One problem the Austin 3-Litre had was its image. Apart from looking too similar to the 1800, it rapidly achieved the reputation of a car driven by those who wore peaked caps. In other words chauffeur-driven. Kennings Car Mart, a large Austin distributor had a fleet of them as hire cars for those who wanted someone else to drive. As this ad shows, British Leyland promoted it as such, as the government had ordered them for its senior civil servants.