkable charm is do them a disservice, as they are practical, versatile and tremendous fun. To quote the Austin advertisements for the A30, they were indeed “…two cars for the price of one!”.

With Thanks To: Paul Canty and the Austin A30 & A35 Owners’ Club.

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