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The British Motor Corporation promised that the Austin A55 Cambridge possessed ‘an unmistakable air of authority’, and 790 XUH really does look imposing. His custodian Ms. Rachel Smith - ‘all my cars are male’ - found that ‘When I took the Cambridge to shows or a pub in summer (when you could) the car gets so much attention. People say “I had one of them” or “my Dad had one” or “I remember these cars,” and they take photos of it’.

The A40/A50 Cambridge replaced the A40 Somerset in September 1954.

Its main selling point was that smart unitary bodywork. The De Luxe models came with leather upholstery, carpets front and rear, a passenger sun visor, twin horns and a heater as standard. Meanwhile, to save on money, Austin fitted the very early models with trafficators and counterbalanced door-glass.

The 1.5-litre A50 proved a strong competitor to the Ford Consul Mk. I, the Hillman Minx Mk. VIII, the E-Series Vauxhall Wyvern and, from within the BMC empire, the Morris Oxford Series III. Here was ‘splendid value-for-money’ and, according to Longbridge, ‘a lovely car’. And, as demonstrated in this Pathe footage, the Austin was more than able to endure the rigours of the German autobahn.

In 1957 the British Motor Corporation introduced the “Half Ton” Van and Pick-Up and discontinued the A40: sales were slow, not least because the performance from its 1.2-litre engine is best described as ‘limited’. In February of that year, the A50 was facelifted as the A55, gaining a longer boot and a larger rear screen. The overall effect was of a very appealing scaled-down A95/A105 Westminster.

One very 1950s advert informed the buyer that ‘Woman consultant chooses materials and colours for new Austin Cambridge’, with illustrations of two-tone finishes. By contrast, Rachel’s 1957-vintage A55, acquired in 2018 at an H & H auction, is a sober and dignified black. He also keeps up with modern traffic on most roads and is so comfortable ‘it’s like sitting in an armchair’.

Some contemporary motoring writers complained about the Austin’s four-speed steering column gear change; Rachel observes, ‘it is a bit different and takes some getting used to - and the brakes are not fantastic’. Longbridge tackled the former issue in April 1958 when they introduced an optional floor-mounted lever.

The Mk. II Cambridge Farina replaced the Cambridge Mk. I in February 1959, although the light commercial versions continued in production until 1973. Looking at the Smith A55 today, it is easy to understand why so many people wish to photograph him – after all, Austin did promote him ‘the best in its class’.

With Thanks To: Rachel Smith

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