Armstrong Siddeley Whitley History

Introduced in 1949 and named for the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber, the Whitley replaced the Lancaster as Armstrong Siddeley's mainstream saloon. It was described at launch as a 'luxuriously equipped, semi-razor-edged saloon' — an upmarket repositioning compared to its predecessor. Power came from the 18 hp, 2,309 cc six-cylinder engine that had already been introduced into the late Lancaster.

The Whitley's formal, upright lines gave it a conservative but distinguished character. A total of 2,582 examples were built in the four years to 1953, when production of all the aircraft-named cars ended as the Sapphire 346 — with its far larger and more powerful engine — took over as the marque's flagship.