As my son and I were in the midst of our our roadtrip last week, we were driving from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Regina Saskatchewan on the Trans Canada Highway. Somewhere around the midpoint of that day’s drive, my head suddenly swiveled to the left and I felt myself slowing down without being aware of having let off the accelerator.
Sure enough, out of the corner of my eye I had spotted two perfect examples of why we all visit this site and it was definitely worth a quick stop.
The location was actually Elkhorn, Manitoba, which is a small town about halfway into our day’s voyage and this was right at the main intersection that bisects the highway. Perched on the grass near a gas station were what appear to be a 1971 Plymouth Scamp as well as a 1951 Austin A40 Devon.
I’ve been on an old-Mopar kick lately so I was initially attracted to the Scamp. Walking around it made it obvious that although not in perfect shape, it was certainly very passable.
It has seen a few knocks and undoubtedly has many stories to tell. I don’t know if there is a way to tell which engine it has (if the original one is even what is still installed) but do know that 1971 was the first year for Plymouth to have the Scamp which is basically a Dodge Dart Swinger.
The flush side marker lights were only on the Scamp for this first year, unless the Canadian-assembled cars are different than the US ones. That steering wheel and center console appeal to me too, a little upholstery work and the interior would be ready to go.
We’ve covered the Scamp before in Jason Shafer’s excellent read (click here) and after re-reading that find myself even fonder of this car. There was no price or phone number on it, and in any case, dragging it back to Colorado wasn’t a very appealing option at the time (though now as I sit here and look at the pictures again, I’m tempted and could probably make some calls for more details…)
Its companion on the lawn initially had me stumped. After a little investigation I realized it was an Austin and eventually figured it was an A40. Originally I thought perhaps it was an even older Plymouth than the Scamp but obviously not (even though the design certainly could be).
Also painted in red, with a matching red interior, this little car exuded charm although it obviously needed a little more visible work than the Scamp. Those thin metal steering wheel spokes are magnificent.
Paul Niedermeyer just last month republished his post on the Austin A40 Devon, which makes for an exhaustive read on the subject which I won’t even attempt to rehash here but if you click here it will take you there.
This one did have a price laying on the front seats, CAD$1500 which I thought made it interesting, and just realized as I was writing this that with the exchange rate that would make it less than US$1200 before haggling, so realistically a thousand or less US dollars could probably easily snap this up.
Restoring a sixty-something year old English car obviously would require many multiples of that amount and I’m not that big of a fan so I’m not the one to make that investment.
Anyway, it certainly made for a nice little opportunity to stretch our legs and walk around two very interesting cars on a fine summer’s day. If interested, I’m sure both are still in the same spot they were in last week.
A sweet looking Scamp, which reminds me of my own 71. This one, though, has the optional “Tuff” steering wheel, and that console/floor shift/bucket seats is a combo not often seen in these. But the Insti-Split ™ seat upholstery was standard equipment if you got the vinyl.
Looking at this brings back (bad) memories of the really tired and oxidized red paint on my college roomie’s 74 Charger. His father buffed it out with Wesley’s Wax and lots of elbow grease, so I know that the paint will come back on these with a lot of effort.
I do not believe that there was any exterior way to identify the engine in one of these short of raising the hood and looking.
I have never seen a Scamp with a console, was that a popular option back then? I also don’t think I’ve seen a Scamp that didn’t have a white or black vinyl roof.
If that Scamp was under $2,000 and driveable it would be a bargain. I can see it painted a “fire engine” red rolling on Mopar road wheels with white letter tires.
Nice finds. And I can see why you might have thought it was a Plymouth. If Plymouth had made a compact at the time, it would have looked mighty similar, except for the grille.
The Austin survived this long because it was a four door; the two doors (and some 4 doors) were mostly turned into wild and woolly drag racers.
Well the lead photo stopped me in my tracks…what an unexpected pair of cars to find side by side. Quite the juxtaposition. 🙂
This is true, but if you were determined to find them somewhere, the western provinces of Canada would probably be the best place to look. I think you’d have a better chance of finding the Austin there than anyplace else where the Scamp was sold in significant numbers. The Austin was likely more popular in Canada than in the U.S., and the climate and/or salt usage practices in the western provinces are more conducive to preserving old cars than most of the rest of North America.
I hope a you traveled 1000 feet east of these cars to the Elkhorn Auto Museum, where you could view dozens of antique cars from 1908 to 1950 – thanks billchrest
No, I was not aware of that! They need signage on the highway! That sucks, we totally would have checked it out. Next time we are in the neighborhood we will be sure to stop by! 🙂
Several Big “STAR ATTRACTION SIGNS” from both directions on #1 Highway – billchrest
I guess I totally zoned out. That’s what a steady 100-110 km/h for hours will do I guess. Those signs are hard to miss I will admit but somehow I managed it…Bummer.
You beat me to it. Lots if interesting tin in the yard behind the museum too!
That Scamp certainly does look like it’s in decent shape, and highly (and oddly, it would seem) optioned too. One CC Side Effect that’s started to creep up on me recently is a newfound affinity for certain cars that I couldn’t have cared less about when they were everywhere, but now lust after thanks to more recent exposure here on the site. The Mopar A Bodies and 77&up GM B’s are among them.
Those Austins are pretty much everywhere and all in reasonable condition here, I’m not sure why they all stand out so much but I keep seeing them. This one made me late to a friends house in Taupo just off the main drag its somebodies regular drive and was stock apart from the rims which are the standard diameter just a little wider.
That Plymouth Scamp might be highly optioned in its interior trim but not in some other ways.
For one, it has no radio…and it appears that when the radio wasn’t ordered, a radio delete plate was not provided, instead the car got a metal dashboard panel that lacked the mounting holes and dial cutouts.
The commonly-ordered exterior/interior trim package that adorned many US Valiants, Dusters and Scamps…a chrome strip on the sides, fender-mounted turn signal indicators and dress-up trim on the dash…also wasn’t checked off on the order sheet.
1971 was the year in which the engine-identifying “V-EIGHT” badge was deleted from the Valiant and its siblings. Below-attached mage shows a 1970 car.
I always remember those fender mounted turn signal indicators, etc. came as the part of a package, usually during some special spring or summer promotion to move more units.
It was amusing what I could tell my Dad…my 1972 Gold Duster, 1974 Valiant Custom, and 1976 Aspen Custom all had fender-mounted turn signal indicators, just like his Cadillacs!
And, so ends another exciting chapter of “Let’s Spend Jim’s Money.”
Seriously, these are good catches – the Scamp really gives perspective on the size of the Austin. Plus, for whatever reason, I’ve been seeing a few British cars turning up at shows lately, which is always a welcome sight.
That Scamp is mighty nice. You don’t need a radio and living in Colorado you have winter nine months of the year, so a lack of a/c is no big hoopie. You should just go for it.
The moment I saw the Tuff wheel and the console, I started wanting the Scamp! 🙂
A little Charger-esque, no?
As soon as I got home and did some more reading and realized these items are rarities (and they stood out to me when I saw them) I wanted to go back and get it…
Nice finds Jim. I could see CC alumni writer David Saunders appreciating the Austin, recalling he had a fondness for English cars. And he’s only two provinces away.
Red means “Stop,” but the photos clearly show it also means “fade.”
If it’s factory, that’s a very strangely optioned car. Of, course, it looks to be a first year (1971) car, so it’s possible. Otherwise, I’d say a Duster 340 gave up its interior.
How much for the Pontiac floor mats?
England Exported 75% of production to get needed cash after WW2. Austin A40 Dorset/Devons were the single most important product exported by England after WW2. In 3 years $70 million US were earned by Austin in USA alone. From 1947 to 1955 Austin was largest auto exported to North America. General Motors pressured the US Government to restrict imports restrict imports to only the smallest British Autos. Austin were no cheap at $1475 2door – $1575 4door ( cheapest Ford $1440 – Chevy $1370 ) but cars were so hard to get, buyers paid for available Austins. Canada had to restrictions so the full line of Austin cars were plentiful and English cars were popular to end of UK Auto Industry in the 1970s.
Great facts. Didn’t know the bread-and-butters did so well in the US. Thanks.
The UK auto industry didn’t end in the 1970s, BL did. (or maybe early 80s technically, not sure)
There’s a sizeable UK auto industry to this day, but all of it – down as far as Morgan anyway – is foreign-owned. Jaguar/Land-Rover (Tata), Mini (BMW), Vauxhall (GM), Nissan, Toyota and Honda are all big UK manufacturers. Ford builds a lot of engines in the UK. All sorts of small-scale, world-renowned exotica too (Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Lotus).
Mass-market, U.K.-owned car building ended in 2005, when MG Rover, subsumer of Austin, Morris, Triumph. Leyland and all the rest, went spectacularly, stupidly and predictably bust.
Interesting extra hood and fender trim on the Austin. There was a fad in the fifties to put extra chrome doodads on plain cars (fake ‘Buick’ portholes, fender chrome strips, etc), but I’ve never seen these pieces on the Austin. They’re sure not factory, and I can’t imagine the aftermarket producing them for an Austin. Someone sure loved that car once.
More Austins and British Fords were probably sold in the early ’50s than in the very early postwar era. In September 1949 the British devalued the pound from $4.03:1 to $2.88:1 which led to a price cut just in time for the domestic manufactueres to come under Korean War regs. This was done to boost exports with a price cut.
https://www.theguardian.com/century/1940-1949/Story/0,,105127,00.html
Nice.
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-Nate
The two door Dorset was quite rare to begin with. Seems like every small Canadian town has at least one Austin A40 sitting in a yard. Rare to see one that is a driver.
I owned one for a brief period of time. Bought it because of the lovely steering wheel. Interesting collection of old and new tech. The rear brakes are cable operated but the front suspension is almost identical to the later MG B.