Austin
3-Litre (ADO61)

Why it matters

The 3 Litre was a late, ambitious BMC executive saloon. It used the C-series six and a self-levelling hydrolastic suspension that its inventor regarded as the peak of the system, and it earned praise for ride and handling. Poor sales and a dated look meant only about 10,000 were built.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• Austin 3-Litre (ADO61) (Wikimedia Commons: Austin 3-Litre)
  Photo: kitmasterbloke · CC BY 2.0
• Austin 3-Litre (ADO61) (Wikimedia Commons: Austin 3-Litre)
  Photo: Vauxford · CC BY-SA 4.0
• Austin 3-Litre (ADO61) (Wikimedia Commons: Austin 3-Litre)
  Photo: Jeremy from Sydney, Australia · CC BY 2.0
• Austin 3-Litre (ADO61) (Wikimedia Commons: Austin 3-Litre)
  Photo: Jeremy from Sydney, Australia · CC BY 2.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

BMC worked with Rolls-Royce from 1961 on a smaller car based on the Princess/Vanden Plas bodyshell; Rolls-Royce clay-modelled an adapted ADO61 shell for its Rangoon and Bentley Bengal projects, which never went further. Dr Alex Moulton developed the hydrolastic units and a self-levelling rear suspension for the heavier car, and three development cars ran by 1966, one with a Rover V8.

The standard car was launched at the 1967 London Motor Show. It was never meant as a performance car but as a quiet executive express, and it outhandled the new Jaguar XJ6 on a special test course in the magazine's account. By 1968 it looked dated next to the Triumph 2500 PI and Rover 3500.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Classic & Sports Car A-Z – Austin 3 Litre Level C

   • 9992 cars produced

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Working class Austin's upper class contender Level C Quinton Taylor · New Zealand Classic Car

   • The motor was the C-Series engine also fitted to the MGC but with a different camshaft
   • They are not a big horsepower engine, just 124hp
   • most sophisticated version of the hydrolastic suspension
   • He also developed a self-levelling rear suspension

   Accessed 2026-11-13