RARER THAN RARE – 1961 AUSTIN A55 MK. II CAMBRIDGE COUNTRYMAN

Some long-established cars are too often taken for granted. To some, the 1961 Austin A55 Mk. II Cambridge Countryman, owned by William Webster’s grandfather, is the epitome of decency, sober respectability and pipe-smoking. But 64 years ago, its tail fins and Italian-American lines looked positively dynamic. It was also one of the most agreeable estate cars of its generation. 
 
The background of the British Motor Corporation ‘Farina’ family is well-known. BMC paid Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina £84,000 to bestow a new image on their mainstream saloons. The Austin A40 ‘Farina’ debuted in 1958, followed by the Wolseley 15/60 in December of that year. 

 
The Wolseley was the first of five medium-sized Farina-styled saloons, with BMC introducing the Austin A55 Cambridge Mk. II in January 1959, followed by the MG Magnette Mk. III in February, the Morris Oxford Series V in March and the Riley 4/68 in April. From the Corporation’s perspective, this satisfied their unwieldy dealership network while allowing them to theoretically practice economies of scale.  
 
1960 saw BMC introduce estate versions of the Austin and the Morris, marketed as the Cambridge Countryman and the Oxford Traveller, respectively. Surprisingly, given their imposing appearance, they were less than four inches longer than their saloon counterparts. 
 
The Austin’s sales copy promised an ‘Estate Car De Luxe’. Not only did it feature ‘leather upholstery, wool carpets, windscreen washers, overriders, twin horns, even an electric clock’, but it was also ‘a bedtime car as well’. With the rear seat folded, the load bay ‘transforms into a full size bed, for two’. 
 
A dealer could also fairly state the Cambridge Countryman was rather handsome and excellent value for money at £914 17s 6d. The slightly more opulent Oxford Traveller was £929 10s, but this was when few true Austin drivers would contemplate buying a Morris. 
 
Alternatively, the Hillman Minx Series IIIB Estate cost £858 but was slightly smaller than the Austin. Meanwhile, the Ford Consul Mk. 2 Estate, a conversion by E.D. Abbott of Farnham, was a formidable £1,078. Vauxhall charged only £828 for their Victor Estate, but a potential Countryman buyer might have regarded it as a tad trans-Atlantic in appearance.  
 
And the Cambridge Countryman was extremely well-planned. The tailgate was horizontally divided, and the owner could move the front seats forward to create a form of head rest cushion for a double bed from the folded rear bench. Owners had a choice of steering column and floor gear levers. The Austin buyer would also be wise to spend another £17 14s on the optional heater. 
 
BMC replaced the A55 Mk. II with the 1.6-litre A60 in late 1961 as part of their upgrading of the ‘Farina’ family. The Webster Countryman is believed to be one of only nine on the road, and virtually every detail is a fascinating evocation of Macmillan-era motoring. The dashboard so resembles a radiogram that you half expect to find a switch for the BBC Home Service, and the vast steering wheel is a reminder of life before PAS. 
 
Plus, the red leather trim demonstrates the Cambridge Countryman really is an “Estate Car De Luxe”. 

With thanks to William Webster for his time - Car & Classic.
 
With thanks to William Webster to use the images in this blog.