page_title: Austin A40 Farina
section_title: Mark II
hierarchical_section_title: Austin A40 Farina / Mark II
caption_attribution_description: Larger engined 1098cc Austin A40 MkII with revised grille
context_page_description: The Austin A40 Farina is a small, economy car introduced by Austin in saloon and A40 Countryman estate versions. It has a two-box body configuration. It was badged, like many before it, as an A40, consistent with Austin's naming scheme at the time, based on the approximate engine output in horsepower; and to distinguish it from other A40 models, it was also given a suffix name – this one being the Farina, so named, reflecting the all-new design by Italian Battista Farina's Pinin Farina Turin studio.
  Austin had been merged into the British Motor Corporation in 1952 and – unusually for BMC at the time – the A40 Farina was sold only as an Austin and not rebadged for sale under any other BMC brands. The Farina was both the first Austin A40 not named after a county of England, as well as the last in the line of Austin A40s.
  The 1959 A40 Countryman version stands out by its layout as a small estate car with an upward opening tailgate, and is therefore viewed as one of the earliest examples of a volume production hatchback.
context_section_description: An A40 Farina Mark II was introduced in 1961.  It had a 3.5 in (89 mm) longer wheelbase to increase the space for passengers in the back seats, and the front grille and dashboard were redesigned. The Mark II had more power (37 hp/28 kW) and an SU replaced the previous Zenith carburettor but was otherwise similar mechanically. An anti-roll bar was fitted at the front. The 948 cc engine was replaced in the autumn of 1962 by a larger 1098 cc version with an output of 48 bhp. The A40 shared this engine with the Morris Minor, which was also rear-wheel drive – both models retaining the traditional north-south engine layout – and also with the recently introduced front-wheel drive, transverse-engined Morris 1100. An improved gearbox was fitted to the A40 at the same time.
  Further changes were minimal.   However, in 1964 a new fascia with imitation wood veneer covering was fitted. This version of the model remained in production until 1967. The brakes also became fully hydraulic, replacing the semi cable-operated rear system that the Mark I had inherited from the A35. Nevertheless, the introduction at the end of 1962 of the similarly sized Morris 1100, followed by an Austin-badged counterpart a year later, left the A40 looking cramped on the inside and outclassed in terms of road holding and ride; sales of the A40 Mark II progressed at a slower rate than had been achieved by the Mark I.
  A Mark II was tested by The Motor in 1962. The updated version had a higher top speed of 75.2 mph (121.0 km/h) and faster acceleration from 0–50 mph (80 km/h) of 17.4 seconds. The fuel consumption at 36.5 miles per imperial gallon (7.7 L/100 km; 30.4 mpg‑US) was slightly higher. The car cost £693 including taxes of £218.
  In the popular television series Heartbeat, the character Dr Tricia Summerbee (played by Clare Calbraith) drove a blue 1963 mark II saloon in series 10-12, with the registration BNK228A.
caption: Austin A40 Farina Mark II
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