70 YEARS OF THE AUSTIN A40 SOMERSET

It would be fair to say the Austin A40 Somerset was not a car for the motorist who sought thrills and excitement. Instead, it offered value for money, combined with acceleration that was unlikely to dislodge the owner’s pipe. Yet, this seemingly modest saloon also played a crucial role in the revival of the post-war Japanese motor industry.

The Somerset replaced the A40 Devon in early 1952 and offered more space, rather attractive new coachwork and more power from the 1.2-litre OHV engine. There was also a steering column gear lever for the four-speed gearbox. By September of that year, cravat-wearing drivers could opt for the ‘Coupe’ made for Austin by Carbodies of Coventry.

And for anyone in the market for a Ford Consul, a Hillman Minx, a Morris Oxford MO or a Vauxhall Wyvern, the A40 was a worthy alternative. It was nicely equipped, the seats were upholstered in leather, and it bestowed respectability on its proud owner. Furthermore, the two millionth Austin that departed the CAB1 production line on the 26th of November 1953 was a Somerset.

By late 1954 the A40/A50 Cambridge replaced the Somerset, but that was not quite the end of the story as they continued to be made in Japan. The US occupying authorities had restricted the building of passenger cars until October of 1949. By 1951 the company’s president Genshichi Asahara decided that the solution was to build a car under licence.

On the 4th of December 1952, Nissan signed an agreement with Longbridge. The contract stated they would annually import 2,000 CKD kits of the Somerset, that components would be progressively locally sourced, and that Austin would provide technical support. The production engineers Herbert Bailey and Brian Bayliss were seconded from the West Midlands to Japan

The reasons for the Japanese firm for selecting Austin as a partner was its reputation for building small cars and its presence in the US export market. The first Nissan-built Somerset left the production line at the Yokohoma Plant No. 3 in April 1953. On the 8th of May, the British Ambassador attended its launch.

In March of 1955, the Somerset was replaced by the locally made A40/A50 Cambridge. By September of 1956, they were wholly produced in Japan – ahead of schedule. Sales continued until 1959, when Nissan had made a total of 20,855 Austins. Dick Williams, their Export Sales Representative for the Far East, noted they were “far superior to the original Longbridge build”.

Today, the A40 Somerset is a rare sight and deserves to be celebrated as a significant post-war British car. As one advertisement stated, the name meant “taste, and engineering genius, and sheer dogged dependability”. And this was equally the case in the UK and Japan.