1958 Austin A35 ‘Surrey Motorsports Van’

Specifications

Engine: 998 cc Inline-4 Cylinder

Horsepower: 35

Transmission: Four-Speed Manual 

In recent years, Americans have grown accustomed to seeing small vans like the Ford Transit making deliveries around the country. They have quickly become popular because of how easy they are to operate. While many of them seem small, they have much more available interior room than you might expect. This is accomplished with low floors and high roofs in the vans, which allows plenty of space to fit whatever is needed. While the concept of a small utility van is relatively new here in the States, companies like Austin in Britain capitalized on the usefulness of small vans decades ago.  

The Austin A35 was introduced in 1956 as the successor to the A30. Its name refers to the larger and more powerful 34 horsepower inline-four cylinder engine than the powerplant seen in the A30, and while the two cars seem identical from a distance, the A35 introduced a number of refinements which updated the car and made it much easier to live with. The cars outdated semaphore turn signals were changed in favor of modern front and rear mounted flashing lights, the front grille was updated as were the gear ratios, which allows the A35 to reach a higher top speed than the A30.

This A35 Tradesmans Van has been restored by Surrey Motorsports, and used at the company’s disposal after the restoration was completed. Surrey Motorsports added a number of modifications to modernize the van, including a stroked 998 cc inline-four cylinder engine with twin SU carburetors. Disc brakes have been added to the front axles, and aftermarket Panasport wheels have been fitted to give the van a more athletic look.