When did Austin stop painting engines green?

[Timberwolf]

Yes, I know... bit of a strange one, but seeing a photo earlier has piqued my interest and a quick search doesn't reveal anything other than requests for the various paint codes entailed and/or modern equivalents thereof!

So when did Austin stop supplying cars with green engines?

[ARH]

when bl took over, 1968. I think they painted them black after that. I can't be sure though.

[Carsie]

These guy's will know..

http://austin-rover.co.uk/

[stu67]

I've got a Austin 1100, 1968, it has the green painted block, but I've seen post 1970 cars with black blocks. Blimey what an anorak, good job the wife doesn't read PH!

[Timberwolf]

Thanks, BL takeover makes sense. (Although as with anything ARG, there'll probably an element somewhere of, "but nobody told Terry, so if it's one of his, then it'll be green up until 1972" to confuse matters!)

[Balmoral Green]

When Austin Rover came in, around 81/82 IIRC. When the A series went from green to red with the A+ in the Metro and Allegro, just before LM10/11.

[LS6wetdream]

Balmoral Green said:

When Austin Rover came in, around 81/82 IIRC. When the A series went from green to red with the A+ in the Metro and Allegro, just before LM10/11.

red A+'s were 1300's while 1000's were yellow, i'm going for 1971-1972 for the change to black

[andyps]

We have a 1971 Mini and I am pretty certain the original engine was green, not that it has been in the car for a long time. One I replaced it with came out of an L or M reg 1275GT and I think that was black, but as it was swapped a good few years ago I can't be certain.

[ARH]

in 1981 I had a mini 1000 1971 with a black engine, it was 10 years old and had the original engine when I got it, this debate will go on and on.

[Mound Dawg]

Don't forget the "Gold Seal" and "Silver Seal" factory reconditioned units which were, ermm gold and silver.

Is that my anorak?

Ta.

[Rude-boy]

Blimey.

There was me thinking some of the Porsche and TVR kids needed to get out a little more

FWIW I'd go with the 1968 with a few rouges thrown in answer on nothing more than it sounds ARG/BLish and it would tally with the memory of seeing 100's of their engines in all shapes and guises of their product range.

[alfa pint]

The family 1968 MG 1300 has a green block and it's original. Provided a previous owner didn't paint it of course.

[Petemate]

I started working in BL 'Tuning' (posh name for Rectification) in 'C' block at Cowley in May 1969. The engines were all painted green with the exception of the Maxis. AFAIR all the engines except the Maxi were painted in the Leyland engine green at least up until I left in 1976.
HTH
Pete

[radlet6]

I seem to think it was the same time the Austin name was dropped - so that would be the early 80's

[mickeygodaza]

radlet6 said:

I seem to think it was the same time the Austin name was dropped - so that would be the early 80's

My Maestro was '86, had Austin badges but no green engine, Austin badges dropped off the Maestro '86/'87 I think

[radlet6]

You are right, I forgot about them. I wonder if it would have been around 1984 then. That's when they replaced the 'R' series engine with the 'S' series engine.