The Austin 8 was introdeced in February 1939, and kept the 900 cc, four-cylinder, engine from the Big 7, now with a higher 6.5:1 compression ratio, but had a completely new chassis.

This was halfway to full unitary construction in that the main member was a pressed steel floor pan with a box section welded down each side of the car with three others going across the floor.

The body was then bolted to this structure.

Suspension was by semi-elliptic leaf springs with hydraulic dampers.

Two- and four-door saloon bodies were made as well as two- and four-seat tourers, and vans.

About 47,600 were made before war closed production in 1943.

In 1945, production restarted, but there were no more tourers or two-door saloons produced in England.

After the war the Austin 8 was manufactured in a slightly different way than the pre-war 8s.

The main differences were, steering wheel, chrome plated head lights instead of spray painted ones, horizontal air filter instead of vertical air filter, ...