Austin Seven

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When it comes to pre-war classics, there’s nothing quite like the friendly Austin Seven

If there’s one car that sums up pre-war Britain it’s the Austin Seven. With those fantastically cute looks, there’s something about the baby Austin that makes you want to forego modern comforts and turn the clock back half a century every time you make a journey. But just because the Seven is mechanically primitive, don’t be fooled into thinking there’s little to go wrong – as this guide illustrates all too well. When it comes to choosing your Seven, think carefully about what you want from it. Pre-1930 (vintage) models, usually found in Chummy or Top Hat guises, are too agricultural for many people for anything other than occasional fairweather use. If it’s a vintage car that you want, a 1929/30 Chummy is the best bet because it’s coil-engined so there’s no magneto to give any problems – they’re also very competitive if you fancy going trialling.

Models built between 1932 and 1934 have a longer wheelbase and wider track, to give a more spacious interior. There’s still not much room though, and the driving experience is pretty archaic. The best compromise between vintage looks and a comfortable driving experience is a 1934 box saloon, which has the traditional upright radiator. From the Ruby’s introduction in 1935, things started to look less dated – but of course part of the Seven’s appeal is its vintage appearance.

Towards the end of the Seven’s life the braking system improved – fi rstly in 1937 and again the following year. Even with these improvements you can’t pull up a Seven in a hurry like you can with a typical post-war classic – but adapting your driving style to suit is no hardship – it’s all part of the fun. Many 60s and 70s racing drivers cut their teeth modifying and driving A7s – today you really know when you’ve driven one well.

History

The fi rst Sevens were built in 1922, as four-seater open tourers. Nicknamed the Chummy, the fi rst 100 examples featured a 696cc four cylinder engine, which was superseded by a 747.5cc unit that survived until the end of production 17 years later. These fi rst cars featured an upright rear edge to the doors and a sloping windscreen; from 1924 the windscreen was upright while the body was longer and the doors had sloping rear edges. By 1926 there were stronger brakes and two years later a slightly taller nickel-plated radiator grille appeared along with coil ignition, a more spacious body and wider doors. An even longer and wider bodyshell arrived in 1930, which was also when a stronger crankshaft appeared and the front and rear braking systems were coupled so they were both worked by the footbrake.

In 1931 the bodywork was restyled with a thin ‘ribbon-style’ radiator and by 1932 there was a four-speed gearbox to replace the earlier threespeeder. The following year saw the introduction of the Ruby, a car that looked more modern with its cowled radiator. The development continued with improved brakes in 1937, and in the same year there was a move to crankshaft shell bearings in place of the white-metal that was previously used. The last Seven was made in 1939, after around 290,000 Austin-badged versions had been built.

Driving

It’ll come as no surprise that the fi rst thing that strikes you with the Seven after a classic let alone a modern is its dramatic lack of pace; with so little power from such a tiny engine, you’re forced to change down a gear or two mentally before you even set off. And that’s no bad thing, because if you’re looking for an antidote to the pace of modern life, the Seven is just the ticket. Once you’ve started it up, the next thing that strikes you is how sharp the clutch is; few get into a Seven and master this without a few kangaroo starts and plenty of stalling. But the three-speed gearbox (a four-speed unit from 1932) takes little getting used to, which is just as well because you have to use those ratios quite a bit if you’re to make decent progress. Of course it’s just as well that there’s not much power, as the chassis couldn’t really cope with any more. There’s little in the way of braking ability so you really have to plan ahead if you’re not to have a shunt; it doesn’t help that drivers of more modern machinery constantly get in your way in a bit to ensure they don’t get held up. But a well-maintained Seven will sit happily at 45-50mph, and thanks to sharp steering plus a surprisingly comfortable ride, even long-distance journeys are enjoyable. As long as you’re not in a hurry anyway.

Prices

With so many variants on the Seven theme, values can vary enormously – just working out which is the right model for you can be a longwinded process, then you’ve got to fi nd a decent example of whichever model you settle on. Projects of some editions, such as the Ruby, can be picked up from just £1000, but you have to be incredibly careful with projects. The costs of revival are invariably very high, which is why you’re better off going for a decent car as a start point; a suitable Ruby can be picked up from around £4000, while a really good one is closer to £6000. Chummys range from £4000 to £10,000 depending on condition. Specials and rarities are hard to value as pretty much every one is unique – or at least extremely unusual. However, it’s perfectly easy to spend £20,000+ on something with swoopy bodywork and a perkier engine than standard. Good A7s are starting to make serious money, especially the sports types, and a car’s personal history will be of importance.

Improvements

Colin Chapman founded a whole sports car company by starting with an Austin Seven, so there’s no shortage of potential. There’s also no shortage of options, with the options only limited by your imagination and your budget. There are all sorts of things you can do with the engine, including fi tting a stronger crankshaft, sportier camshaft and Renault 4 pistons so you can increase the rev limit. A single 1 1/4-inch SU carb also helps to squeeze a little extra power, although twin 1 1/8-inch Sus are even better if you don’t mind using the revs. For better reliability it’s worth swapping the fabric coupling between the propshaft and rear axle for a conventional Hardy Spicer universal joint. When it comes to uprating the brakes there are numerous o p t i o n s d e p e n d i n g on the car’s age, including converting to a hydraulic system. But the limitingfactor is usually the grip afforded by the tyres, so before you spend a fortune on better anchors, make sure it’s actually going to be of some benefi t.

Three Of A Kind

Ford 8 Y-Type

Although the Y-Type didn’t arrive until February 1932, it caused a sensation when it did appear. Not because it was especially innovative, but because it was so affordable. Priced at just £120 it was bigger and faster than key rivals. The 8HP remained in productiion until 1939, in saloon form only and with a 933cc sidevalve engine fi tted to all cars. Spares ok but not as good as A7.

Morris Minor

Built only between 1929 and 1932, the Minor was Morris’s belated riposte to the Seven. As such, it featured an 847cc engine and at fi rst there were cable-operated brakes only, although hydraulic items arrived in 1932. With just 39,000 made though, you’ll have to search that much harder to fi nd the car you’re looking for, compared with a Seven.

Singer Junior

While Austin and Morris were the two biggest players in the UK’s new car market of the 1920s, Singer sat in third place. Its Seven rival was the Junior, built between 1927 and 1932 in overhead-cam 848cc form and between 1932 and 1935 in 972cc guise. Well built and engineered, the Junior offers a great ownership proposition, but they’re quite unusual.