page_title: American Austin Car Company
section_title: American Bantam
hierarchical_section_title: American Austin Car Company / History / American Bantam
caption_attribution_description: 1939 American Bantam photographed by DougW of RemarkableCars.com at the Frick Museum in Pittsburgh, PA. Previously uploaded to en:Wikipedia 01:28, 4 August 2006 by DougW
context_page_description: The American Austin Car Company was an American automobile manufacturing corporation. The company was founded in 1929, and produced motorcars licensed from the British Austin Motor Company from 1930 through 1934, when it filed for bankruptcy.
  In 1935 the company was reorganized under the name American Bantam. Production resumed in 1937 and continued through 1941, including the first prototype of what later became the Jeep.
context_section_description: In 1935, Roy Evans, a former salesman for Austin, bought out the bankrupt company, which was reorganized under the name American Bantam. The formal connection with UK Austin was severed, though a relationship was maintained. A series of changes were made to the American Austin car design, including a modified engine and an exterior sheetmetal designed by Alexis de Sakhnoffsky.
  Production was resumed in 1937, and continued through 1941. Despite a wide range of Bantam body styles, ranging from light trucks to woodie station wagons, only about 6,000 Bantams of all types were produced.
  American Bantam's 1938 model was the inspiration for Donald Duck's car which was first seen in Don Donald (1937).
caption: 1939 American Bantam
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