Austin Ant

The Austin Ant, development code ADO19, was a small four-wheel drive vehicle designed by Sir Alec Issigonis for the motor manufacturer Austin. Although it is widely regarded as a military vehicle, and in that role was a potential successor to the military version of the Mini Moke, some sources suggest it was also conceived for civilian use. It used a transverse A-Series engine tilted slightly backward to give ground clearance and suspension travel, with the main gearbox in the sump as on the Mini and a reduction gearbox driving the rear axle through a propshaft. The Ant was cancelled in 1968, before full-scale production began, as BMC became part of British Leyland and the vehicle was judged too close a competitor to the Land Rover range.