Austin Twenty
Austin Twenty is a large car introduced by Austin after the end of the First World War, in April 1919 and continued in production until 1930. After the Austin 20/6 model was introduced in 1927, the first model was referred to as the Austin 20/4.
| Austin Twenty | |
|---|---|
Twenty Allweather coupé 1919 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Austin |
| Also called | Austin 20/4 (from 1927) |
| Production | April 1919–1930 15,287 produced |
| Assembly | Longbridge plant, Birmingham |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | saloon, tourer, coupé, landaulette 16-cwt light van |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3,610 cc (220 cu in) Straight-4 |
| Transmission | Single-plate clutch; four-speed gearbox; propeller shaft to back axle with helical-bevel gearing |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 130 in (3,300 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | new |
| Successor | Austin 20/6 |
| Austin Twenty engine 4 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Austin |
| Production | April 1919–1929 |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | Straight 4-cylinder |
| Displacement | 3,610 cc (220 cu in) |
| Cylinder bore | 95 mm (3.7 in) |
| Piston stroke | 127 mm (5.0 in) |
| Cylinder block material | Cast iron, alloy crankcase |
| Cylinder head material | Detachable |
| Combustion | |
| Fuel system | Ignition by magneto |
| Fuel type | Petrol |
| Oil system | Lubrication by forced feed |
| Cooling system | Cooling water is pump circulated |
| Output | |
| Power output | 45 bhp (34 kW; 46 PS) @2,000 rpm Tax horsepower 22.38 |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Austin 20/6 |
Before 1919 Austins had been expensive prestige cars. In the 1920s there were people who believed the four-cylinder Twenty comparable with if not superior to the equivalent Rolls-Royce. If the coachwork were light enough the Twenty could also give a three-litre Bentley a run for its money. The final inter-war version was the enormous, extremely elegant fast and powerful side-valve Twenty-Eight of 1939. The overhead-valve (25) Sheerline and its companion Princess were to continue the line after the Second World War; however, by the 1930s Austin had lost its aristocratic cachet, having become well known for its Twelves and Sevens.
The deceptively potent four-cylinder Twenty found fame at Brooklands both in private hands and with works drivers Lou Kings and Arthur Waite (Herbert Austin's Australian son-in-law and competitions manager).