1950 Armstrong Siddeley Whitley

The Armstrong Siddeley Whitley was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car made between 1949 and 1954. The body choices were a four-door, five-seater saloon; a four-door, seven/eight-seater limousine; and a two-door, three- or five-seater pick-up truck.

The Whitley was introduced in 1949 as a refinement of the earlier Lancaster with steel and aluminium panels attached to a stronger body frame, with a greater use of metal; wood was now only used in the turret area. The semi razor-edged coachwork was much praised for its sporting appearance and large boot, although there was less interior space than in the Lancaster.

The chassis for the Amstrong Siddeley Whitley had a central cruciform and the hydro-mech brakes consisted of front hydraulic drums and rear mechanical units. The steering was a worm-and-nut system and there was independent front suspension by torsion bars with rear semi-elliptic leaf springs and a live axle. The cabin was trimmed to the highest standards with a bench seat at the front.

Between 1949 and 1952 the Armstrong Siddeley Whitley was also built in pick-up truck forms and these were largely made for the Australian market. The Utility Coupe was designed for two-three occupants while the Station Coupe had longer doors and a rear seat. The interior was somewhat less luxurious than the Whitley saloon with a heater as an optional extra.

From September 1950 to April 1951 Armstrong Siddeley made a limousine model on a long-wheelbase chassis; there was a central division with cloth upholstery in the rear compartment. In March 1952, the ‘four-light’ saloon body was augmented by a ‘six-light’ option. Whitley production ended in 1954. The engine for the Whitley was a 2,309cc S6 OHV unit with a single Stromberg carburettor married to either a four-speed all-synchromesh box or a Wilson pre-selector transmission.

The Whitley is often regarded as the best of Armstrong Siddleley’s first generation of post-war saloons, the combination of the 2.3-litre engine with the ‘four-light’ coachwork being exceptionally desirable. The limousines are inevitably rare while Armstrong Siddeley built just 1,022 Utilities and 60% of these were exported to Australia. Very few Station Coupes are believed to have survived and these are exceedingly collectable.

The Armstrong Siddeley Whitley’s body and chassis is not immune from the problems common to the marque’s post-war products – check the wooden frame, the chassis and the body for both corrosion and any bodged previous repair or refurbishment attempts. The Coupes may have endured a hard life by Armstrong Siddeley standards and their restoration can prove expensive.

The Armstrong Siddeley Whitley competed against the Alvis TA21, the Jaguar Mk V and Mk VII, the Lagonda 2.6-Litre, the Riley RMB, and the Triumph Renown Mk II.