This car (made on 25th June 1946) was chosen as ‘the millionth Austin’ and signed by all of Austin’s employees.

The final signature to be added was that of Austin’s then Managing Director, Leonard Lord; it is just visible on the top of the bonnet. Research has proven that the production calculations were not quite correct, but at the time, cars 999,999 and 1,000,001 were both raffled to Austin workers and the ‘millionth’ kept for display.

The Sixteen’s design was based on the Austin Twelve of 1939, which was notable for its more modern yet subdued transatlantic styling by Dick Burzi. Although planned in 1940, the Sixteen was not announced to the press until 1944, as the war effort stopped manufacture of cars for public sale. It was thus the company’s first ‘new’ model after the Second World War.

The Sixteen was fitted with an all-new overhead valve engine, which had initially been designed for a British equivalent to the US Jeep, that Austin and other British car makers were developing during the war. The same engine was subsequently used in the A70, as well as taxis and commercial vehicles produced by Austin. Over 35,000 Austin Sixteens were made between 1945 and 1948.