THE AUSTIN PEDAL CAR STORY

(Porter Press)

David Whyley ISBN 978 1 913089 28 3 Reviewer’s own copy

Many NZ Classic Driver readers may be aware of the pedal cars made by Austin over a number of years from the late 1940s. Perhaps you also knew that they now feature in races for the Settrington Cup during Goodwood Revival weekend. So, that’s a subject that could be worth a short book, right?

Wrong, because here in fact is a superbly-produced large hardback with 488 pages on the subject! Sub-titled; The fascinating history of Austin’s J40 and Pathfinder from 1946 to the present day, author Whyley presents an amazingly detailed, but never dull book on these well-loved pedal cars and why they succeeded both in their own right and for a number of other reasons.

At the end of World War 2 Britain, although ultimately victorious, was basically bankrupt and in debt to the USA. Supplies of almost everything were tightly rationed and/or non-existent. Industries such as car manufacturers were being exhorted to export or else, and the availability of steel was directly related to a company’s $US export earnings.

An amazing combination of factors then came into play, overseen largely by Austin’s often autocratic managing director, Leonard Lord (when he was knighted, his wife became Lady Lord!). A superb pedal car based on the new A40 Devon was approved for production and as many Welsh coal miners were losing their jobs because of debilitating lung diseases, new factories were established with government support in the Welsh valleys. Austin decided to take up one of the new plants to build the pedal car. Almost certainly, this helped with the supply of steel but also, thanks to enlightened Austin management, it enabled the firm to offer carefully ‘tailored’ work for many of the disabled miners while also using the small factory as a valuable training ground for future managers. As well as making the J40 pedal car, the factory built a short-lived companion, the Pathfinder, that was based on the successful pre-war Austin twin-cam single-seater racer. And it wasn’t long before the quality of work being produced by the re-trained ex-miners was of sufficient quality for components for full-sized Austin cars and lorries to be produced at the Welsh plant. They competed on an equal footing for the right to make these items: a tribute to their work ethic and supportive management. The J40 continued virtually unchanged until production ended in 1971; over 20,000 of them had left the factory by then, together with almost 4,000 Pathfinders. The little cars are now increasingly valuable, and the Austin Pedal Car Company has been formed to manufacture ‘continuation’ cars (just like Bentley and Jaguar).

In addition to hundreds of photos, the book is brought to life by interviews with many of those who were involved in this innovative venture, and a great deal more, from marketing to racing. It really is a surprisingly interesting book, combining automotive, social and economic history in a truly original way.

$267 | Review by Mark Holman