Austin 7

[jmk2g40]

I saw one of these a 1922 tourer at port Solent car meet what a wonderful looking car

Now I am a little obsessed in watching videos on these wonderful pre war cars

As much as I love my moggy does anyone own an Austin 7 or driven one and what are they like.

Never heard of them before such a wonderful machine.
Maybe one day i will buy one.

Any info would be appreciated please.

[Chief]

Never heard of them before such a wonderful machine.

If you ever read Danny the Champion of the World, you know it as the Baby Austin

I've never driven/owened one but I've always liked them, probably because of the association with the book, I can however recommend a few videos which you may or may not have watched:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCKjTp62_M8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpwSKVJptKw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRD6vkAo3BE

Though, the best Austin was, of course, the Austin-Clifton Heavy 12/4...

[svenedin]

I know another Minor owner who also had Austin 7 cars but sadly he has had to sell his cars as age related eye problems mean he is no longer allowed to drive. My father had an Austin 7 Ruby but that was before my time.

You might want to have a look at the Austin 7's direct competitor, the Morris 8. A friend of mine had two Morris 8 cars. I thought they were lovely. They were both tourers.

Stephen

[michael4]

I had an Austin Seven not long ago. It was a 'box' saloon, an RP from 1934 (if my memory is correct). It was/is lovely little thing. Spares and good advice very easy to come by.

My opinion (not shared by Austin 7 folk) is that it was just too old to be useable in modern traffic. I could spend days waiting for a gap at a junction or roundabout and stopping suddenly could be scary. I sold it and bought a Fiat 600 instead.

By comparison the Morris 8 feels much more modern.

If you really want a challenge there are four Trojans for sale on a well known classic car site. They are very special and very different...I am resisting the urge.

[Myrtles Man]

Message to the thread starter - buy this:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/366537626481 ... BM7tv26e9n

[Chief]

the Morris 8. A friend of mine had two Morris 8 cars. I thought they were lovely. They were both tourers.

Some years ago now there was a truly amazing looking White Morris 8 for sale on eBay, it had just had a full nut and bolt restoration and full body repaint. It ended with 0 bids, starting bid was £1,500 and would have been a bargain for someone - it was relisted and sold somewhat higher (but I forget for how much).

[Bill_qaz]

You could also consider the prewar morris minor.
The old classic car channel on YouTube has just bought one and has a video of recommission.
https://youtu.be/T9YONNxVutQ?is=5ZTiYRWuJKHXLjLp
I'm just reading a book ( pic below) about a prewar mm, with some great mechanical insites. Poignant personally as set in areas I have worked.

20260720_114623.jpg (422.28 KiB) Viewed 1477 times

[mike1864]

A member of our local (North London) Austin Club has a 1927 Chummy for sale.
Details of this, and their upcoming events, from keith_a_wright@btinternet.com

[Edward1949]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/triggersc ... 598117891/

1968 comparison test of 1937 seven versus 1935 Morris 8

[ManyMinors]

I had an Austin 7 Ruby many years ago and drove it regularly up to 100 miles. It was reasonably civilised but required concentration to drive. Being so small it was relatively easy to get out of poeples way and with all the 20mph speed limits recently imposed driving one wouldn't hold others up so much! Not much occupant safety or heating but I do remember it being quite good in the snow!
I loved it and I'd have another like a shot but don't drive much now and have quite enough cars really.....Or so my wife says!

Go and try one

[svenedin]

My father overturned his Austin 7 Ruby on the way back to camp when he was in the army. His mates picked it back out of the ditch but he still got put on a charge as he was late!

Stephen

[Blaketon]

My grandfather's first car was an Austin 7 (He had owned motorcycles before that, one of which was an Indian). I don't know whether it was a Chummy style or a Ruby. The very first cars were about 700cc I think but then they went up to 747. I believe they gave around 15bhp. My grandfather used to shake in the seat to try and help it along (No doubt an element of frustration, especially after an Indian motorcycle; he was a fitter and not given to flights of fancy). During the 1930s he owned Morris 8s and he also owned a Wolseley Hornet, whilst after WW2 he owned an Austin A40 Devon, Sunbeam Talbot 90, Riley RME and then a Jaguar XK140. Apparently, even when driving the Jaguar, he never lost his attempt to help it along!! I can't remember him doing it in my time but by then he had gone through a Ford Zodiac, Austin A90, MG ZB, Wolseley 6/99 and Jaguar Mk 2.4 (The first car of his that I remember; the XK140 was still shown on DVLA site).

A national service pal of my father's owned around 100 cars during his life, few of them for very long. They ranged from Austin 7 (Sports models; not sure exactly which ones), through Triumph TR3s, to Aston Martin DB 2/4s and DB5s and a Jaguar E Type V12. When he died, he owned a V8 powered MGB (Not a factory BGT V8), an MG TD (Which was a last fling; he only drove it once) and a Nissan Micra!! He had owned at least one Morris Minor Traveller and on the day I took my father to see him, for the last time, he even asked me if I'd like to sell my Traveller, which he thought would be a good car for his daughter. I would have liked to oblige but I rather like the car and in any case, I am almost sure I was then aware that Charles Wares had botched the 5 speed conversion, so I couldn't have sold it like that!!

He used to say, of his Austin 7s, that they were as much fun at the Aston Martins or V12 Jaguars, just at a lower speed. On that last visit, he said of all the cars he ever rode in, my father's Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica was the most exiting, so that must say something for it!!

If I had more room in the garage, I'd like a pre war small sports car, such as an MG M , J, P or TA/B Type, HRG, Morgan 4/4 or one of the Austin 7 Ulster or Nippy models. I think the unblown Ulster has 23bhp and the Nippy perhaps a tad less. If you go to one of the VSCC hillclimbs, you will always see lots of 7s, either in the car park or competing. I have a book on 7s, like this one - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235422153877 ... 624_134927 .

Besides being the first really successful small British car (Rather than a cyclecar), the Austin 7 engine was the basis of the 750 MC Formula. When Austin dropped the 7, Reliant bought the rights and plant to make the engine and it was used in their three wheelers. Eventually they changed to aluminium castings, as the three wheelers had to be under a certain weight to be taxed as motorcycle and side car and they also went over to OHV. The Reliant engine went up to 850 and the 750 MC allowed for this within their formula. People may laugh at the Robin but it had a damned good and tuneable engine. At one time, I wouldn't have minded a Kitten estate (Four wheeled version of the Robin) but they are like hens teeth.

The photos were all taken at VSCC Prescott. The on track car is an Ulster. The engine shot is the engine of a competing Ulster. The grey/blue car is a Gordon England Cup model, which I think is rather nice (Like Gordon England, Swallow side cars started to make bodies for Austin 7s and they ended up becoming Jaguar cars) and of course there is the inevitable Chummy in the members car park.

[Blaketon]

For some reason some of the pictures have gone missing, so here are two Ulsters on track and another Nippy in the car park, with my late father walking past carrying his deck chair. That was his last visit to Prescott, though it is now his final resting place.

I did take pictures of cars, other than Austin 7s!!