Austin 1800 brochure for the Mk I automatic in 1966, plus my own car (1970 Mk II automatic)

 

My 1970 Austin 1800 Mk II automatic. Photo taken at Weston Park, Canberra, 1981 (by me)

My 1970 Austin 1800 Mk II automatic. Photo taken at Weston Park, Canberra, 1981 (by me)

Below, is a 4 page brochure produced by BMC Australia, announcing the Australian Austin 1800 Mk I automatic. I believe the Ansett flying boat is a Short Sandringham. Info on those here.

My Great Uncle Cliff and my Great Aunt Daisy both bought the Mk I brand new in about 1965. I went for rides in both as a child and loved them.

When I was 19 and considering what I'd buy for my first car, I decided on the Austin 1800. Dad and I found a nice 1970 Mk II auto in yellow and Mum and I jointly purchased it in 1979.

Alas, two weeks later, it was written off when the General Manager of The Bank of New South Wales (now WESTPAC) crashed into me in his enormous Ford LTD. No injuries to either party.

So, we found another one  - the car you see above in the first two photos. I owned that car for ten years, 1979 to 1989.

And here is a 4 page brochure announcing the release of the Mk I automatic I found on eBay and grabbed it.

Update January 2, 2024

FB contributor David Alan Hird believes the Ansett flying boat is a Short Sandringham. I discovered a page on the net called David Goodall's Aviation History which has more information. It's a good read. Click here to read.