I have the chance to buy a 61 Austin Gypsy but I need to find a manual on
it first. Does anyone know where to get one or happen to have one just
laying around. It appears that very few were made and it was a prototype
by Austin to take the Rover market. If anyone has any info on them could
Thanks!
Jesse C. McConnell
> I have the chance to buy a 61 Austin Gypsy but I need to find a manual on
> it first. Does anyone know where to get one or happen to have one just
> laying around. It appears that very few were made and it was a prototype
> by Austin to take the Rover market. If anyone has any info on them could
> Thanks!
> Jesse C. McConnell
--
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= Famous last words: "...it's just a line of code..." =
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= Patrick O'Neal (PatOZone on hawaii) =
= Shamrock Racing Enterprises, Brea, CA =
= Owner/operator of the #57 ARCO/ampm Chevy =
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I once had a share of an Austin Gypsy, there are two distinct
variations, models with a rather strange independent suspension system
and more conventional solid axle versions. There was also two
wheelbase options too. Quite a lot of the components came from Austin
commercial vehicles of the time, and also turn up in FX3 and FX4 Taxis
(the familiar London Black Cab).
For the benefit of other readers, the Austin Gypsy was a designed by
Austin (BMC) as a competitor to the Land-Rover in the days before the
two companies merged. It has a separate chassis, part-time four wheel
drive and a two ratio transfer box. The bodies were slightly lower
that Land-Rovers, constructed of pressed steel panels, and more
"styled" than a Land-Rover. The bonnet is shaped over the headlights,
the wing fronts have a pronounced slope in towards the bottom and the
body sides lack the tumble-home of the contemporary land-Rovers. The
headlights are close together in the radiator panel like older
Land-Rovers and there is a rounded grille below the radiator grille
covering the steering box. Some models had fully independent
suspension, with torsion bars and the chassis is formed from two
pressings welded together.
The one we had was OK to drive but seemed much noisier than a
Land-Rover, it wasn't very economical and the fuel filler was big
enough to get your arm into!
I will ask around here if anyone knows about manuals, there was a
Gypsy for sale in our village a couple of years ago, I think they were
asking 100 pounds for it.
Chris Hall. (1961 Land-Rover series 2 and 1990 Land Rover 110)
(opinions are my own, not necessarily those of my employer)
