to announce its postwar range in 1944, six months before the war in Europe ended. The line-up readied for the post-war period included the Austin 12. Evolution There is little detailed information on how the car was developed during the war years, although by September 1945 numerous refinements and improvements had been implemented, presumably in response both to technical developments and materials shortages encountered. From the exterior the Austin 12 as announced in 1944 appears indistinguishable from the car announced in August 1939, and there was no attempt to highlight improvements introduced during the preceding five years. Nevertheless, the wheelbase had been reduced by . A heater and radio were offered as extras. A significant interior improvement on the postwar model was redesign of the dash/instrument cluster. As evidenced on the pictures in an Austin-produced ad at the time of the 1939 introduction, the instrument cluster design was essentially carry-over from the typical layout on prior 1930's Austin cars (and continued on the postwar 8 and 10), basically two large dials directly in front of the driver. On the postwar 12, and the 16 which followed, the instrument cluster was an elongated type across the centre of the car. References External links The Austin Counties Car Club 12 1930s cars 1940s cars de:Austin 12#Austin 12 (1939-1947)