Oddball English cars

I don’t know why but I got interested in putting in a few English cars into Autocade. How about these for oddities that few, except for their fans, remember?

Austin 3-Litre (ADO61). 1967–71 (prod. 9,992). 4-door saloon. F/R, 2,912 cm³ (6 cyl. OHV). Ill thought-out big Austin, using centre section from smaller 1800 and out of step with new executive saloons from Rover and Triumph. Excellent ride and sumptuous interior, but thirsty and underpowered. Shown at London Motor Show 1967 and enjoyed a “soft” launch; full launch in 1968 with four round headlamps and, after the first 1,000 units or so, front quarterlights in the windows. Buyers stayed away and the model was cancelled in 1971, having sold far worse than its predecessor.

MG MGC/MG MGC GT (ADO52). 1967–9 (prod. 9,002, incl. 4,458 GT). 2-door convertible, 3-door coupé. F/R, 2912 cm³ (6 cyl. OHV). Replacement for Austin–Healey 3000 with MGB bodies and three-litre C-series engine from Austin 3-Litre. Poorly sorted, with fronts too heavy (engine 209 lb heavier than the B’s unit), spoiling the handling. Identified by the bonnet bulge; at the time, a market failure.

Jensen GT. 1975–6 (prod. 509). 3-door coupé. F/R, 1973 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC). Fastback 2+2 version of Jensen–Healey, hurriedly put into production as Jensen sales collapsed due to the oil crisis. Jensen went into receivership in 1976, killing this model. No Healey tag, as Donald Healey had left the Jensen board and refused to grant permission to use his name. Mechanically identical to Jensen–Healey, but due to extra weight, slower.

Lotus Élite (Type 83). 1980–3 (prod. 133). 3-door coupé. F/R, 2174 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC). Élite for the 1980s, with larger Type 912 engine. Better torque, and Getrag five-speed gearbox. Some minor changes, including new spoiler and rear lights. However, the shape was more dated than Éclat and Esprit by now, and sold relatively poorly in this decade.