General Manager of the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company, Herbert Austin set the Birmingham firm on the road to motor manufacture in 1896 when he designed its first automobile, a twin-cylinder tri-car. The first production Wolseley though, was four-wheeled and, like Austin's 1896 prototype, carried its single cylinder engine horizontally. Austin's belief in the horizontal engine's virtues was not shared by Wolseley's directors however, and he departed in 1905 to set up his own company at nearby Longbridge. Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, the first Austin cars were powered by conventional inline fours with side valves arranged in 'T-head' fashion. Chain drive was a feature of these early Austins, but was supplanted by shaft drive within a few years. As well as the fours, Austin also marketed a single-cylinder model and a few sixes prior to WWI. The 18/24 was Austin's third production model, made from 1907 to 1913, its engine being enlarged from 4.4 to 4.9 litres from 1911 onwards. Even in these early days the company was in the habit of using English place names for its various body styles. Austin had its own large coachbuilding department and offered a wide variety of complete cars.
This Edwardian Austin was first registered to Sir Henry Beyer Robertson, of Corwen, Merioneth, on 25th May 1910 and was acquired by the Austin Motor Company Ltd in the 1950s. Its distinctive registration mark 'FF 1' was originally issued on 1st January 1904 to a Lanchester 10hp. Originally a detachable-top brougham, the car has since been altered to its present tourer configuration. It was totally restored by the Manchester College of Engineering & Technology in 1995-97 before coming to the Museum, and is presented in excellent condition throughout. The vehicle is offered with photographs dating from the late 1940s/1950s, copies of registration records, and Swansea V5