Manufacturer Austin Related | Production 1947–1954 | |
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Body style 4-door saloon
4-door limousine (lwb)
Ambulance (lwb)
Hearse (lwb) Engine A110: 3,460 cc (211.1 cu in)
A125: 3,995 cc (243.8 cu in)
6-cylinder overhead-valve Wheelbase 3,028.9 mm (119.25 in)
3,352.8 mm (132 in) (lwb) | ||
The Austin Sheerline is a large luxury car that was produced by Austin in the United Kingdom from 1947 to 1954.
The Sheerline was designed by Austin during the Second World War, but production did not begin until 1947 because of the commitment to war production. It was a luxurious car in the style of the contemporary Rolls-Royce or Bentley but at a much lower price, around two-thirds that of the equivalent Rolls-Royce but still the price of five or six small Austins. There were about 8,000 built but it is now becoming quite rare.
The first cars, designated A110, had a 3,460 cc straight-six overhead valve engine but this was soon increased to 3,995 cc with 125 bhp (93 kW) and the designation then became A125. Initially only a Saloon version on a 9-foot-11¼-inch (3 metres) wheelbase chassis was made, but this was joined by a Limousine version in late 1949 on a stretched 11 ft (3.3 metres) chassis also used for a hearse and an ambulance. At 37 hundredweight (1,850 kg) for the saloon and 2 tons (2,000 kg) for the limousine this was a heavy car, and to maintain performance a low final drive ratio of 4.55:1 with 16-inch tyres was fitted. Suspension was by coil springs at the front and half-elliptic leaf springs at the rear. The saloon version had a top speed of 82 mph (132 km/h).
Production ceased in 1954 and Austin's luxury offering was limited to the A135 Austin Princess.