Austin A60 Countryman Area Cars

Brian Homans

In 1964 at a time when the Traffic Division was firmly established, it was decided (not by the drivers!) that Area Cars no longer needed to be powerful 3 litre cars. They were replaced by a smaller car, the Austin A60 Countryman with a 1622cc four cylinder engine. These were the first Area Cars to be painted white and fitted with two-tone horns. The first time I went on a shout, driving along Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead with the horns on, most of the population looked round with apprehension, wondering where on earth this new noise was coming from.

I took these photos of the Hemel Hempstead Area Car BJH 537B on its first day in service in July 1964. An interesting feature is the white label stuck inside the lower edge of the windscreen on the driver’s side. The words on this label read: Running In. This vehicle is not to be driven in excess of 30mph for the first 500 miles. Standard practice in those days!

This page was added on 07/02/2020.

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