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Austin Sixteen Light Six
Sixteen Light Six Burnham saloon 1929
Overview
Manufacturer	Austin
Production	1927–1937
Body and chassis
Body style	see detail in text most popular: tourer—Open Road saloon—Burnham —> Westminster
Powertrain
Engine	2249 cc or 2510 cc 6-cylinder side-valve
Transmission	single plate dry clutch, gearbox 4-speed manual fitted behind with a locomotive contracting brake. Drive is taken by an open propeller shaft at the front by a Hardy type joint and rear by a metal universal to the three quarter floating back axle
Dimensions
Wheelbase	112 in (2,800 mm) track 4' 8", 56 in (1,400 mm)
Kerb weight	Chassis only 14 long cwt (1,568 lb; 711 kg) Windsor saloon 25+1⁄4 long cwt (2,828 lb; 1,283 kg) York long wheelbase saloon 31+1⁄2 long cwt (3,528 lb; 1,600 kg)
Chronology
Predecessor	none
Successor	Austin Eighteen 1938-39

The Austin Sixteen Light Six is a British car that was made by Austin from 1927. Announced in October 1927, the first deliveries were planned for March 1928.

To distinguish the car from the smaller engined models in the range a plated Austin Six script was fixed to the radiator grille.

1927

The Austin Sixteen was introduced as a medium saloon sitting within Austin's range above the Seven and Twelve models but still much smaller than the 3.6 Litre Twenty.

The six-cylinder engine was new but had similarities to the engine fitted to the Twenty with its timing chain at the rear of the block. The design was up to date with the gearbox mounted in-unit with the engine and semi elliptic springs all round for the suspension. Triplex safety glass was fitted to all front screens from March 1929.

A wide range of body types was available at first but was simplified over the years. The coupés went first in 1930 followed by the Weymann type fabric saloons in 1931.

1934

In August 1933 various improvements were announced for 1934 models. The gearbox gained synchromesh on 3rd and 4th gears and an alternative larger (2511 cc) 18 hp engine was made available at no extra charge. An early automatic gearbox was available between 1934 and 1936 but few sold. A longer 120 in (3,000 mm) wheelbase chassis became an option.

Of this version 5742 16s and 2630 18s were made.

Hayes selfselector transmission

"This provides a drive which is automatic in variation of ratio within limits, easily set by a finger and thumb lever on the top of the steering wheel. The actual transmission is through steel rollers which transmit the drive between curved steel races, the ratio being altered by rocking the rollers to different driving positions to engage with differing diameters of the driving and driven races. There are no gears—except for reverse—and a wide variation in ratios is available automatically. The driving rollers are rocked or precessed to give varying ratios by hydraulic means and the driver by his little lever can modify the performance as road conditions require. Subject to the control setting, the automatic functioning ensures a constant engine speed whatever the tractive resistance met with on the road, the transmission varying its ratio to balance the resistance as it increases or decreases. The engine speed by creating oil pressure in the hydraulic control system, tends to precess the rollers to give a high ratio drive. This is counterbalanced by the reaction of the tractive resistance, which tends to give a low ratio precession. A valve worked by the movement of the forward and reverse lever which engages the drive —in the ordinary way and is centrally placed like the ordinary speed lever—releases the pressure in the hydraulic control unit when the lever is in its neutral and reverse positions, so that the drive is always at low ratio for starting from rest or reversing.

"The finger and thumb control lever works in a small quadrant which is marked at the top "Traffic" then "High" and at the bottom "Low" and finally "Cold" with spaces in between. Variations of this lever govern engine speeds. The forward, neutral and reverse positions for the central hand lever are stepped. To start the car from rest a driver presses out his clutch, moves his hand lever forward, and lets in the clutch in the ordinary way with slight acceleration. Thereafter the whole of the drive is done with the accelerator pedal, the accelerator allowing the engine to run up and keep constant maximum speed governed by the control lever on the top of the steering wheel by which engine braking power can also be regulated. When the accelerator is pressed after being released the effect is rather similar to that with a free wheel in use, in that the engine picks up to the speed that is suitable to the drive. The engine is available as a brake, and greater power of this kind can be had by moving the control lever down towards low"
Motoring correspondent, The Times

1935

Further upgrades were made in 1935. The body range was simplified and now had only the 5 and 7 seat saloons. Externally the most obvious change was to the radiator surround which was painted body colour rather than chrome plated, and a small external boot was added to the rear which contained the spare wheel. Synchromesh was added to second gear. The larger engine was modified to have only four rather than eight main bearings.

1937

In 1937, the last year this car was made, the smaller engined Sixteen was dropped and pressed steel road wheels replaced the previously fitted wire wheels.

Between 1935 and 1937 12,731 were produced.

Performance

The 16 hp engined car could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) and return 21 miles per imperial gallon (13 L/100 km; 17 mpg_‑US) depending on the body fitted.

• Sixteen with Tickford
  body by Salmons 1929
• Open Road Sixteen
  tourer 1932
• Westminster 4-light
  saloon 1932
• Berkeley Sixteen
  saloon interior 1932
• Carlton Sixteen 7-seater
  long wheelbase saloon 1934
• Berkeley Sixteen
  saloon 1934
• Berkeley Sixteen
  saloon 1934
  in period setting
• Chalfont Sixteen 18 hp
  5-seater saloon 1935
  wire wheels
• Chalfont Sixteen 18 hp
  limousine interior 1936
• Hertford Sixteen 18 hp
  5-seater saloon 1936
  pressed steel wheels
• York Sixteen
  5-seater saloon 1935
  wire wheels
• York Sixteen
  5-seater saloon 1935
  wire wheels

Catalogue 1927 to 1937

The first name for this car was Austin Sixteen Light Six. In 1930 Light Six was dropped and it was an Austin Sixteen. From 1933 it was deemed necessary to offer an 18 hp engine at no extra charge, in mid 1937 this car's body was replaced by a new shape only available with the 18 hp engine and known as an Austin Eighteen.

Note

1. ^ Supplied with bumpers, front and rear, at no extra charge
2. Description from display in windscreen
3. ^ The advertisement states that this car is a 'saloon'

References

1. ^ Austin, The Times, Tuesday, Oct 18, 1927; pg. 10; Issue 44715.
2. ^ Cars Of To-Day. Austin Sixteen 6-cylinder, The Times, Tuesday, Oct 02, 1928; pg. 7; Issue 45013
3. ^ Cars Of To-Day. By our Motoring Correspondent. The Times, Tuesday, May 21, 1935; pg. 8; Issue 47069
4. The Times, Monday, Sep 23, 1929; pg. 8; Issue 45315
5. ^ New Austin Models. The Times, Tuesday, Aug 15, 1933; pg. 8; Issue 46523.
6. ^ Sedgwick, M. (1989). A-Z of Cars of the 1930s. Devon, UK: Bay View Books. ISBN 1-870979-38-9.
7. The Times, Tuesday, Mar 20, 1928; pg. xliv; Issue 44846.
8. The Times, Tuesday, Mar 12, 1929; pg. xxii; Issue 45149
9. The Times, Friday, Oct 18, 1929; pg. 21; Issue 45337
10. The Times, Friday, May 23, 1930; pg. 21; Issue 45520
11. The Times, Thursday, Feb 11, 1932; pg. 17; Issue 46054.
12. The Times, Tuesday, Aug 15, 1933; pg. 6; Issue 46523.
13. The Times, Wednesday, Apr 10, 1935; pg. 5; Issue 47035

External links

• Austin vehicles
• 1920s cars
• 1930s cars
• Cars introduced in 1927