This was the first year for the Austin 8, replacing the hugely successful but antiquated A7. When England entered WW2 in 1939, civilian production ceased with A8's manufactured for military use only (see cartoon). These cars had extremely hard use and very few survived. When civilian production of the A8 resumed after the war, only closed sedans were offered, making the open tourer an extremely rare automobile. It is estimated that only appro...read more