Classic & Sports Car UK – September 2019

184 Classic & Sports Car September 2019

METTLE TO

THE PEDAL

H

owdowenurturethecar

enthusiastsofthefuture?

It’sa recurringquestion

today,but 70 yearsagoa

newcarwaslaunchedthat

wouldcreatepetrolheads

fromeverygirlandboy

luckyenoughtogetbehindthewheel.Austin’s

‘JoyCar’wasconceivedinearly 1946 bychair-

manLeonardLordandthefirstprototype,

registeredJOY1, tooka bowon 25 June 1946

at theAustinProgressconvention,heldtomark

theproductionof themillionthAustin.

Lord’sbrieftothedesignteamof JimBlaikie,

RonPhillipsandAlfAsh– whoseeight-year-old

daughterMarciawastheprototypepilot– wasto

makea miniaturethatwas“justlikeDad’scar”.

For 1946 thatmeanta scaled-downAustin8, but

bythetimethe‘Junior40’wasunveiledat the

NewYorkdealers’meetingon 19 October1949,

it hadgrowna cutefacemodelledonthecuddly

A40Devon,launchedin October1947.

ButtheJ40wasn’ta vanityproject.It wasto be

economical,usingoffcutsfromtheLongbridge

plant,andalsohada philanthropicmission.

Recognisingtheplightof minerssufferingfrom

pneumoconiosis,Lorddecidedtostaffanall-

newfactoryinBargoed,southWales,entirely

withdisabledformermineworkers.

Thegovernment-fundedplantboastedan

in-housedoctorandwasmodelledontheLong-

bridgeproductionline.Neverbeforehada

child’scarbeenproducedtosuchprofessional

standards.Thefactoryopenedon5 July1949,

andit’stestamentto thebrillianceof theJ40that

it stayedinproductionformorethan 20 years,

thefinalcarleavingtheworksinSeptember

1971 aftermorethan30,000hadbeenbuilt.

Justliketheirfathers’sportscars,ownerswere

keento seehowfasttheirJ40scouldgo.Compe-

titionwascommon,particularlyas entertaining

supportracesat ‘proper’meetings,andthisidea

returnedforthe 2012 GoodwoodRevivalwith

theinauguralSettringtonCup.Upto 30carsare

pedalledbyjunioracesaged5-10,andfor 2019

twonewcomerswonplacesonthegridin quali-

fyingheatsheldatChelseaSummerFêtein

June.Watchoutto seeif theserookiescantopple

theestablishedfavouritesin September.

Thanks to David Whyley, owner of our featured

J40 and author of Austin Pedal Cars

Celebrating 70 years of the Austin J40,

star of Goodwood’s Settrington Cup

WORDS ALASTAIR CLEMENTS PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN BRADSHAW/MOTORSPORT IMAGES

Beneath its steel body the J40 is relatively

simple, but its 200-plus parts are beautifully

engineered. The front beam axle, made of

sheet steel, is weak and can bend, while the

rear axle is cranked with one fixed hub to

provide drive – a cheaper solution than the

first prototype’s chain-drive with gears. The

handbrake pivots on the seat base (painted

the same yellow as Austin engine fan blades!)

and works a single drum on the rear axle.

UNDER THE SKIN