Mistakenly called the Austin Bantam by many automotive authorities, the small vehicles built in Butler, Pennsylvania during the 1930s were actually called the American Austin. Introduced in late 1929, just before the start of the Great Depression, the new and economical little four cylinder automobile seemed like a great idea as America began to enter the Great Depression. The first American Austin Bantam’s built in early 1930 were actually assembled on British Austin 7 chassis and measured sixteen inches narrower and twenty eight inches shorter than any other vehicle built in America.