Q781156 · 1919–1930

Austin Twenty

Austin Twenty is a large car introduced by Austin after the end of the First World War in April 1919, and continued in production until 1930. After the Austin 20/6 model was introduced in 1927, the first model was referred to as the Austin 20/4. Before 1919, Austins had been expensive, prestige cars. If the coachwork were light enough, the Twenty could also give a three-litre Bentley a run for its money. The final inter-war version was the side-valve Twenty-Eight of 1939. The overhead-valve (25) Sheerline and its Princess companion were to continue the line after the Second World War; however, by the 1930s Austin had lost its aristocratic cachet, having become well known for its Twelves and Sevens. The four-cylinder Twenty found fame at Brooklands both in private hands and with works drivers Lou Kings and Arthur Waite (Herbert Austin's Australian son-in-law and competitions manager).

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Austin 15/20 · Successor: Austin 28

All Q781156 Austin Twenty data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

One model policy

Before the First World War, Austin had produced a range of expensive cars, including a 3.6-litre 20 hp car but, influenced by the manufacturing philosophy of Henry Ford, Herbert Austin decided that the future was in mass-producing a single model, and chose the 20 hp class. The Longbridge plant had been considerably enlarged for wartime production, and it was there that the company had a base to put the theory into practice now with the capacity to manufacture 150 cars a week. During the war, Hebert Austin had owned an American Hudson Super Six, which he clearly admired. Its overall layout would form a basis for the design of the new one model car policy. The car would, however, prove to be too large for the home market: only about 3,000 Twenties had been sold by July 1920. Massed motor-car production, the first British example. Perhaps hoping to help, The Times published a long item at the beginning of June 1920 in which they professed admiration for Austin's enterprise in launching on the British market "a car made on American lines". The result, they said, "is good but not of the class of the old 20-hp. It would have been wiser to have given the new car a new name. The whole finish is poor. The engine vibrates at anything over moderate speeds and sometimes at low speeds. It is difficult to access the power unit and the whole car is difficult to associate with the 10-hp and 15-hp, the famous 18-hp and the 20-hp which did so well in the 1914 Alpine Trials. "However it is true the car is an excellent hill-climber, runs very quietly, accelerates rapidly and has very good steering. The (unfortunately) central gear change is good if a shade is coarse. The wheel brakes worked by their side lever are excellent", but the transmission brake worked by the pedal was described as

Four-cylinder engine

The engine with its 95 mm bore and 127 mm stroke had a cast-iron cylinder block with detachable cylinder head mounted on top of an aluminium crankcase. It developed 45 bhp at 2000 rpm. As an advance on pre-war practice, the engine was directly bolted to the four-speed centre-change gearbox, which drove the rear wheels through an open propeller shaft. Chassis. The chassis, based on that of the Hudson, was conventional, with semi-elliptic leaf springs on all wheels and rigid axles front and rear. Wooden-spoked artillery-style wheels were fitted. Initially, brakes were on the rear wheels only, but front-wheel brakes were fitted as standard from 1925, and at the same time the wheels became steel-spoked. Body. At its 1919 introduction three body types were listed; a tourer, coupé and landaulette. These were joined in 1921 by the Ranelagh fixed head, two-door, coupé. For 1922 the Grosvenor limousine and landaulette, a Ranelagh four-door, fixed head, coupé and Westminster drop-head coupé were added. A 75 mph Sports variant was added in 1921 with a modified higher-compression engine and wire wheels, but it was very expensive, and only around 23 were sold. As well as the cars, a range of commercial vehicles was also built on the chassis. By the end of October 1921 Austin was able to advertise that 6,566 Austin Twenty cars were now on the road, 2,246 had so far been delivered during 1921, and that distributors and agents were showing unbounded confidence with their orders for Twenties and the new Austin Twelve, placing large contracts for 1922.Prices at Works were: tourer £695, coupé £850 and landaulet (sic) £875. Marlborough landaulet, £950 at Works. Effective 4 April 1923 in response to harsh market conditions but in public attributed to improved facilities for manufacture and

20/6 Six-cylinder engine

=== New body October 1926 === The car that was destined to succeed the Twenty, the six-cylinder 20/6, was announced at the October 1926 London Motor Show with production really starting in early 1928, and until 1930 the two different engines were sold alongside each other, but 1929 would be the last year of full production for what was now called the 20/4. There was a 12-volt electrical system for lighting and starting. Timing was at the back of the engine. From there on the off-side were driven in-line the generator, water-pump and magneto. Reported refinements for the 1929 Motor Show included: chromium-plated exterior fittings, Triplex glass, improved (dome type) "mud wings (front mudguards) and new gas (sic) and ignition control levers "neatly placed above the steering wheel". For 1930 the specification included Biflex magnetic dip and switch headlights and wire wheels. Chassis. The engine, clutch and gearbox, which was centrally controlled, all formed one assembly that was held in the frame by two brackets with a rubber-lined frame at the front. The rear axle was three-quarter floating. Steering. Steering is worm and worm wheel type. Beneath the hand wheel there is a convenient ring-operated horn switch. Brakes. Behind the gearbox there was a "locomotive" transmission brake operated by a hand lever on the off-side of the gear lever. The brake's shoes were to some extent self-adjusting but might be regulated by two hand screws. "This brake is intended to be more than just a parking brake". The four wheels had brakes operated by rods from the brake pedal. Compensation was made so that balance was preserved in the back and front sets of brakes. The application was partly taken by rods but finally by cables. The brake drums were enclosed and have outlets for water or oi

28 Six-cylinder engine

=== New body July 1938 === The last of the Austin range to be given Dick Burzi's new body shape it was announced twelve months after the entry into production of Austin's update of their Sixteen into their stubby-nosed Eighteen, a 50% more powerful engine in a longer-nosed (by 18 inches) body. The new body which only shared its general appearance with the smaller Eighteen was described as notable for its roominess and luxurious comfort. Generous seating with a flat unobstructed floor together with draught-free ventilation by sliding quarter windows, sound insulation for all the steel body panels and generous luggage accommodation were further new features. Equipment includes a reversing light. The price of the new Twenty-Eight was £700. Other improvements across the board included: pistol-grip handbrakes under the dashboard, increased luggage accommodation, piston-type hydraulic shock absorbers, more accessible batteries and a quick-filling petrol tank. Steering. Steering system was by Marles-Weller. Brakes. Brakes were by Girling. Suspension. Rigid axles back and front supported low-periodicity positively lubricated half-elliptical springs with hydraulic shock absorbers and jacks. New engine July 1938. The new 4-litre engine was announced to a gathering of Austin agents and distributors at Longbridge at the end of July 1938. The design with the alloy cylinder head having proved so successful on the Austin Fourteen it would now be applied across the range. It included a higher compression ratio, "upwards of 6 : 1" which in combination with the larger inlet valves improved fuel consumption and power output. The cylinder bore was increased by 7 mm from 79.35 to 86.36 mm lifting cubic capacity from 3.4-litres to 4-litres. The tax rating was increased from 23.42 to 27.75 bu

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Austin Twenty
aka: Austin 20/4 (from 1927)
Manufacturer: Austin
Production: April 1919–1930, 15,287 produced
Body style: saloon, tourer, coupé, landaulette, 16-cwt light van
Wheelbase: 130 in
Length: 188 in
Width: 69 in
Predecessor: Austin 20
Successor: Austin 20/6
Engine: 3610 cc Straight-4
Assembly: Longbridge plant, Birmingham
Transmission: Single-plate clutch; four-speed gearbox; propeller shaft to rear axle with helical-bevel gearing
Kerb weight: 1020 kg
sp: uk

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q780972CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_TwentyCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1364035216 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Austin_circa_1920_3851581011.jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: foshie · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.