# Austin Ant

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English motor vehicle

Austin Ant aka ADO19

The **Austin Ant** (development code ADO19)[1] is a small [four-wheel drive](/source/Four-wheel_drive) vehicle that was designed by Sir [Alec Issigonis](/source/Alec_Issigonis) for the motor manufacturer [Austin](/source/Austin_Motor_Company). Although the Ant is widely regarded as a military vehicle, some sources suggest it was conceived with civilian use in mind as well.[2] In its military role, it was a potential successor to the military version of an earlier Issigonis design, the [Mini Moke](/source/Mini_Moke).

The Ant was cancelled in 1968 before full-scale production began, during the period when [BMC](/source/British_Motor_Corporation) became part of the [British Leyland](/source/British_Leyland) (BL) conglomerate; the merger caused several overlaps in model ranges, and the Ant was regarded as too close a competitor for the [Land Rover](/source/Land_Rover) range.[3]

The Ant used an [A-Series engine](/source/BMC_A-Series_engine), transverse mounted and tilted slightly backward to allow greater ground clearance and suspension movement. The main gearbox was placed in the engine sump, as on the [Mini](/source/Austin_Mini). A reduction [gearbox](/source/Gearbox) took power from the main gearbox to the rear axle via a [propshaft](/source/Propshaft). The same layout was used 30 years later (with a [K-Series engine](/source/Rover_K-Series_engine)) on the [Rover Group's](/source/Rover_Group) [Land Rover Freelander](/source/Land_Rover_Freelander).

## See also

- [Nuffield Guppy](/source/Nuffield_Guppy)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["ADO and other development codes"](http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/concepts/concepts-and-prototypes/development-codes/). *AROnline*. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-cands_2-0)** Article "Ant Hill Mob" in *Classic and Sports Car* magazine, March 2007, published by Haymarket Publishing Ltd., United Kingdom

1. **[^](#cite_ref-uar_3-0)** [The unofficial Austin-Rover web resource; Austin Drawing Office numbers](http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/index.htm?codeadof.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005707/http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/index.htm?codeadof.htm) 27 September 2007 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

## External links

- [Moke and Ant](https://web.archive.org/web/20091212211106/http://www.austinmemories.com/page74/page74.html) at Austin Memories

- [Image of Austin Ant](https://web.archive.org/web/20170314051748/http://www.4wdonline.com/Austin/Ant.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Austin Ant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Ant) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Ant?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.