Austin Loadstar – specifications
Built: 1949-1959 · Series: Other models
Data for the version built 1949-1959 · Data origin: Official register, Reference work (Wikipedia/Wikibooks) · sources
More machines from model year 1949
Not the right version? The data comes from vehicle registers holding many near-identical versions side by side. Photograph the data plate — we read make and type from it. Open the scanner e-mail address required
The Austin Loadstar was Austin's first newly designed lorry after the Second World War, introduced in 1949. It was offered as the K2 for a two-tonne payload and the K4 for five tonnes, and sold in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia. The register dates production to 1949 to 1959.
The K-series inline six has 3995 cc and overhead valves (OHV). According to Wikipedia it produces 125 bhp (93 kW) and was also used in other Austin commercial and passenger vehicles; a Perkins P6 diesel became available later. The gearbox is a 4-speed manual, the wheelbase measures 3,410 mm and the width 2,130 mm.
A six-cylinder engine with four gears is a layout for distribution and site work at low speeds rather than fast long-distance runs. A four-wheel-drive version called the K9 served the military as an ambulance, water carrier, recovery vehicle and radio lorry.
Austin – other truck models: collective page outside the named ranges, from the wartime three-tonner to the Austin Loadstar, four- and six-cylinder engines, 49.2 to 67 kW, 3,460 to 4,000 cm³
This page gathers Austin trucks the register could not assign to a named range, from simple wartime and post-war three-tonners to the Austin Loadstar of the 1970s and 1980s. Austin was founded in 1905 by Herbert Austin in Longbridge near Birmingham, became part of the British Motor Corporation in 1952 and of the British Leyland group in 1968. The Loadstar was a badge-engineered sister model of the Leyland commercial-vehicle range and was sold under both brand names, while older types such as the K and FG series were Austin's own designs.
Read on 3 more paragraphs
The register lists 37 versions here with 49.2 to 67 kW from four- to six-cylinder engines of 3,460 to 4,000 cm³, kerb weights of 2,300 to 9,120 kg, lengths of 4,580 to 7,550 mm and widths of 1,980 to 2,470 mm.
Austin trucks competed in Britain with Bedford, Commer and sister marque Morris Commercial and were used mainly in trades, municipal work and light haulage. After the merger into British Leyland, the Austin brand disappeared from truck production in favour of Leyland and Freight Rover, making surviving Austin commercial vehicles rare collector's pieces today.
On these older vehicles, key checks include frame and cab corrosion, the condition of leaf springs and drum brakes, and the sealing of the flatbed or box body. The four- and six-cylinder engines should be checked for oil loss at the head and sump gaskets and for the condition of the clutch and gear linkage. New spare parts are barely available any more, with supply running almost exclusively through classic commercial-vehicle clubs and specialist dealers.
Sources: SpecCodex register, model data: Austin (weitere Modelle)
Technical data
Engine
| Engine | 3995 cc K-series OHV I6correct |
|---|---|
| Cylinders | 6correct |
Dimensions and weights
| Width | 2,130 mmcorrect |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 3,410 mmcorrect |
Drivetrain and chassis
| Gearbox | 4-speed manual gearboxcorrect |
|---|
Frequently asked questions
What engine does the Austin Loadstar have?
6 cylinders.
When was the Austin Loadstar built?
Production years: 1949-1959.
What to check before buying
- Check the hour meter against the service records — a replaced instrument is the most common gap.
- Compare the data plate and chassis number with the papers.
- Shift the gearbox cold and warm — jumps only show up at temperature.
- Ask about parts availability for this build year — the running costs hang on it.
A general list for this type of machine — no substitute for an inspection or an appraiser.
We do not sell machines. We ask the dealers who carry this model and come back with price and lead time.
Request a quote →
We ask the suppliers and come back with price and lead time.
Request spare parts →
This page carries 7 individual figures for this model. They come from 3 recorded sources; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.
The technical data on this page comes from official vehicle registration records (RDW/Traficom), not from the manufacturer.
Are you the manufacturer or a dealer of this machine? Check the data and add missing figures — we mark your correction as manufacturer or dealer information.
Check and complete the data →Missing a figure you were looking for? Report it →
Know this machine better? Have a photo, a manual, or know that a figure is wrong? Add it to the register →
Other models in this series
Sources: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) (retrieved August 2026) · RDW — Dutch national vehicle register (retrieved August 2026) · Values adopted and presented in our own form; changes from the source are possible. · Data sources and cross-checks
Truck in 3D section
Turn the model, look inside and click an assembly — each one is explained.
