Остин 1800: История, Особенности и Прозвище "Лэндкраб"

The Austin 1800 was developed at BMC as a larger follow up to the successful Mini and Austin 1100 under the ADO17 codename, ADO being an abbreviation for Austin Drawing Office. Additional badge engineered Morris 1800 and Wolseley 18/85 variants were launched in 1966 and 1967 respectively, catering for the BMC dealerships selling those marques. The 18/85 name had previously been used on the Wolseley 18/85 of 1938 to 1948. The car was unconventional in its appearance in 1964, with its large glasshouse and spacious, minimalist interior including leather, wood, and chrome features plus an unusual instrument display with ribbon speedometer and green indicator light on the end of the indicator stalk. There was a chrome "umbrella handle" handbrake under the dashboard parcel shelf, and the two front seats met in the middle and could be used, on occasion, as a bench seat. Both Alec Issigonis and Pininfarina worked on its exterior. The technology "under the skin" was also unconventional and ahead of its time, including Hydrolastic suspension and an example of inertia controlled brake proportioning, in the form of a valve which transferred braking force between front and rear axles as a function of sensed deceleration rather than as a function of fluid pressure. An interesting feature was a tail/brake/indicator night dipping system. A resistance circuit was connected in such a way so that when the sidelight circuit was energised the resistors dimmed the tail/brake/indicator lights so not to blind or dazzle following drivers. The bodyshell was exceptionally stiff with a torsional rigidity of 18032 Nm/degree. Progressive improvement was a feature of most cars in this period, but the number and nature of the changes affecting the early years of the Austin 1800 looked to some as though the car had been introduced with insufficient development. In December 1964, a month after its launch, reclining front seats and the option of an arm rest in the middle of the back seat were added to the specification schedule. A month later, in January 1965, the final drive ratio reverted to the 3.88:1 value used in the prototype, from the 4.2:1 ratio applied at launch: this was described as a response to "oil consumption problems". The same month also saw the indicator switch modified. Other criticisms seem to have been quietly dealt with at the same time, including the fitting of more highly geared steering, which needed only 3.75 rather than 4.2 turns between locks,

A nickname of 'Landcrab' was given to the car by some car enthusiasts, derived from the car's unusual proportions, being much wider and lower than most other cars in its class. The car's successful use in endurance rallies came about because, while the car was never particularly fast, its strong bodyshell and sophisticated suspension allowed it to reliably maintain competitive average speeds over long distances on poor roads. The car's stance, strength and slow but sure nature over rough ground put the BMC rally crews in mind of a terrestrial crab. The nickname stuck and became widespread in the press and public. The Mark I's doors were later used on the Austin Maxi and larger Austin 3 Litre model.

In May 1968, a Mark II version was launched. This featured a cheaper and more conventional interior, revised front grilles and other trim, and for the Austin and Morris models the slim, horizontal rear lights were replaced by vertical "fin" lights which gave a family look along with the smaller ADO16 range. The Wolseley retained its unique rear lights. Other changes included a higher second gear and final drive ratio for the manual transmission, and conventional suspension bushes replaced the far superior roller bearings fitted to the Mark I. The compression ratio was increased and maximum power output boosted by 5 bhp to a claimed 86 bhp. The Mark II also had larger wheels. In 1969, the sills and doors from the 1800 (with Mark II exterior handles) were used on the bodyshell of the otherwise new Austin Maxi; apart from that, both models have little interchangeability. The 1800S twin carburettor 95 bhp engine came in from October 1968. There were 95,271 Morris 1800 produced in the UK. Relatively few have survived outside the hands of enthusiasts owing to its original unfashionable image, and more recently, its popularity in the demolition derby and banger racing scenes, owing to the bodyshell's exceptional strength and rigidity. In early 1975, all three models were replaced by the wedge shaped ADO71, or 18–22 series, which bore the Austin and Morris (1800 and 2200) names, while the Wolseley variant had no official model name save for being marketed as "the Wolseley saloon". From late 1975, all ADO71 models were marketed under the Princess name and the Wolseley marque was discontinued.

The model proved a strong competitor in endurance rallying, finishing second in the 1968 London Sydney Marathon and achieving three of the top 20 positions in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally. In later life, the ADO17 became a popular car for competing in banger racing and in demolition derbies, owing to the bodyshell's strength, which made it ideal for those sports.

By 1966, Australia was described as BMC's leading world market. The 1800 was introduced in Australia in November 1965 Over 2,000 examples were built. A cab chassis variant was also offered. The 1800 Utility was given the model code YDO10. Per capita, the Australian model sold better than anywhere else in the world. Ironically, it represented the tail end of the popularity of British designed cars in Australia. In the Australian market, it offered a roomy and advanced 4 cylinder alternative to the popular 6 cylinder models such as the Holden Kingswood, which used conventional engineering based on American principles. Some versions badged BMC Freeway (a name previously used for a six cylinder Farina model in Australia) were exported to New Zealand, which also assembled UK made Austin and Morris 1800s in separate plants. As a one off engineering prototype, to test production viability, an Australian 1800 Mark II body with subtly extended front guards and modified front internal structure was fitted with an early Rover 3.5 litre V8 mounted in the "North South" position in the engine bay and then through a complex mechanical system, drove a heavily modified version of an "East West" mounted Borg Warner 3 speed automatic gearbox and Austin FWD differential. This car became Australia’s first locally made FWD V8 car. The car was built by BLMC (Australia) at its Victoria Park works at Zetland, New South Wales. Mass production costs and general viability of the V8 "1800" were felt to be excessive, and the project was shelved, preference being given to the Australian Leyland P76 project. Some reports state that the vehicle was eventually shipped to British Leyland in the UK and never seen again, while others claim it was simply broken up at the end of its testing by Leyland Australia.

In 1967 Pininfarina unveiled at the Turin Motor Show a concept car based on the Landcrab and designed by Paolo Martin, called the BMC 1800 Aerodinamica. The sleek design previewed the Citroen CX by some seven years. The car was evaluated by BMC, and Pininfarina developed a further smaller model based on the BMC ADO16 model, but the design was not taken up by the then merged British Leyland. This was after BMC had investigated a Mini shaped version. The 1800 version was however used by chief engineer Harry Webster and was known within the Austin Morris division as the Yellow Peril.