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Austin A55 Cambridge - the British pontoon limousine

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Created on November 7, 2020

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Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

46

Archiv

17

Bruno von Rotz

46

Archiv

17

Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - ready to go

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - refined pontoon limousine of the post-war period

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - the two-tone paintwork gives it additional elegance

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - with the A55 came a new rear design

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - compact saloon with four doors

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - gets through everywhere thanks to its 1.55 meter narrow body

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - the different Austin variants are not so easy to distinguish at first glance

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - only 4.26 meters long, but 1.54 meters high

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - a steering wheel, a central instrument and three pedals - what more do you need?

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - uncluttered interior

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Band speedometer and additional instruments

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - traditional steering wheel center

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - the gauges for fuel level, water temperature and speed, for everything else there are warning lights

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - the summarized instrument is easy to read

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - shifting is done at the steering wheel

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Austin logos everywhere

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - not all buttons are understandable for everyone in their function

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - stylish carpet protection inserts

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Door opener

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - leather seats in the upmarket version

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Nameplate

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - longitudinally mounted in-line four-cylinder engine

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - no engine compartment designers were at work then

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - 52 hp from the four-cylinder engine with 1483 cm3 at 4250 rpm

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - hardly any plastic to be found in the engine compartment

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - electrics you can touch

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - large water cooler to prevent the engine from getting too hot

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Austin badge above the chrome-plated radiator grille

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - the Austin badge as a radiator grille

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - the Austin sign as a bearing aid

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Air scoop with Austin radiator mascot

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - the pretty position lights on the front fenders

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Position lights on the mudguards

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Rear-view mirror on the mudguard

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Looking into the distant rear-view mirror

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - correct door handles

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - two-tone paintwork and chrome trim line

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Ornaments with chrome trim

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - steel wheels and hubcaps

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Fuel filler cap behind the rear window

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - upright tail lights

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - large trunk

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - Type lettering

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - additional designation

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - classic three-volume sedan

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Austin A40 Somerset (1953) - an advantageous English car in view of its dimensions and price - at the Geneva Motor Show in 1953

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Austin A40 (1954) - truly a cutaway model demonstrating the clear and simple design - Geneva Motor Show 1954

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Austin A40 (1954) - The saloon was launched at the end of September 1954

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Austin A40 (1954) - two engine versions with 1.2 and 1.5 liter displacement were available

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Austin A40 (1955) - in contrast to the two-door version, the four-door version sold much better

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Austin A40 (1955) - futuristic interior for the time

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Austin A40 (1956) - grey was obviously an attractive color for the sedan as well

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Austin A40 (1956) - the modern car for the whole family

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Austin A50 Cambridge (1956) - A40 and A50 do not differ visually

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - presented to the general public for the first time at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - View of the revised interior, early photo from January 1957

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - early photo from January 1957

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - in the "low look" of Austin, with many improvements

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - with redesigned rear section with large rear window

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - two-tone at the IAA Frankfurt 1957

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Austin A55 Cambridge (1957) - new design of the rear and attractive use of two colors - Geneva Motor Show 1957

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Austin A55 Cambrige (1957) - with a nicer and improved interior

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Summary

With the Austin A40/A50 Cambridge models, the British manufacturer made the transition to a self-supporting pontoon body. Sixty years ago, this made them quite modern and, if it could be an A55, even almost sporty. This driving report tells the story of Austin's post-war mid-range models and shows the A55 in many current and historical pictures as well as in the sales literature. There is also a sound sample.

This article contains the following chapters

Much new
More order in the trunk
Initially with two engines
Almost like a sports car
Refinement in 1957
Fair offer
Pretty comfortable

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Completely new models were not exactly the order of the day in the 1950s. The car manufacturers were just recovering from the war, and the British vehicle manufacturers were the quickest to do so. And so a completely new Austin Cambridge was presented as early as September 1954. The main new feature of the A40/A50 Cambridge (known internally as the "GS5") was the bodywork, which had a contemporary pontoon shape without protruding fenders and was self-supporting. Compared to its predecessor, the A40, the wheelbase grew by 17 centimetres, while the overall length only increased by six centimetres. From the front, the new Cambridge looked practically square, with a height and width of 156 centimetres.

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