Corgi VA11201 Austin A40 Farina – Birmingham Police

Birmingham Police used a large number of A40s during the late fifties and early sixties, mainly as local beat Panda Cars or unmarked transportation vehicles. Superseded in some roles by the 1100 range, with which it shared its engine, the A40 continued to be used in Mk2 form because of its capacious storage and the ease with which equipment, carried by some branches of the force, could be reached through the Countryman’s opening rear window. Although styled in Italy the A40 was engineered and produced at Austin’s headquarters at Longbridge, on the outskirts of Birmingham, meaning the force was supporting their local manufacturer.