20 October
BCAC announced today that the Royal Thai Air Force has ordered 24 ex-RAF Buccaneer maritime patrol/strike aircraft to replace their ageing Handley Page Hereford fleet. The aircraft will be overhauled at Filton and delivered early next year.
27 October–6 November
The London Motor Show at Earls Court. A record 562,954 visitors witness a wide range of new products from British manufacturers.
Several new models have been unveiled or displayed for the first time at a major British exhibition.
The Allard Motor Company showed its new M and N Model cars, which are larger versions of the four-seat L which has been on sale for the last couple of years.
Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. came under the onwership of Sir David Brown last year and has launched a new car at the the Motor Show. The Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports (also known as the DB1) is a two-seat sports car. The prototype was entered at the 24 Hours race at Spa in 1948 as a way of testing its durability and the car won the race outright with drivers St. John Horsfall and Leslie Johnson. The 2-Litre Sports has a more conventional body and uses the 90hp 2.0 litre Claude Hill engine for a top speed of 93mph.
Austin has several new models this year.
The Austin A90 Atlantic was launched at the show as a sporting four seat convertible. The Atlantic was designed by Italian Austin stylist Dick Burzi. It has a top speed of 91 mph and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 16.6 seconds. Fuel consumption is 21.7 miles per imperial gallon. It has independent suspension at the front but leaf springs at the rear. The underpinnings are based on the A70 Hampshire saloon.
The Austin A70 Hampshire is a large four-door saloon car. It is a conventional body-on-frame car with similar styling to the smaller A40 Devon. The most common A70 is the saloon but estate and pickup versions are also built. The 2.2 litre (2199 cc) straight-4 pushrod engine provides 67hp and was first mounted in the earlier Austin 16 hp. Acceleration from 0-50 mph takes 14.5 seconds and the maximum speed is 83.3 mph.
The UK price is £648 which includes a heater.
A prototype A40 Dorset Tourer has been built and was on display but the car is not marketed in Britain, being a product for the Australian market and manufactured locally there.
Ford had little new to show but its Anglia, the 1946 Model being an upgrade of the original 1939 design, is currently Britain's lowest priced four wheel car at £309 including taxes.
The little Donald Healey Motor Company had their new Healey Sportsmobile, a two-seat sports car introduced in 1948, powered by a 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder engine giving a maximum speed of 99mph, making it one of the fastest production cars available today.
The Humber company, another stalwart of the industry had one new model on display for its official debut, the Humber Hawk Mark III. It has a completely new chassis and body but retains the engine and transmission of the Mark II. The new body was styled by the Loewy Studio. The chassis is new with a coil sprung independent front suspension. The rear axle is also a new design with hypoid gearing. The body can be finished in a wide range of colours, both as two-tone and metallic.
Jaguar Cars Ltd. had two new models to launch which caught the eyes of many of the well-heeled buyers at the Show.
The Jaguar Mark V is a saloon car which retains the 1936 driveline including the Jaguar overhead-valve pushrod straight-6 2.5 litre and 3.5 litre engines. Claimed power output is 104hp for the 2664 cc Mark V and 126hp for the 3486 cc engine. The chassis is new with independent front suspension by double wishbones and torsion bar. It also has hydraulic brakes and an all pressed steel body. There is also a drophead coupé version. The 3.5 litre car has a top speed of 90.7 mph and can accelerate from 0–60 mph in 20.4 seconds. The price of the 3.5 litre Mark V is £1,263 including taxes.
The XK120 is Jaguar's first sports car since the SS 100, which ceased production in 1945. The "120" in its name refers to its 120 mph top speed which makes the XK120 the world's fastest standard production car at the time of its launch. It is available in two open versions, as the roadster and also as a drophead coupé and also as a closed coupé. The first cars, all roadsters, are hand-built and have aluminium bodies on ash frames. To meet demand it is necessary for mass-production versions so from 1950 all will have pressed-steel bodies with aluminium doors, bonnet, and boot lid. The engine has an alloy cylinder head and twin side-draft SU carburettors and the dual overhead-cam 3.4 litre straight-6 XK engine is advanced for a mass-produced unit. It developed 160hp. All XK120s have independent torsion bar front suspension, semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear, recirculating ball steering, telescopically adjustable steering column and all-round drum brakes. The price of the roadster is £1,263 including taxes.
Jowett Cars of Bradford launched a sports car aimed at the man with a budget. The Jowett Jupiter is a two-seat closed coupe sports car using the power train of the current Javelin model. The Jupiter uses a tubular steel chassis. The suspension uses soft torsion bars and anti-roll bars front and rear with independent suspension at the front. The engine is mounted very far forward ahead of the front axle line with the radiator low behind it over the gearbox. Adjustment of the anti-roll bars easily influences oversteer and understeer to provide fine suspension tuning. The flat four overhead valve engine of 1486 cc is more highly tuned than in the Javelin and develops 60hp giving the car a maximum speed of 85 mph and a 0-50 mph time of 11.7 seconds. The price is £986 including taxes.
MG Cars provided yet another sports car for the punters to decide between. The 1948 TD Midget combines the earlier TC's drivetrain, a modified hypoid-geared rear axle, the MG Y-type chassis, a familiar T-type style body and independent suspension using coil springs from the MG Y-type saloon. Also new is the rack and pinion steering, smaller 15-inch (380 mm) disc type road wheels, a left-hand drive option and standard equipment bumpers and over-riders. The car is also 5 inches wider with a track of 50 inches.
Morgan launched a new car, the Plus 4, a larger and more powerful version of the 4/4 model made between 1936 and 1939. The engine is a 2088 cc engine based on that used in the Standard Vanguard fitted in a strengthened and longer 4/4 chassis. Hydraulic brakes, all drum, are fitted. Body styles available are a 2 seat sports, 4 seat sports and more luxurious 2 or 4 seat drophead coupé.
Morris had a large stand as befits one of the country's most popular car brands. Their latest new product is a four-door saloon version of the Morris Minor.
Another large and popular firm, Standard, have launched an estate version of the Vanguard to provide growing families with more space.
Triumph has updated their Roadster. The 1948 model is the 2000 Roadster with the 2088 cc Standard Vanguard engine and transmission. Top speed is 77mph and 0-60 takes 27.9 seconds.
Vauxhall has been fighting hard to maintain a sizable market share against Austin, Morris and Standard and have launched two new models this year.
The Vauxhall Velox (L-Type) is a medium sized four-door six-cylinder saloon. It was introduced as a successor to the Vauxhall 14. The body has American-type styling. The engine is a newly developed straight six cylinder engine of 2275 cc, with overhead valves. The 54hp provides a top speed of 74 mph. Fuel consumption is 22.3 miles per imperial gallon. Power was delivered to the rear wheels via a three speed manual gear box with synchromesh on the top two ratios. Optional extras include a heater from which warm air was evenly distributed between the front and back areas of the passenger cabin and which can also be set to de-ice the windscreen in winter or to provide cool air ventilation in summer. Also available at extra charge is an AM radio integrated into the facia. The price is £550 including taxes.
The Vauxhall Wyvern is a medium sized four-door family car introduced as a successor to the Vauxhall 12. The engine is a four cylinder motor of 1442 cc delivering 33hp. Top speed is 60mph and fuel consumption id 30.9 miles per imperial gallon. The column mounted gear change is linked to a three speed manual gear box which incorporates synchromesh on the top two ratios. The Wyvern's body is of integral construction and is identical to the Velox. Independent torsion bar suspension is fitted at the front with a traditional semi-elliptic set-up for the rear axle. Optional extras include a heater from which warm air was evenly distributed between the front and back areas of the passenger cabin and which can also be set to de-ice the windscreen in winter or to provide cool air ventilation in summer. Also available at extra charge is an AM radio integrated into the facia. The price is £479 including taxes.