As far as the car we tested is concerned, the chassis and engine were rather below the average for Austin performance, as the figures in the table show, and it was obvious that the brakes needed adjustment.
Up a gradient of 1-in-6-and-a-half, the little machine holds 14mph on first and on a gradient of 1-in-10 (a rise of one foot for every 10 feet travelled) it does 21mph in second. The only time the smallness of the engine is apparent is when the car is travelling on a slight uphill rise against a heavy headwind.
First speed is quite low enough to deal with any hill encountered and during the test the machine had plenty in hand on a gradient of 1-in-4 on a slippery and rutty surface.
The cranked gearlever is slightly more convenient than the old type and on this particular chassis the clutch had a smoother action than usual.
Below 20mph, especially at full throttle, the engine is rough and noisy; above that speed it becomes smoother and the faster the engine goes the quieter it becomes.