Even more on the missing A40 convertible
Commenting on the letter in the Aug/ Sept issue of Classic Driver. I was the next owner after Donald Cuttance and I purchased the car in 1961 from Farmers Cars Sales in Princes Street.
I traded a 1942 Ford V8 Sedan which had been used by the New Zealand Army since new. I think I paid £445 for the Austin and they gave me £300 for the V8.
While I loved the V8, it scoffed petrol and I was involved in a major collision (not my fault), the car rolled on its side. It was repaired, but not very well, so I decided to sell it.
I have subsequently discovered from a guy in Dunedin, who is a 1942 V8 fan, that the front was chopped off for a hot rod and it is now in Auckland.
Back to the Austin, it was only in average condition when I bought it so I had the body done up by a panel beater friend. I had it painted bright red and fitted a new convertible hood thanks to Emslie & Flockton.
The engine was bog standard when I bought it so a couple of mechanic mates went to work on the engine fitting twin SU carbs, gave it a valve grind and ported and polished the head, then later another mate made me a free flow exhaust with a straight pipe which got me into some strife with the local cops so I had to fit a phony muffler.
In the company of my then fiancée, now wife of many years, we travelled all over the South Island (mostly to car races) at Teretonga a couple of times and also to Wigram. I also recall Christmas in Wanaka one year where I don’t think we put the hood up for 2 weeks. It was a great car. However circumstances change and I was promoted in my sales job with State Insurance to the role of Country Inspector and was given a 1962 Ford Zephyr which I was allowed to take home and garage, meaning the Austin did not get much use in 1964 so I sold it to a Reg McDowell, a carrier in Dunedin for £230, just before I got married in Feb 1965. He sold it to a young guy in Dunedin who I used to see driving it around in the sixties and I used to have a chat with him when I saw it.
As another aside, the photo of it racing on the Wharf circuit was in the NZ Classic Car in a column written by a Penn Mackay about 10 years ago & I commented on it with Trevor Stanley-Joblin who restored the one imported by Barry Briggs the motor cycle racer. Mackay commented that at that time, he thought the car was still in Dunedin.
In conclusion, thanks for the nostalgia trip & good luck with your search. If I were you, I would start with the local Vintage Car Club. W.J. (Bill) Coughlan Christchurch