Austin 7

The Austin 7 was built by the Austin Motor Company in several body styles, including a Van version.

Austin 7

Manufacturer	Austin Motor Company
Production	1922–1939 290,000
Predecessor	None
Successor	Big 7
Class	Microcar
Body style(s)	various including vans
Engine(s)	747 cc straight-4
Wheelbase	75 inches (1.905 m)

For information on the Mini based Austin Seven see Mini.

The Austin 7 or as the grill badge says Austin Seven was a vintage car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom by the Austin Motor Company. Nicknamed the "Baby Austin", It was one of the most popular cars ever produced there and wiped out most other British small cars and cyclecars of the early 1920s, its effect on the British market was similar to that of the Model T Ford in the USA. It was also licensed and copied by companies all over the world . The first BMW models (BMW Dixi) were licensed Austin 7s, as were the original American Austins. In France they were made and sold as Rosengarts while in Japan Nissan also used the 7 design as the basis for their original cars, though not under licence .

A restored Austin 7 van at the Boroughbridge Classic Vehicle show 2009

After World War II, many Austin 7s were rebuilt as "specials" including the first Lotus, the Lotus Mk1 which was based on an Austin 7.

Such was the power of the Austin 7 name that the company re-used it for early versions of both the A30 in 1951 and Mini in 1959.

History

Austin 7 Saloon 1931

Austin had, before World War I, built mainly large cars but in 1909 they sold a single cylinder 7 hp built by the Swift of Coventry called the Austin Seven. After this they returned to bigger cars, but Sir Herbert Austin felt a smaller car would be more popular, in spite of protestations from the company's board of directors who were concerned about the financial status of the company. Austin won them over by threatening to take the idea to their competitor Wolseley, and got permission to start on his design, in which he was assisted by a young draughtsman called Stanley Edge who worked from 1921 into 1922 at Austin's home, Lickey Grange. Austin put a large amount of his own money into the design and patented many of its innovations in his own name. In return for the investment he was paid a royalty of two guineas (£2, 2s), (£2.10) on every car sold.

Nearly 2500 cars were made in the first year of production (1923), not as many as hoped, but within a few years the "big car in miniature" had wiped out the cyclecar industry and transformed the fortunes of the Austin Motor Co. By 1939 when production finally ended, 290,000 cars and vans had been made.

Media

In 2007, during an episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson and James May studied a number of early car designs (including the Ford Model T and the De Dion-Bouton Model Q and concluded that the Austin Seven was the first mass-market car to be fitted with a 'conventional' control layout, as found on modern cars (although the earliest car they found to use this layout was a Cadillac).

Chassis

The Austin 7 was considerably smaller than the Ford Model T. The wheelbase was only 6 ft 3 inches (1.905 m), and the track only 40 inches (1.016 m). Equally it was lighter - less than half the Ford's weight at 794 pounds (360 kg). The engine required for adequate performance was therefore equally reduced and the 747 cc sidevalve was quite capable with a modest 10 hp output.

The chassis took the form of an "A" with the engine mounted between the channel sections at the narrow front end. The rear suspension was by quarter elliptic springs cantilevered from the rear of the chassis while at the front the beam axle had a centrally mounted half elliptic transverse spring. Early cars did not have any shock absorbers. Brakes were on all wheels but at first the front brakes were operated by the handbrake and the rear by the footbrake, becoming fully coupled in 1930.

Steering is by worm and wheel mechanism.

Engine and transmission

The four cylinder 747 cc, 56 mm bore by 76 mm stroke, side valve engine was composed of an aluminium crankcase, cast iron cylinder block and cast iron cylinder head. The splash lubricated crankshaft (pressure fed on some sports models) at first ran in two bearings changing to three in 1936. An electric starter was fitted from November 1923 and although the early cars used magneto ignition, this changed to coil in 1928.

The 3 speed and reverse gearbox was built in-unit with the engine and had a variety of ratios depending on application. A four speed gearbox was introduced in 1932 and in 1933 synchromesh was added to third and top ratios extending to second gear in 1934.

The back axle was of spiral bevel type with ratios between 4.4:1 and 5.6:1. A short torque tube runs forward from the differential housing to a bearing and bracket on the rear axle cross member.

Reliant used a derivative of the Austin Seven engine for their early three-wheelers, before developing an aluminium alloy engine (used as the replacement for the Austin Seven engine by the 750 Motor Club in their Formula 750 motor sport).

The Swallow

1931 Austin 7 Swallow saloon

In 1927, William Lyons, co-founder of the Swallow Sidecar Company, saw the commercial potential of producing a rebodied Austin 7. Lyons commissioned the talented coachbuilder Cyril Holland to produce a distinctive open tourer: the Austin Seven Swallow.

With its bright two-tone colour scheme and a style in befitting more expensive cars of the time, together with its low cost (£175), the Swallow proved popular and was followed in 1928 by a saloon version: the Austin Seven Swallow Saloon.

Approximately 3500 bodies of various styles were produced up until 1932 when Lyons started making complete cars under the SS brand.

Such was the demand for the Austin Seven Swallows that Lyons was forced to move in 1928 from Blackpool to new premises in Coventry. It was, in part, the success of the Swallows that laid the foundations of what was to become, by 1945, Jaguar Cars

Licensed production

Versions of the Austin 7 were made under licence by American Austin from 1930, Dixi (later bought by BMW) in Germany from 1927 and Rosengart in France from 1928. In addition, chassis and running gear were exported to Japan and Australia to have locally made bodies attached.

Body styles

Tourers

Austin 7 Chummy Tourer 1929

1934 Austin 7 two seater (pre-Opal)

Type	Name	Description	From	To
XL		prototypes	1922
AB		Aluminium body four seater	1922	1924
AC			1924	1926
AD		Four seater	1926	1929
AE		Four seater. Two inches wider than AD	1929	1929
		Two seater	1929	1930
AF		Steel bodied Four seater	1930	1932
AH		Pressed steel body. Four seater	1932
AAK	Open road Tourer	Cowled radiator		1934
AH		Pressed steel body. Four seater	1932
PD		Two seater	1934
APD	Opal	Two seater	1934	1936
AAL	Open Road Tourer	Covered spare wheel	1935
AH		Pressed steel body. Four seater	1932
APE	New Opal	Two seater	1936

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Saloons

Austin 7 Box Saloon 1933

Austin 7 "New Ruby" saloon

Type	Name	Description	From	To
R		Aluminium or fabric saloon	1926	1927
RK		Aluminium or fabric saloon	1927
RL		Steel saloon	1930
RG		Fabric saloon	1930
RN		Long wheelbase steel saloon
RP			1932
ARQ	Ruby	Saloon	1934
ARR	"New" Ruby	Saloon	1936

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Cabriolet

Austin 7 Pearl Cabriolet 1935

Type	Name	Description	From	To
AC	Pearl	Cabriolet version of ARQ Ruby.	1934
ACA	"New" Pearl	Cabriolet version of ARR New Ruby.	1936

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Sports

Austin 7 Ulster 2-Seater Sports 1930

Austin 7 Nippy 2-Seater Sports 1934

Type	Name	Description	From	To
50 mph		Aluminium bodied. Long tail		1926
E Super Sports		Aluminium bodied. No doors	1927	1928
EA Sports	Ulster	Aluminium bodied. No doors
EB 65	65	Aluminium body, steel wings. Rounded tail.	1933	1934
AEB	Nippy	All steel	1934	1937
EK 75	Speedy	Aluminium body. Pointed tail.
AEK	Speedy	Redesignation of EK 75		1935

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Coupés

Type	Name	Description	From	To
Type B		Upper body fabric.	1928	1931

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Vans

Type	Name	Description	From	To
AB, AC and AD		Converted tourer	1923	1927
AE			1929	1930
RK		Converted RK saloon
RM		Converted RL saloon
RN		Converted RN saloon
RP		Converted RP saloon	1933
AVH
AVJ and AVK		Converted Ruby		1939

Gallery

Austin 7s

Austin 7, Australian Capital Territory Historic Car "195"

Austin 7 engine (right side), Australian Capital Territory Historic Car "195"

Austin 7 interior, Australian Capital Territory Historic Car "195"

Preservation

There are many examples in preservation in Britain and in other countries around the world. A lot of the UK cars are rebuilt from several vehicles.

Known vehicles in preservation

Please list any surviving vehicles here, with were seen and the registration number to identify them.

• ADD 977 - Austin 7 Van - seen at Llandudno Transport Festival 2008
• FLB 227 - Seen at Renishaw Hall Classic Car Show 2011
• HPG 98+ - Ruby van at Rushden Transport Cavalcade 2008
• JSV 889 - seen at Wollaton Park Steam Rally 2011
• YJ 3360+ - Austin 7 Van of 1936 at Boroughbridge Classic Vehicle show 2009

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Austin 7

• The Austin 7 Clubs Association Details of the various A7 member clubs throughout the UK and the rest of the world.
• The Pre-War Austin 7 Club The largest club purely for the Austin Seven.
• Andy's Austin Seven Page Contains details of Austin Seven clubs, events, suppliers of spare parts and books.
• A7 Components Spare parts for all models of Austin 7.