Sports car projects : ADO56

AROnline Calendar IconJune 25, 2011 · AROnline Card IconKeith Adams · AROnline Comments IconNo Comments

Ahead of its time

Known within BMC as the “MG Sport”, ADO56 was devised by Alec Issigonis, based on an extended Mini floor pan. The car was styled by Dick Burzi, strongly infulenced by Pininfarina’s Austin A40 Farina, and was engineered by >Jack Daniels.

Sitting on 12″ wheels, the car was later built as a running prototype, using a transversely-mounted Mini-Cooper engine. According to Austin stylist Barry Kelkin, who worked on the project, ADO56 “went like a bomb”, and came very close to being signed-off for production.

This wooden model, photographed in March 1959, clearly shows the interesting passenger door cut-out, which extends into the rear wheel-arch area, presumably with the aim of facilitating access to the rear seats.

This wooden model, photographed in March 1959, clearly shows the interesting passenger door cut-out, which extends into the rear wheel-arch area, presumably with the aim of facilitating access to the rear seats.

One month on, and the completed model is photographed for the archives.

One month on, and the completed model is photographed for the archives.

While the longer passenger door is retained, the driver’s door is more conventionally-proportioned. It is not clear whether this is simply a ‘double-sided’ model (to enable both options to be assessed) or whether they were seriously condsidering this arrangement for the final car. The 1970s AMC Pacer was one car which bravely took this unusual feature into production.


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  3. Sports car projects : ADO70
  4. Sports car projects : Aston MGB
  5. Sports car projects : MG TF GT

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