In case you've never seen one

[Tony Griffiths]

The Austin Tractor (they definitely wanted you to know that it was an Austin).

[Duncan Grimmond]

It's the Axminster runner under it that tickles me!

[Robert Leigh]

I realise now that an exhaust fishtail was nothing to do with performance!

[Erich]

The twin fuel fillers are interesting, as is the header tank for the rad.

Erich in Mukilteo

[Robert Leigh]

I suspect that it is possibly designed for dual fuel, petrol or TVO. It was normal to get an engine warmed up on petrol before changing over. Many years ago using an early RP saloon when I was a poorly paid apprentice, I discovered that even 50% paraffin made the car very difficult to start when cold, but I soon worked out how to make it practical for the occasional 180 mile journey home.

[Tony Griffiths]

Full details here:  http://www.austinmemories.com/styled-81/index.html......
Yes, it's a dual-fuel engine. "....So using the Heavy 20 engine which could be ordered as either a petrol-only engine or as a dual petrol/paraffin version. The dual system was common practice for tractors, which meant they had two fuel tanks both connected to a two-way tap. When starting from cold you would use the petrol, when the engine had warmed up you could turn the tap so that it was now running on paraffin. The reason for this was the fact that there was no tax on paraffin. The engines were considered to be more powerful at 26.5 HP @ 1,000 RPM (petrol version) and also more refined than the Fordson, but did not have the reliability. When running on paraffin the power output was reduced to 23.7 HP @ 1,000 RPM. It was launched in 1919, with production building up slowly so that in the week ending 12th June 1920 sixty-six tractors had been produced.

[Mike Costigan]

Austin demonstrator in 1921:


  1921 Austin tractor.jpg (Size: 88.74 KB / Downloads: 405)

[Chris Garner]

  IMG_20210719_0001.pdf (Size: 651.25 KB / Downloads: 10)
Front page of a tractor brochure. It describes it as starting on petrol then running on paraffin. 4.2 to 1 compression.
4 1/8" bore, 5" stroke. Top speed 3.6 mph. 5 bearing crank, pressure fed.
30 hp on the belt, 16 hp on the drawbar.
Ploughing 6 acres during an 8 hour day consumes just over 2 gallons of paraffin.

[Tony Griffiths]

Austin demonstrator in 1921:

Ties compulsory....

[Rick F]

Out here in the sticks collecting tractors is BIG! I remember some years ago at a local show talking to a guy exhibiting an Austin tractor -  see below. His verdict

"..... they should've stuck to making cars!"