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The story goes that Leonard Lord, boss of the giant British Motor Corporation, had Italian stylist Pininfarina create the A40 as a result of some off-hand comments made by the Duke of Edinburgh after a visit to the Longbridge factory. He told Lord that his cars 'weren't up to the foreign competition' - curious, given his well-known views on foreigners. Lord took the hint and Mr Pininfarina was flown in the next day.
Crisp and modern, the A40 was daring for its time, especially the Countryman, with its split tailgate. It was based on the oily bits of the peanut-shaped A35, which meant strong A-Series power but utilitarian suspension and such antiquities as hydro-mechanical brakes (on early versions, at least). Then again, with a top speed of a little over 70 mph, it didn't need much in the way of brakes. It handled tolerably well, however - well enough to enjoy some modest rally success. The British public were responsive to its modernist charms and A40 production spanned nine years and 340,000 examples. Where have they all gone?
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