Austin Kimberley

Austin Kimberley Austin Tasman
1971 Austin Kimberley
Overview
Manufacturer	Leyland Australia
Also called	Morris Kimberley (New Zealand) Morris Tasman (New Zealand)
Production	1970–1972
Assembly	Australia New Zealand
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size car
Body style	4-door saloon
Layout	FF layout
Related	Austin 1800
Powertrain
Engine	2,227 cc (135.9 cu in) E-series SOHC straight-6
Transmission	4-speed manual all-symchromesh 3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	108.125 in (2,746 mm)
Length	174.58 in (4,434 mm)
Width	66.58 in (1,691 mm)
Height	57.25 in (1,454 mm)
Chronology
Predecessor	Austin 1800
Successor	Leyland P76

The Austin Kimberley and Austin Tasman (sold by Morris in New Zealand alongside the Austin models) "X6" models are a pair of Leyland Australia-designed front-wheel-drive sedans based on the Austin 1800 (ADO17) platform, that were produced from 1970 to 1972 and sold by Austin. At the time of the X6 being launched onto the Australian market it was quite an advanced design in comparison to the other competitors from Ford, Holden and Chrysler, whose rear-wheel drive, conventionally sprung underpinnings dominated the market at the time.

These cars were offered as an Australian replacement to the Austin 1800. Their boxy styling, developed for the car to be a proper six-seater, was all-new, but a few features, including the doors, were retained. These doors however utilised recessed door handles, to satisfy Australian Design Rules safety concerns. The body had an exceptionally stiff torsional rigidity, a trait it inherited from the 1800s.

The standard powerplant for the X6 range was a transverse mounted 2.2L OHC straight-six engine, based on the 1500/1750 Austin Maxi unit. At the time of the X6's introduction, it would have been the only car in production with a transverse straight-six-cylinder engine in the world. The Tasman's single carburettor configuration produced 76 kilowatts (102 hp) and the Kimberley 86 kW (115 hp) with its extra carburettor. Both were sold with either a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission.

Due to the application in this car, its engine would also be used in ADO17 Austin 2200/Morris 2200/Wolseley Six, and later in the ADO71 Princess. In Australia, this engine, enlarged to 2.6-litres also appeared in the Morris Marina and P76.