Austin A60 Driving School Car

The Austin Cambridge A60 was introduced in October 1961 as a facelifted version of the A55 Farina Cambridge. It included a new 1.6-litre version of the B-Series straight-four engine which had first been used in the MGA. Power is 61 hp at 4500 rpm. Modified styling included side chrome stripes – some models with contrasting colour infills – and reduced fins on the rear wings. Production continued until 1971. The car was also available badged as a Morris Oxford.

I always thought it a curious choice of car for the 'Driving School' car. Did Corgi think - 'We'll make an Austin Cambridge - and how can we make it different?' or 'Lets make a steering car (the roof sign steers the front wheels) with driving school stickers and what sort of car should we base it on?' Nobody ever learnt to drive in an Austin Cambridge, they were big and numb and awkward. I wonder why they didn't choose a car that driving schools actually used? As I remember it was mostly Morris 1000s and Triumph Heralds.

We really are in anorak land here, the Austin Cambridge Corgi Driving School car came in both RHD for the UK, and I suppose Australia & New Zealand, and LHD for export elsewhere. The sign of an obsessive Corgi collector is that he has both versions. It also says something about Corgi in 1964 that they felt it necessary to make two versions. I think you'll find the instructors are wearing different ties too, but that really is taking it too far....

Given all that it is quite an attractive package. Corgi introduced it in June 1964 and it remained in production until 1968. There are no listed variations to either car. The UK version had a highway code leaflet in the box, the export version had a similar leaflet translated into 5 languages.