1966 Austin Tow Truck

Description

Austin was a British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in 1905 by Herbert Austin which, in 1952, was merged with Morris Motors Limited in a new holding company, British Motor Corporation (BMC) Limited. Despite the marriage, Austin kept its separate identity and continued to produce (primarily) cars until 1987. Although Austin was heavily influential in the new partnership with its former rival, various models followed the Morris policy and they became badge-engineered versions of each other. The Morris FG truck and its Austin 200-series sibling went into production in 1960, the two ranges initially differing only in badges and grilles. This unique cab-over design saw the unusual pear-shaped cab taper towards the rear and had rear-hinged (suicide) doors, which could be opened without projecting beyond the vehicle sides. Below the windscreen there were corner glass window panels which helped the driver to park in confined spaces. The FG truck was the workhorse that kept Britain running in the 1960s. The Austin (200-series) FGs and later Leyland FGs all had petrol or diesel long stroke engines, producing good torque, but very little in the way of top-end performance (40 mph was about it). The Morris/Austin FG was designed for weights from 30cwt up to 5 tonnes.