MEET THE OWNER: NIGEL RICHARDSON AND HIS AUSTIN 1800

Local summer shows and fairs are so often a source of fascinating machinery. You might attend a fete with a vague expectation of bookstalls selling copies of Harry Potter for fifty pence, the delights of “Ferret World”, and a brass band playing In The Mood. But, then, you note a display of cars in a far corner of the field.

And so the recent Binfield Heath Flower & Dog Show proved even more entertaining than usual; fine food, fine flora and very fine vehicles. One of the undoubted stars of its classic car display was Nigel Richardson’s 1966 Austin 1800 Mk. I. To see MGT 339 D in the metal was to appreciate why Alec reportedly believed the “Landcrab” to be his most important car.

The ‘ADO 17’ debuted in 1964, and Autocar asked ‘Have Alec Issigonis and his design time done the Hat Trick with this car? The public will make the decision, but from the Press Box it certainly looks as though they have’. The Austin was declared COTY 1965, and in that same year, Nigel’s father bought a new 1800. He went on to acquire a third-generation Morris 2200, so, understandably, Mr. Richardson became a fan of the Landcrab.

Nigel learned to drive and passed his test in the Morris, and in more recent times, he sought a Landcrab of his own, preferably a Mk. I. ‘When MGT came up at auction, I bought it – it is just a year younger than my dad’s old car’. Sales of the 1800/2200 ceased in 1975 with the advent of the 18/22 ‘Wedge’ and today any early version is a highly unusual sight. Many a visitor to the Flower Show had clearly never before encountered such a car.

On the road, Nigel regards the 1800 as “Great fun! There is an excellent ride due to the Hydrolastic suspension but quite heavy steering; there is no power assistance on my car, although it was possible to specify as an optional extra. It cruises at 70 mph quite happily, and the Austin has loads of room inside.”

As for the public reaction, “Almost everyone seems to love the Landcrab! Older people remember them fondly, and younger people are usually interested as to what it is”. Nigel is a member of Landcrab Owners Club International. “A fantastic group of enthusiasts who help keep these lovely cars on the road with advice and access to spares”.

Above all, the Richardson Austin is the embodiment of its designer’s beliefs. In 1965 Issigonis told The Times, “Styling? I don’t approve of the word. It tends to date a car, and I hate designing cars that date”. He also regarded the 1800 as ‘way out ahead of them all’, and it is indeed a brilliant example of automotive minimalism. To quote this writer’s own words from Classic Cars magazine, the Landcrab was perfectly suited to:

a junior architect or up-and-coming urban planner who worshipped Le Corbusier, who listened to the BBC Third Programme and who avidly read Colin Buchanan’s Traffic in Towns from cover to cover. The 1800 was ideal transport for a new Britain of motorways, concrete shopping precincts and motels with strangely orange decors.

Not to mention flower shows of quality.

With Thanks To: Nigel Richardson