"Under his (Leonard Lord) inspired leadership, we await the future with eagerness and optimism" from Austin - 50 years of Car Progress, 1955.

As Britain entered into a state of war with Germany in September 1939, all civilian car production came to a halt. Production of the 8 and 10 models continued for army use, but the factory's main model during this period was the Lancaster bomber. A special airfield was constructed at Longbridge for testing and delivery.

Whilst Lord Nuffield over at Morris had quarreled with the government, and thus been left out of the "shadow factory" scheme, Lord had done well out of it, considerably enhancing his production capacity.

This capacity was fully utilized once the war was over, and on the site of the now surplus airfield Lord set about building the greatest and most modern car plant in the world - CAB 1.

Indeed, so modern was this plant that manufacturers came from all over the world to gasp in awe at it - including a certain Japanese company called Datsun (now Nissan) who were so impressed that they ordered an entire factory from Austin!

The post war model range was essentially that launched in 1939 - with the addition of a new car, the 16 (essentially a 12 with an OHV engine). The millionth Austin, a cream 16, rolled off the production lines in June 1946, and was signed by the entire staff of Austin. The car still exists in the BMH Heritage collection at Gaydon.

With the introduction of the first true post war cars, the A40 Dorset & Devon in 1947, Lord attacked the US markets. With steel allocations in post war Britain being tied to export performance, strong overseas sales were essential to the survival and growth of Austin. Typically for Lord, he himself accompanied the first two A40's to the US, where they were a roaring success.

Embolden with the success of the Devon, Lord then instructed Dick Burzi, his chief designer, to build an American car. The result was the A90 Atlantic, a wondrous symphony of curves and chrome that failed in the US market when Americans failed to hand over Buick money for a 4 cylinder small car!

Undaunted, Lord sought an American partner for his ventures and, after finding one in Nash, went on to enjoy considerable success with the smaller and cheaper Austin / Nash Metropolitan.

In 1952 the long term rivalry with Nuffield Motors was finally brought to book, and a merger between the two companies arranged. In effect, this was an Austin takeover, and from thenceforth on all engineering and design was concentrated in Longbridge.

Lord's 'Grand Plan' called for three basic engines that would power an entire range of cars appealing to vastly disparate markets, and these duly appeared as the A, B and C series engines.

Issigonis was lured back from Alvis to become chief engineer, and by 1955 BMC were selling 370,000 cars a year.

The growing confidence of the corporation was evidenced in 1958 when the American inspired styling of Dick Burzi was superseded by the sharp continental lines of the Farina family.

Then in 1959 came to bombshell that catapulted BMC into the forefront of automotive engineering. At the 1959 Motor show the Mini was launched, and with it the golden age of BMC.