Austin A110 Westminster

Overview
Production	1961–1968
Assembly	Longbridge, England
Produced	26,105
Body style	4-door saloon
Layout	FR layout
Related	Wolseley 6/110 Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre Mark II Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R
Engine	2.9 L C-Series I6
Transmission	4-speed manual: synchromesh on top 3 ratios Borg Warner 3-speed automatic
Wheelbase	110 in (2,794 mm)
Length	188 in (4,775 mm)
Width	68 in (1,727 mm)
Height	4 ft. 11 in. (1.51 m.)
Turning circle	41 ft. (12.50 m.).

The Austin A110 was an upper midsize four-door sedan released by Austin Motor Company in 1961 as the successor to the Austin A99 .

History

Built at the same time the Wolseley 6/110 was produced with the same body but a slightly more powerful 120 bhp engine The same body type was also used for the luxury Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R fitted with larger Rolls Royce engine .

The six-cylinder engine taken from its predecessor with a displacement of 2912 cm³ and 82 kW of power that drove the rear wheels and brought the car up to 104 mph, 167.4 km/h. The predecessor's pontoon-shaped body gave way to a fashionable version with tail fins and an extended wheelbase.

Engine: in-line, water-cooled, overhead valve, 6-cylinder, 4-bearing counterbalanced crankshaft, with bore 3.281 in. (83.34 mm.), stroke 3.5 in. (89 mm.) and cubic capacity of 177.7 cu. in. (2,912 c.c.) the compression ratio 8.3:1 or 7.3:1 if required. Maximum b.h.p. 120 at 4,750 r.p.m., maximum torque 163 lb./ft. at 2,750 r.p.m.Fitted with twin S.U. carburetters, type H4; S.U. electric fuel pump, type SP, mounted in boot; single unit air cleaner with twin paper elements.Internal gear-type pump driven by camshaft; full flow external oil filter, gauze in sump; sump capacity approximately 11 pt. (6.25 litres) plus pt. (0.71 litre) for fitter, 12-volt, coil and distributor with aUtomatic and vacuum control; pressurised radiator with pump, fan and thermostat; Capacity approximately 19 pt. (10.83 litres); twin down pipes merge into a single pipe having 3 silencers.
The petrol tank capacity of 16 gal.(72.74 litres) with fuel filter in pump and fuel tank.

The clutch spring diaphragm type, of 9 in. (0.23 m.) diameter, hydraulically operated by pendent pedal; gearbox: 4-speed with synchromesh' on second, third and top speeds; central floor-mounted change speed lever; oil capacity approximately 5 1/2 pt. (3.14 litres).The ratios, first 2.637, second 2.071, third 1.306, top 1.00, reverse 3.391 : 1; overdrive with synchromesh gearbox only optional at extra cost, ratio 0.77:1 with automatic gearbox (optional at extra cost), fully automatic with hydraulic torque converter coupling; hydraulically controlled planetary gear set provides 3 forward speed ratios and reverse, engaged by multi-disc clutches and brake bands, oil capacity approximately 15 pt. (8.52 litres), ratios, first 2.39, second 1.45, top 1.00, reverse 2.09:1.

Speed selector lever mounted on steering column.Power to propeller shaft: open, with needle-roller-bearing universal joints; rear axle:three-quarter floating with hypoid bevel crown wheel and pinion, oil capacity 3 pt. (1.71 litres), ratios 3.9:1 (synchromesh gearbox), 3.55:1 (automatic gearbox); overall gear ratios (synchromesh gearbox), first 10.31, second 8.10, third 5.11, top 3.91, reverse 13.26:1; overall gear ratios (automatic gearbox), first 8.48, second 5.15, top 3.55, reverse 7.42:1; road speeds in m.p.h. at 1,000 r.p.m. (synchromesh gearbox), first 7.17, second 9.12, third 14.46, top 18.90; road speeds in m.p.h. at 1,000 r.p.m. (automatic gearbox), first 8.71, second 14.35, top 20.81.
For Steering: high efficiency cam and peg, ratio 20:1, 2-spoke in. (0.44 m.) diameter dished safety-type steering wheel; turning circle 41 ft. (12.50 m.) optional extra power assisted steering.

The suspension: front, independent wishbone type, with coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar, rear, semi-elliptic leaf springs, and telescopic shock absorbers which also control lateral sway.
Brakes: front, disc-type 10 in. (0.25 m.) diameter; rear, drum-type 10 in. x 3 in. (0.25 m. x 0.08 m.) with automatic adjustment; hydraulic operation by pendent pedal with vacuum servo assistance, pull-up handbrake lever at side of driver's seat operates on rear wheels.wheels and tyres: pressed steel disc, 5-stud fixing; 7.50-13 Dunlop tubeless tyres.

Electrical: 12-volt generator and starter motor; 57-amp./hr. battery at 20-hr. rate; double-dipping sealed beam head lamps, with foot-operated dip switch; side lamps mounted below head lamps and combined with flashers; stop/tail lamps reflectors and flashers combined in twin units at rear; number: plate lamp mounted on rear bumper; luggage compartment lamp; self-cancelling flashing direction indicators, having steering-column mounted switch lever with warning tamp; warning lamps on facia to indicate generator not charging, head lamps high beam position, of brake servo vacuum and dirty oil filter element; combined ignition and starter switch; twin windtone horns; heater/demister unit. 'A110' Mk.II Saloon: single interior lamp on door pillar operated by integral switch and courtesy switches on front doors; concealed instrument illumination with switch which operates when side lamps are 'on'; twin, single-speed self-parking windscreen wipers. 'A110' Super De Luxe Saloon: 2 interior lamps, 1 on each door pillar, operated by integral switch and courtesy switches on front doors; concealed instrument illumination with switch which operates when side lamps are 'on' twin, 2-speed self-parking screen wipers; clock centrally mounted on facia; head lamp flasher switch mounted on steering column.

Instruments: 'A110' Mk.II : speedometer with trip and total distance recorders; 3-in-l instrument containing water temperature, oil pressure and fuel gauges; Super De Luxe Saloon: ribbon-type speedometer, with trip and total distance recorders, combined with fuel and water temperature gauges; ammeter and oil pressure gauge centrally mounted In facia. Bodywork: 4-door, 4-light, 5/6-seater Saloon of all-steel unitary construction; facia panel top surface is trimmed in black plastic to prevent glare, and also incorporates a padded crash roll; glovebox on passenger's side and full-width parcel shelf beneath; split bench- type front seats, adjustable on slides; parcel shelf behind rear seat squab; ashtrays fitted in back of front seats and in each front door; all doors and panels trimmed in Vinyl-coated fabric; 4 wind-down windows of toughened glass all with ventilating louvres and stainless metal surrounds; all doors hung on concealed hinges at forward edges; push-button exterior lock handles, with private locks on front doors; children's safety-catches are fitted to all doors and are inaccessible from within when doors are closed; curved, wrapround windscreen and rear window of toughened glass with stainless metal surrounds over rubber moulding; lockable luggage compartment has spring-balanced lid, and handle with push-button release; spare wheel carried in tray below boot, lowered by means of starting handle; bonnet lock controlled from inside car; chromium-plated bumpers front and rear; tinted interior rear view mirror; 2 sun visors; windscreen washer, built-in anchorage points for seat belts; heater/demister unit. lower surface of facia panel has facsimile wood finish, upper surface has black 'crackle' finish; front seat cushions consist oF rubber diaphragms with polyether pads; squabs are of spring case type with polyether toppings; rear seat cushion and squab are of spring case type with Polyether pad and topping; all seats trimmed in Vinyl-coated fabric; luggage platform covered with Vinyl-coated felt; floor covering of rubber-backed flock pile and cork-backed Vinyl-coated rubber mats; front grille has anodised aluminium horizontally ribbed mesh with stainless metal surround; monotone paint finish.

'A110' Super De Luxe Saloon:features facia panel of highly polished veneered walnut, glovebox lid has magnetic catch and forms a table when open; armrests, map pockets and veneered walnut cappings are fitted to all doors; front seat cushions and squabs consist of rubber diaphragms with polyether pads; squabs can be fully reclined or held in any intermediate position by lever control; folding armrest in each seat squab; veneered walnut folding picnic table in back of each front seat; rear seat cushion and squab are of spring case type with polyether pad and topping; folding armrest in centre of squab; all seat contact surfaces trimmed in high quality hide; floor, front and sides of luggage compartment lined with carpet; fitted carpet with felt underlay on floor of front and rear compartments; cigar lighter; front and rear bumper overriders; front grille has chrome horizontal bars with chrome surround; monotone or duotone paint finish.

At the end of May 1964 the A110 Westminster and Wolseley 6/110 were announced in their Mk. II versions, the changes over their predecessors being not very great mechanically but quite pronounced in general finish and trim. The A110 came out in two guises, Saloon and De Luxe Saloon, the former being priced at under £1,000 and being very basic in its standard of finish, the latter virtually having as good a finish as the more expensive Wolseley model.

Mechanical changes included a new improved suspension having special heavy-duty twin-valve front shock absorbers and the road wheels were reduced in size from 14 to 13 in. diameter, thereby reducing unsprung weight by some 10 1b at each wheel and dropping the height of the car in. Longer rear leaf springs (by 4 in.) combined with new telescopic shock absorbers set at an angle to absorb roll forces as well considerably improved rear suspension. Instead of the 3-speed and overdrive gearbox, a 4-speed non-overdrive box is fitted with the option of overdrive as an extra. Also as an extra was the new Borg-Warner automatic transmission, this being a larger version of the Model 35 having a 11-in. torque converter.

In 1968 the A110 model was discontinued and replaced by the Austin 3-litre .

PERFORMANCE:

• MAX SPEED: 104 mph, 167.4 km/h;
• max power (SAE): 126 hp at 4750 rpm
• max torque (SAE): 163 1b ft, 22.5 kgm at 2750 rpm
• max number of engine rpm: 4800
• specific power: 43.3 hp/l
• max speed in 1st gear: 29.2 mph, 47 km/h
• max speed in 2nd gear: 54.7 mph, 88 km/h
• max speed in 3rd gear: 102 mph, 164.2 km/h
• max speed in overdrive: 104 mph, 167.4 km/h
• power-weight ratio: 26.7 lb/hp