1949 Austin A40 owned by John and Jenny Hinde’s –
When John, Natalie, Timothy and Cassie, all jump into the Austin and Jenny throws in the picnic basket, and the folding table there is not a lot of space. But with the Essex ( see photo below) with a top speed of “Plod” it is not surprising that they use the Austin for out of town rallies
The Austin and the Hinde’s have rallied to Bundaberg several times, Biloela, Monto and over Easter the Austin rally in Rockhampton. In the Austin’s over Australia Rally in Toowoomba.
John says the Austin is pretty much original and “Exactly what would expect of a British car of that era” (whatever that means..)
Before John got the Austin in 1993 it had spent most of its life in Baralba near Moura, it had spent some 20 years in a shed.
This car was built in 1949. After September 1949 the A40 Devon’s were fitted with quarter vent windows in the front doors The previous A40s had a B shaped bumper with one piece front side windows
An extensive restoration to the Devon was completed in May 1994. This was a good thing because somewhere hidden away at the end of the Hindes shed is a sad and incomplete Austin A40 Tourer, the Devon was bought as a source of spare parts. Looking at the Devon now one would be inclined to think it would have been a sin to have dismantle it
In the meantime the A40 Tourer awaits its turn.
My mums auntie had one of these given to her in the early 1960s. I loved it as it had a woodgrain dash (painted metal), leather seats, a radio(!), fan-boosted heater, and twin seats instead of a bench in the front. Unfortunately as it was getting unreliable it was traded in January 1967 for a Morris 1100.