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2 unusual facts about BMC ADO16


BMC ADO16

The Austin 1100 Countryman appeared in the legendary "Gourmet Night" episode of Fawlty Towers, in which short tempered owner of Fawlty Towers Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) gave it a "damn good thrashing".

As well as single piston swinging caliper disc brakes at the front, which were not common on mass-produced cars in the early 1960s, the ADO16 featured a Hydrolastic interconnected fluid suspension system designed by Alex Moulton.


Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout

Issigonis's Mini of 1959 and related cars such as the Maxi, Austin 1100/1300 and Allegro had the four cylinder inline water cooled engine transversely mounted.

Giovanni Michelotti

After Triumph's parent company Leyland Motors became a part of British Leyland, Michelotti undertook a facelift of the BMC 1100 – which became the Spanish-built Austin Victoria and also the South African-built Austin Apache.


see also