[1] The engine was developed under the close watch of Austin chief Leonard Lord.
The design was inspired by the Chevrolet Stovebolt engine, which was an inline six-cylinder used by General Motors' British subsidiary Bedford Vehicles.
In the late 1930s, Austin decided to get into the 2-3 ton payload lorry market and in a crash development programme based the design on the basic architecture of the Chevrolet engine.
Austin's improvements over the Chevrolet design included detachable-shell main and connecting rod bearings and pressurized lubrication.
During the Second World War, Austin increased the bore and stroke to enlarge it to 3995 cc; it produced 87 bhp (65 kW).