Armstrong Siddeley Heritage Trust
Armstrong Siddeley Whitley Gallery
The Whitley was introduced in early 1950 as a replacement for the Mulliner boded Lancaster, it used the same chassis and engine as the Lancaster with a body styled and built by Burlington at the Armstrong Siddeley works in Coventry. The main changes were to the rear passenger compartment and to the boot which was larger with a more convenient up swinging lid. The first model introduced had two windows on each side of the body, known confusingly as a four-light saloon.
The Lancaster continued to be available with three windows on each side of the body - yes known as the six light saloon - until it was superseded by a six light Whitley in 1952.
The following photos are of four-light Whitleys
Click on an image for an expanded view
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The next three photo's are six-light examples.
The green estate car in the following photos was originally a Whitley Station Coupe and was converted in Australia by Sydney coachbuilders McDonald's. The dashboard shown is of a production Whitley and is a considerable improvement on the one used for the first Lancasters and Hurricanes.
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Late in 1950, a Limousine version of the Whitley was announced, this was a long-wheelbase version of the Whitley which give more legroom in the rear compartment and easier access through wider forward opening doors. Additional equipment included a sliding glass division which housed two occasional fold-down seats. There were 122 examples built, 2 of which were Landaulettes. The car in the photo on the right was supplied to the Sultan of Zanzibar.
The following photos and advertising copy were all produced by the Armstrong Siddeley publicity department.
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