title: Austin Loadstar
text: # Austin Loadstar
  
  The Austin Loadstar was a truck produced by the British Austin Motor Company from 1949. It was Austin's first new truck design after World War II and the last stand-alone one. The Loadstar was a revised version of the Austin K2 and was offered in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia, partly again as the Austin K2 for the 2-tonne and as the Austin K4 for the 5-tonne payload variant. The Loadstar was powered by a six-cylinder petrol K-series engine from Austin, which generated an output of 125 bhp (93 kW) from a displacement of 3995 cc. Two different wheelbases with 2.9 and 4.0 meters were available. In the early 1950s, economic difficulties forced Austin and the Morris Motor Company to merge to form the British Motor Corporation. As a result, the Loadstar was replaced in 1956 by the Austin S201/401/501, which was also offered as the Morris WF by means of badge engineering.
  
  ## K9 variant
  
  A military 4x4 variant known as the K9 was also produced and was used for several purposes including an ambulance, water carrier, recovery vehicle and radio truck. The military version often had a round hatch in the cab roof for defensive and observation purposes.
  
  