Real Road Test: Austin A35 - The little Peanut! 

A friend of mine had one of these when we were teenagers - I'm nearly 70 now. One evening after a sinful of homemade wine he decided to drive to a local pub. I still don't know how he did it, but he rolled it in the car park. Some of the other customers helped him get it upright again and he went home to sleep it off. I always think of him when I see one of these. RIP Alan.

My Mum was learning to drive for years without going in for her test, but in the late 1960s she decided to take her test. Much to everyone's shock she passed. I was in my late teens and had passed my test a couple of years prior. We looked out for a car for her and ended up getting her a low mileage green A35, in good nick. For the next few weeks the A35 sat outside without moving. One Saturday I persuaded her to go out in it with me. We decided to go over Ilkley moor to the Cow & Calf rocks and back, about a15 mile run. I drove the car up onto the start of the moor then swapped over for her to drive. She did a few bunny hops setting off, but she soon settled down and was driving ok. We got to the Cow & Calf rocks and parked up for a few minutes. When we set off on the way back she seemed to be doing fine until about a couple of miles over the moor where the road drops down into a small valley with first a quite sharp left hand bend going back on it's self then a150 yds straight with a sharp right hand bend. As we started to drop down the hill I advised her that she needed to be in a lower gear. She dropped it into third but was still going a bit fast so I advised her to give it some brake. Then just as we were approaching the sharp left hander instead of braking she hit the gas to the floor. As we hurtling towards the bend she just let go of the steering to put her arms in front of her face. I grabbed the steering wheel with my right hand to try and steer the thing. By this time we were on the corner on the wrong side of the road with a car coming the other way. Quick as a flash the other car swerved to the other side of the road. As I struggled steering the car from the passenger seat we were on two wheels, I couldn't get to the hand brake as it was to the right of the drivers seat. So I turned the ignition off, the car dropped back down too four wheels and before the next bend came to a shuddering stop in gear. Needless to say I drove back home from there. She had put her foot on the gas instead of the brake. She went on to have 10 more driving lessons and ended up being quite a good driver and kept the car for many years.

My Dad had one of these, UJW 955 2door. We were involved in an accident, nothing drastic but a very fast stop. my sister and I were in the back with our dog Gypsy, the front seats lifted forward my Mum and Dad lurched forward to hit the windscreen my Dad was knocked unconcious,then the seats came back my Mums seat breaking my Sister nose badly, my Dads seat landed on both my feet as he was unconcious I couldn't push it off, my Dads door had flown open and the dog had got out running through the traffic. The thing I remenber most was seeing a very large lorry screech to a halt at a funny angle inches from the boot, happy days.My sister still bears the scars to this day. thanks for the reminder :-)

The great Australian race driver Peter Brock made his first race car by fitting à Holden six cylinder to one of these.

"When WE were Kids we had it TOUGH....WE had to PARK OUR OWN DAMN WIPERS!"

My dad had an A35 van. He cut windows in the sides and fitted a bench seat for rear passengers. Did a lot of trouble free miles in it. Great memories!!!

Ah, so that's why the older drivers in my family habitually dropped into 2nd before first even at dead stops. I just thought as a child that that's how to drive, tucked it away in memory and forgot about it. 50 years later Hubnut drags out and explains that quirky behaviour. Thanks Ian. Much appreciated. 👍

That “noise” sure brings back memories 😉👍 There is nothing quite like that transmission whine and the A-seriea exhaust flatuence…..😁

Cars like the A30/35, Ford 100e, Morris Minor and Standard 8/10 were so common, and you could tell which it was by the exhaust note. As they approached you heard the engine, as they passed you heard the exhaust. Nowadays all you hear is tyre noise, and no character! I always thought the indicator switch looked like it had been borrowed from someone's cooker.

I knew a family who had one as their only car. They were all over six ft so most modern 70s cars were too low for them. They still managed family holidays in it. They did not have the heater option, so they used travel blankets in the winter.

I own an A35. They're very lightweight and have skinny tyres. Makes them easy to push. Which is just as well.

I remember my dad had an A35 van ala’ Wallace and grommit, as children we were secured safely in the back with the use of an old rug and some scatter cushions. One day he had to brake sharply and the ladder on he’s roof rack slid off and knocked the A off the bonnet, thank you for bringing back happy childhood memories 👍👍👍👍

Mum had one of these as her first car. She was thrilled when I bought a Moggy Minor (around 10 years ago now) and admitted she was dead jealous. In those days the Morris was the one everyone wanted but the A35 was what she ended up with. Previous generation's aspirations :)

"welcome to the sounds of Popular Classics" A free audio tape of classic car road tests back in the day! The A35 was one of the cars roadtested!

Those cars are absolutely charming; thanks for a great upload!! My Dad had two A35 vans (rear seats and windows fitted) the first of which covered over 450k trouble free miles and always worked on it himself because he said they were so simple to service and maintain. His second one was sold to the president of the A35 owners club for peanuts (£1000 when it was worth a lot more). He came all the way from Cornwall to North Yorkshire to collect it! Cars like this have so much charm and personality, not like the generic crap churned out today.

My first car at 17 years old. Learnt to drive in it in 1969 and had it for 2 years and then went all modern , an A40 ! rebuilt and modded engine and resprayed in bright yellow with back roof. The good old days.

The extra headroom was to cater for the average Trilby wearing A35 driver's headwear.

As a child of the sixties, I remember them well , someone in our road had a A35 van, green and white wheels, the rear door was flat with a window and it was a hinged opening.

The A30, the first car I ever got to drive. In 66 we did 900 miles around Scotland in just over 10 days.

One of the first classic cars that I really noticed as a kid was a Black one with the Austin of England chrome badge on the back. It looked fabulous and I wanted one, but I was only 12 at the time. That must have been in about 1976 and there a few still on the road at that time, they were just seen as cheap old cars at that time.

Well that takes me back! An A35 was my first car and it was an ex-company car. Yes, a company rep had used it to do his sales calls.

I learnt to drive in the A35 and have many fond memories of this lovely car. I just wish that today's cars had that character. Thank you.

Thanks, the A35 was my first car in 1968. The rear brakes and handbrake never really worked properly, an hydraulic cylinder moved a mechanical lever that had cables through to the brakes. The front shockers were terrible. I did thousands of miles in it, Ibought it for £25 and sold it 2 years later for £35. It was a scrapper when I bought it, but my Dad helped me get it back on the road. I learned all my fix it skills on this car. I changed the engine several times, used A series engines were to be found everywhere for a few quid, a few hours to install, and hopefully another few thousand miles, once the big end separated from the crank and knocked a big hole in the engine, but a day later ,I was running again. Most things could be fixed with basic tools, and of course a hammer.

I had a Austin A35 van as my first driver, but not on the road, but I drove around my grandparents garden nursery which had a large field which I learnt my driving/handling skills before passing my driving test, great fun, it cost me all of a fiver ! that A series engine has to be one of the all time great engines, which stayed in production for nearly 50 years !

My first car, I was 17 and she was 18, we learned together, many happy tales, she never let me down.

My dad had one of these when we lived with the Americans at raf brize Norton . We used to swap weekend drives with them . They loved this toy car and dad loved the big yank cars . We drove all the way from wrought to hull in the A35 we didn’t know it had a broken axle . Few days later dad was sent to Borneo never to return . When I do see one of these it brings back memories.

It’s so nice to read such fond recollections from former drivers and families who shared part of their lives with one of theses little classics. I bought mine for £55 as part of my ‘saving up to get married’ strategy, I’d previously been driving a Triumph TR4, bought on a loan that I paid off, so it was quite a change. However, I loved the A35 and my fiancé, now wife and I drove from Stafford to Clovelly in 10 hours, via Porlock Hill (1 in 4) and Lynmouth, virtually non-stop. The little car did brilliantly and only faltered when I ventured further South and attempted a 3 point turn on a steep hill in Fowey. The sump hit the kerb and the shock was so sever it knocked the clutch mechanism clean off its mounting. I spent the next 2 hours underneath re-aligning the clutch bearing before continuing on to The Lizard and Lands End. Since then we have travelled down to Cornwall several times (pre-M5) during in the late 60’s. By unclipping the two front seats and turning them sideways we were able to Camp in the car several nights on glorious remote beach car parks up and down Cornwall, then taking impromptu 15 shilling B&B’s intermittently to get cleaned up. I sold it in 1969 for £50 to a neighbour who took a shine to it after 3 wonderful years of memorable motoring.

Used to see loads of these about, including driving schools. Were popular in Sweden, where they were nicknamed 'the meatball'. Bodywork Italian designed. Sometimes used in the USA as parking enforcement vehicles which were apparently ideal for that purpose.

I’d love one of these, we’ve been spoiled by modern cars but if you were a bit down on your luck and found yourself on foot in the country on a wet cold winters day with a heavy back pack one of these would be an absolute luxury.

The transmission whine on cars off that era takes me instantly to the vehicles in Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley. (Google them, kids) I almost expected Brian Cant singing "Here comes Ian in his little sky blue car; he won't be hooning highways but it will take him far!"

I saw 2 Austin A35 vans with windows today parked up in a layby on the "A35 road!" near Bere Regis in Dorset. It brought back memories as before my dad had his own car, we did many miles with 7 aboard my uncle's A35 Van. The 2 men in the front; my mother, aunt and sister crammed in the back seat and my cousin and I behind the back seat looking out of the rear window. 100 miles trips to the seaside in Wales were routine.

This was my dad's first car,we got it in 1964, I remember sleeping on the back seat on long runs as a kid.

All we need now is an A40 Farina test an I'll be a happy bunny :D

Ahh brings such great memories. My dad's first car was the A35 van and he kept it for 25 years . He then sold it to a enthusiast , and it is still regesterd today so obviously being looked after nicely

Happy memories of my A30 and A35 van. Once got side-swiped in my A35 Van by a fancy Mercedes on a roundabout. He did a runner. It took me a good five minutes to remove his paint from my door hinge!

So glad that someone else sounds their horn for birds on the road. Pigeons in particular appear to be too tame nowadays, they certainly often realise too late about the dangers of road vehicles.

This was my first car bought second hand in 1964. Cream with red interior. Mine was the four door version. You are right about the white metal big end bearings. I had to renew them and at the same time I had the engine re-bored and new 'Hepolite' piston heads fitted. Knowing very little about dismantling and re-assembling an engine, you can imagine how I felt when she fired at the first time of asking. Happy days!

A nice little car. When I started junior school in 1970 (Charlestown CP School, Cornwall) my first teacher was a lady called Mrs. Moss, and she drove a powder blue A35 just like this one. Now, I'm not quite sure how the human brain works, but when I try to remember Mrs. Moss' face, all I can see in my mind's eye is the face of the A35 on the front of her head! This actually happens to me quite a bit. There was a man who worked for my dad who drove a Ford Corsair (the pointy fronted one) and again, when I try to remember his face all I see is the Corsair's! And again with my Granma's neighbour Mr. Blake, he had a little green Riley Elf and that was his face as well!

My Granddad ran a BMC garage, he could have driven anything, but this was his car of choice. It´s all about character.

I don't know why but as I have got older I have really started to appreciate the old British cars being that I am British and love cars i find it amazing that we had such a big industry

Ahh memories of my mum's A35 "Ermintrude" it was suffering with frilly doors and wings to the point where water would squirt through the door bottoms :o Replaced with an A40

My first car. I was still at school. It was a four door grey version given to me by my father after I totalled my Ariel Arrow bike. Lovely little car, extremely easy to work on.

My uncle in Scotland had an A30 company car which he used to drive all over the country. One day the “engine melted” in his phrase and he had something different. By 1959 he had moved up to the glory that was the Vauxhall Victor Mark 1.....

I had A30s and A3s in my life from day one when I was growing up. My family was never without one or two.....and Peanut was the name of a dark blue A30 we had from 1977 until 1986. My first car was a grey 1954 Austin A30 2-door Deluxe with the 803cc engine. It too had the heater, body-coloured ash trays with black bakelite handles, chrome trafficator tops and locking fuel cap - all of which (like the opening rear quarter windows) were factory options. She had done 70,084 miles when I bought her in 1984 for the sum total of $NZ500 and the one owner who had had her since he imported her into New Zealand from England (she had been bought there by a relative and therefore was a 'second hand import', thus only eligible for half the import duties) as a 'used', not new, car. She had been repainted twice in his ownership - once in the early 70s when the original dark grey paint had faded and again just after he put a long crease in the driver's door in 1981. Both times the paint was applied with either a yard broom or a wringer-mop and bucket, so the coats were thick and very textured. While reversing into her spot in a new carport my father had built, I neglected to see his wheelbarrow and scraped it down the RF wing. There was no damage to the bodywork of the A30 except a rub-mark in the paint where the wheelbarrow connected for several feet. A wipe with my hand was sufficient to remove said mark - THAT is how thick the paint was! The other trick the car had was as a stand-in for Bond's Aston Martin. However, I did not have to flip a switch to get a plume of smoke to appear out the rear - just decelerate down a mild hill and hit the gas at the bottom or idle at the lights for more than a minute. I checked the oil on that car as often as I checked the fuel - which was every time I went to use it. She would use four litres of oil per 1000 miles.....so 250 miles per litre. Some leaked out various seals, but most of it came out the tail pipe, although she never fouled a spark plug funnily enough. She would do 50mph ok, but 60 and over was only possible downhill with a tail wind.....and I only did it once because it scared the heck out of me! I got my driver's license in the A30 and it was also the first car I ever took on a gravel road. I drove my parents' 42,000 mile A35 up to our summer holiday spot - 100 miles of winding road followed by 12 miles of gravel road only 10 days after getting my license too! The A30 and I had a lot of adventures, but like most teenage boys, I lusted after speed and street cred, so I traded her in on a 1965 Mk1 Cortina GT. It is a move I lave long lamented and despite much searching, I cannot find any trace of my old car. Now few and far between on the ground, finding another one as good as that one was, is not an easy or cheap ask either. Many thanks for the walk down Memory Lane, Ian. Those sounds bring back great memories....

A few days ago one of these, looking completely standard, went past me on the M4. I was only doing about 50, but followed it after it passed. It was accelerating away at a surprising rate. What was most surprising was its complete lack of outward performance tuned appearance. Someone had obviously made a lot of effort to produce an A35 sleeper. Made I smile it did!

The first time I saw one was back in 1968 when one turned up at our home in Jamaica for my dad to work on.

My dads first car was a 4 door A35 in the same colour. As a family we went everywhere in it, brilliant little car. Happy Days and Memories.

My first car in 1965 was a second hand 1935 Austin van conversion with windows cut into the rear side panels. It was so narrow I could reach across and pull the passenger window down. Sadly, when crossing a road junction, a car hit me broad side on and turned me over. Two policemen arrived and promptly turned the car back on its wheels. Those were the days!

Like something from the Beano. Sounds great and the wipers and so cute. Thanks for driving it. ❤️

I had a A35 van so did my father in law and my brother in law. All of our vans had trafficators and they all suffered with sticking before they came out helped by a little thump from inside.

More headroom for longer legs. This is brilliant seeing as you're more than likely to have a longer torso as well- and long before multi-adjustable seats came along.

First car we had when we moved to Kenya, even the same colour! I’m back in 1959 with that engine sound. Many thanks.

Great video, beautiful little car from a nicer world. The exhaust noise alone has me hooked.

Had the 1959 A35 Black , 2 Door without heater , finally had an escort one fitted ! Loved that car , it was my first .

Now how classic English a Car is that, 1950s style done properly by a friendly English gent all in Wallace and Gromit character. Can still 'smell' my Dad's 1955 Hillman California interior, the first car where he had me leaning over doing the steering with him. That Hillman holds fond memories. Preceded by his 1950 Vanguard and followed by his '57ish Hillman Minx and then '60ish Morris Oxford with fins before he swung over to his totally different and large Toyota Crown. Big change for him. Thank you Hubnet for your comprehensive reviews. John, Brisbane, Australia.

That took me back Ian! The sights and the sounds! My mum had an A30 in the mid 60’s followed by a Mini with sliding windows in the late 60’s, followed by a Morris Minor or 1000 in the early 70’s. The A30 was black with a little white flash on the sides and red interior. She just used it for shopping and school runs but I remember once when my Grandma had died, she drove from Long Eaton to Peterborough, where my dad was working away on the Showground, to tell him his mum had passed away. It was torrential rain all the way there and I had to sit in the back with my feet up because the floor was like a sieve, letting floods of water in!! His workmates were amazed it had made the 50 mile journey. We came home in a Bedford TK tractor unit!

…..Had the A35 van for years, abused it some, but it never let me down , this brought back great memories,….. thank you.

I had one of these as my first car here in Down Under. This is when we used to buy British before the UK joined the EEC in 1973 and then stopped virtually buying anything we exported to the UK so we stopped buying British! I remember getting my A-35 to over 80 mph (Down hill and with a back wind) and the speedometer started bouncing! It was a great car. I was in the 6th Form (UE; University Entrance) and we used to take the Ousten hunting in the forestry, mine was a 4 door, so we had a driver, a spotter (Spotlight) and a gunner plus a cobber who had to give us a Beer when we needed it. We shot opossums, wallabies, pigs, rabbits, goats, and deer! The good stuff ended up on the dinner plate and so did the good fur! For a Black Opossum skin we could get $4-$7 dollars for in 1973! Fond memories of my A-35.

I bet that owner was mighty glad to get his car back in one piece after Hub 'The SpinMeister' Nut had finished driving it.

What? No "triangle of doom" comments - love your channel and keep up the good work.

Hello Ian, You're making me very nostalgic with the A35. 'Aggie', my little girl, was a dear little friend. She became, in the course of several stages, a MUSCULAR little friend, with a 1275cc engine, and suspension and brakes to match. (AH Sprite wheels, and driving lights liveried her up in the manner of an MG Magnette)

My dad had one of these as his first car! He always said it was the car he regretted selling the most! It was way before my time unfortunately so I only have a few photos as a memory!

My dad had the A 35 van I just remember it greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

When I started RC primary school in 1956 it was in a rented building and we waited every day on the pavement outside for four nuns to turn up in a black A 30 from the convent 8 miles away, to open up the school. Only one of them could drive 1 caretaker, 1 A30, 1 driving license, 4 nuns and you had a school!

In my opinion, one of the nicest small post-war cars. Beautifully.

As a 5 year old in 1965 I looked out of the school window at 3pm to see my father waiting at the gate in a 1958 green A35. By 1971 it had rotted into oblivion with just 38000 miles on the clock. It's replacement, a 1966 Morris 1000, was a better car except in the braking department. True, both cars had a certain charm, but I'm still very happy that I can drive a 15 year old Toyota Corolla which is light years ahead of those old bangers in every conceivable way, but especially in terms of reliability.

Charming little cars. I remember seeing them on the road when I was a kid in the late sixties and particularly the seventies. A rare event now sadly, but great to still see them at classic car meetings in the hands of enthusiasts. The baby blue colour suits it down to the ground.

A35 countryman van my ultimate favourite old classic still holding good money for a good example. My pal had one 1956 and lent it to me going down a hill dip the clutch to accelerate 😂 but under braking turn to the left and brake hard as the drum brakes were badly adjusted . It was a bit rusty so I named it “ The little green grot box “ Absolutely in love with these cars.👍❤️🇬🇧 stonking video as per usual .

I had a A35 1958 I went all over the north island NZ over some of the roughest roads GREAT FUN

Love it, just the sound of that little enigine memories i learned to drive in an A30 & my 1st car 2 door. even learned how to crank start it!! My dad was a dog handler & only had a 2 mile trip to work. Our German shepard owned the front seat with his head out that pull down window. Anytime you started it, he would bolt around the side of the house expecting to be included. Was the fun & skill of driving, proved to me you dont need gizmos & eletronics etc to have a fun ride

My uncle had one of these. Him and my Aunt used to come and visit us often in their little car, complete with the dog on a tartan blanket in the back seat. In those days cars would only be driven at 30-40 miles an hour on the country roads.

In 1960 my parents drove an A30 all the way from Scotland to Spain and back with no reliability issues my mum can remember. Knowing my dad, he probably thrashed the poor thing up the Route Napoleon, so sounds like they got lucky with the dodgy bearings HubNut describes. They also flew the car across the Channel in a cargo plane, which was the done thing back then.

Dad had both sizes of the van variant. So many memories of a great little vehicle

Very functional and simple little car, that oozes character.

We found one in a garage in Brynamman in 1972; 1200 miles on the clock, original tyres, everything… completely untouched, just loved. The owner never took it out in the rain, or at night. The car, we called, “Herbie” was immaculate throughout. There was no rust anywhere, no wear on the seats, carpet, peddles, nothing! Herbie looked like a brand new car, in British racing green🤗 my brother was stopped by the police, on more than one occasion, just to look at her, we think🤗 thats how good she was. I recall the little, flip up indicators, and the smell… never forget the smell. It took about 5 minutes to get to 60😂❤️

Our first family car when I was a kid was an A35. Remember it so well.

Thanks for that. I passed my test in one of these, my grandads car, back in 65, when I was 17. He would let me borrow it in the evenings and with my mates, we would cruise the streets of Brighton. Cool!! ..

Oh my word. This brought me to tears reminiscing all the fun times traveling from Sheffield to Whitby on a Sunday day out, I was only about 5 or 6 years old and I remember everything about the car! Fantastic to see once again. We had a car spares company on Penistone Road in Sheffield. Fantastic memories Thank you.

The noise it creates reminds me of a milk float from the 80's 😄 I love seeing these old vehicles you find.👍🏻

My first 2 cars in 1973 I bought a Hillman Imp with a leaking engine, later '74 a Woseley from 1962, built like a tank, leather seats & walnut dash, a doctor's car, then in 1976 bought a '68 Mini. They all had character & rust unlike now.

From the sublime to the ridiculous - prior to watching this delightful test of the A35, a car I've always loved, I was watching a road test of a 1965 Maserati (Vignale) Sebring 3500 GT Series 1. Man what a car, stunning in grey with red leather - sounded glorious...! I love the A35 just as much! Greetings from Oz

When I was a boy my dad bought an A30. It was a nice little car, two doors in black with tan upholstery. On our first journey it stalled at a set of traffic lights and wouldn't start. We looked at the manual and it said the fuel in the carburetor sometimes evaporated and it would need re-priming with the lever on the side. We did this and she stated immediately and the problem never occurred again. You mentioned the Morris Minor, yes it was the competitor to the A30 and A35 and was a bit bigger and in my opinion a nicer car. My father bought one of the last ones before they ceased production. The first Morris Minors had a split windscreen and the front passenger seat could be folded down flat and tilted into the front foot well meaning if you sat in the back seat you got great legroom. A great car for courting couples! I'll say no more Lol! The A30 was great to drive in the snow. It just got through it with no bother. I think the narrow wheels were the reason. Happy memories.

My dad had the A35 van when I was a child. I always remember the twist indicator control in the middle. Great for camping!

My first car! I remember it well. It went up hill fully loaded without any problem. It had 'lace' for doorsills but I loved it,

I had a 948cc 1968 van “countryman” conversation by Restall in the mid ’80’s. I took the anti-roll bar off and it was like a 2CV - but it handled so much better. Weak point was the brakes. Was going to put Midget discs and a 1 3/4 SU on it, but unfortunately tin worm had got to it in a major way so ended up scrapped in the early’90’s. I loved that car.

I learnt to drive in my Dads A35 Van. It managed 140k miles before it rusted out. Later on.1973, I brought an A30 saloon, (£20) with the engine in bits in a box in the boot. We had to rebuild the engine, on my father in laws kitchen table before we could drive the car home. It topped out at 50mph as it had very worn prop shaft joints which vibrated badly at speed. Sold it for £40 after six months.

"Ah THAT'S a big tractor and I'm in a tiny little car!" No seatbelts either! Great review as always Ian.

An A 30, four door, black with semaphore indicators was my first car in 1965.. I loved it. I fitted the indicator lights and dash switch as a mod.

We had one of these new in 1960 Dads firms car I think, I particularly recall that central speedo and indicator, many happy memories of Sunday trips to Barmouth thanks for the video Ian

Morris Minor, The perfect car. Wheels at 4 corners ,rack and pinion steering . Just nice size. Good suspenson

My first car was a 1962 A35 van which was converted into an estate. I had the car from 1970 to 1974 and it was then scrapped due to excessive corrosion. Thank you HubNut for the video - it brought back many happy memories.

My grandparents first car! Loved the video and sent it to my dad!

Back in the early 60's, as a child me and my family lived in Sheffield. We still do though my parents are now no longer alive. At that time my Dad wasn't a driver, he didn't even hold a licence. We had some relatives who lived over in Hull and periodically we would go over and stay at their house. At that time my uncle drove an A35 or it may have been an A30, I can't remember which, neither can I remember whether it was a two or four door. It was in light green and the reg was RBT 51. When we visited we would often go on outings, and I am at a loss to imagine how we managed to cram three (sometimes my Dad didn't come over) or four adults and a total of five kids into this car to go places. And the irony of it was.... that my uncle was a policeman, and not just a PC. Nowadays you couldn't even get off the driveway without being tugged by the police. The A35 was eventually succeeded in the mid 60's by a Ford Consul Classic in two tone maroon and grey.

My grandad had one when I was a wee nipper. The screen rail is high-up compared with the seats, so the only way I could see out was to sit on the front edge of the seat, stopping myself from falling backwards by finger-ends gripping onto the lip of the demister outlet slot. However, sitting thusly, when my grandad braked moderately hard, the seat would tip forward and I would be deposited wholesale into the footwell - a brilliant safety arrangement!

My mother had one. Bought it new in 1957.Grey with green upholstery. I remember it well.

In Sweden (where his car car was popular in the 1950s) it was affectionally known as "the meatball".

I only have one recollection of this car. It was when I went to a prep school not too far from Oxford, and a Californian professor working at Oxford University put his kids into our school back in the early 1970s. They bombed around in an old Austin A35 which was totally hillarious to them as they were used to driving large station wagons back in the US. I really can't imagine the culture shock that they experienced.

What memories! My first car after passing my test in 1966, was an A35 van, because I wanted a new vehicle and vans without rear side windows avoided 'purchase tax'. It cost £299, with an extra £20 for the luxury of a heater. MTO 846F, 948cc, took me all over Britain and even on a long holiday in 1970 to the Bavarian Alps and Austrian Tyrol - getting up those alpine roads tested it considerably! I loved that van - my first long journey from Nottingham to Edinburgh cost £1.5.0 (old money) - 5 gallons with that lean engine. No problems at all mechanically, no breakdowns en-route anywhere. A wonderful vehicle that I kept for 7 years and then up-graded to an Anglia saloon. But my blue van will never fade from my memory. I last saw it in Nottingham in the 1980s.

DELIGHTFUL! What a little charmer. An ( A30) you say... well I've never heard of it or seen it before in my life but I love it. (Especially that window - lock feature), what a marvelous mechanism. Well it's so CUTE, but one can see it's solidly well - built as well. I've always had a affection for these early British car's. Thank you so much for this fascinating presentation. Jeff, on the other side of the pond.

Charming little cars. My uncle owned a black A35 back in the 1960s.