automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded ...
which was developed by BMC Australia, based on the British
Austin A60 Cambridge
:''See Austin 10 for the Cambridge models of 1937 to 1947.''
:''See Austin A40 for other A40 models.''
The Austin Cambridge (sold as A40, A50, A55, and A60) is a medium-sized motor car range produced by the Austin Motor Company, in several ge ...
. Introduced in 1962, it was marketed under the Austin name in both four-door sedan and five-door station wagon
body styles
Governments and private organizations have developed car classification schemes that are used for various purposes including regulation, description, and categorization of cars.
The International Standard ISO 3833-1977 ''Road vehicles – Types ...
.
Using the locally built 2433 cc six-cylinder "Blue Streak" engine, it represented the first attempt by BMC to challenge the dominant Holden and
Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate applied to several vehicles worldwide.
* Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970.
* Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford Argentina from 1962 until 1991.
* For ...
models in the lucrative six-cylinder family car class with a locally developed vehicle. The engine was a direct development of the company's1622cc B-series unit, cylinder dimensions in the six-cylinder unit being identical to those of its four-cylinder counterpart.
An upmarket variant, the
Austin A60 Cambridge
:''See Austin 10 for the Cambridge models of 1937 to 1947.''
:''See Austin A40 for other A40 models.''
The Austin Cambridge (sold as A40, A50, A55, and A60) is a medium-sized motor car range produced by the Austin Motor Company, in several ge ...
rear-end styling.
3,090 units were sold in its first year but volumes fell well short of those of its Holden and
Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate applied to several vehicles worldwide.
* Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970.
* Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford Argentina from 1962 until 1991.
* For ...
rivals and of the much more powerful six-cylinder Chrysler Valiant, introduced in Australia earlier the same year.
The original Freeway (designated ADO40) was replaced by the Freeway Mk II (YDO3) Building Cars In Australia, BMC-Leyland Australia Heritage Group, 2012, pages 214-215 in October 1964. The revised model featured a more powerful engine, power brakes, improved rear suspension and improved seating.
Declining sales saw the Freeway discontinued in 1965 with production ceasing in September of that year after approximately 27,000 cars had been built. The Freeway was replaced by the
Austin 1800
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 18), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 12 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 16), ...
with Australian production commencing in 1966.
File:Austin Freeway (15920253092).jpg, Austin Freeway Sedan
File:1964 Austin Freeway sedan (6106068152).jpg, Austin Freeway Mk II Sedan
File:Austin Freeway Wagon (15906711417).jpg, Austin Freeway Station Wagon
File:Austin Freeway Wagon (15284367353).jpg, Austin Freeway Station Wagon
New Zealand market
The Freeway was marketed in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
as both the Austin Freeway and the Morris Freeway, allowing the separate Austin and Morris dealerships in that country to sell the model.
The Freeway name was subsequently used on the New Zealand market for the
BMC ADO17
BMC ADO17 is the model code used by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) for a range of large family cars manufactured from September 1964 to 1975. The car was initially sold under the Austin marque as the Austin 1800, then by Morris as the M ...
Retrieved on 8 May 2009
{{British Motor Corporation cars, 1952-1966
Freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...