1929' Austin Austin 7

HIGHLIGHTS

?750 MC spec Austin Seven Special
?Nut and bolt rebuild in need of finishing
?+60 thou original Brooklands slipper pistons
?Engine re-machined with a high compression head

THE HISTORY
As it stands, this Austin Seven isn’t registered currently for use on the road, certainly hasn't been on for a very long time.

The owner has the chassis number and the engine number which relate to an Austin Seven touring car manufactured in 1929. It has clearly been a Seven Special for quite some time, though.
Originally it was meant to be a trials car but a previous owner then decided to turn it into a race car.
He got quite a long way through the project, but various health events have stunted his progress and there are still a few jobs to do.

THE PAPERWORK

As this isn't a road car, it is supplied with very little in the way of paperwork. However, it does have the necessary certification from the Owners’ Club for the new owner to apply for a V5C and, should he or she wish, register the car on the road.

THE EXTERIOR

Unsurprisingly, as a short wheelbase, Austin Seven, this is a tiny car. The body is finished in bare polished aluminum with yellow wheels and minimal chrome trim.

The custom alloy body features a desirable Super Swallow radiator surround, while behind the driver's seat is an MG TA slab tank with an Aston filler cap. At the rear, it has pork pie taillights which incorporate the rear lights, brake lights, and indicators. The electrical system has been converted to 12 Volt to accommodate these changes.

There's also a selection of 12 wheels supplied with the car, both in a taller road profile and a lower racing profile, along with boxes of assorted spare parts which are all included.

The chassis of the car was completely stripped down when the previous owner first acquired it and, having been blasted, was then treated to a coat of anti-rust paint, two coats of primer, and two coats of gloss black.

THE INTERIOR

As you might expect from a race car, the cabin of the Austin is pretty basic. It's also a bit of a squeeze.

The seats are alloy helicopter seats that have been reupholstered in Morris Minor green. Other than those, the steering wheel, the pedals, and the dials there isn't much else to report.

THE MECHANICS

Here's where things get really interesting. The engine was professionally machined by Cambridge Rebores and is +60 thou in its bore. It has a phoenix billet crank, bespoke con rods, and pistons.

It has bigger inlet valves and an alloy inlet manifold, double valve springs, and flat followers along with a gas-flowed head, rounded at the top of the cylinder bores to allow undisturbed air into the cylinders.

The inlet and exhaust ports were machined to match the inlet manifold, whilst it has a deep alloy finned oil sump with an oversized oil pump and a high-compression head. The fuel system is fed by an SU pump and 1. 25-in SU carburettor.

The radiator, meanwhile, was recorded by Anglia Radiators in Cambridge, who look after all the Battle of Britain aircraft at Duxford, and the exhaust is an Ulster unit with a Brooklands side exit silencer.

We are led to believe from the previous owners that he estimates the power output to be around 40hp, or more than double the engine’s original power, fed to the rear wheels via a four-speed close-ratio gearbox with a remote lever.

The car has also just had its rear axle completely rebuilt, but this needs to be properly reinstalled by its next owner.

THE APPEAL

Even today, the humble Austin Seven is one of the most affordable and appealing ways into grassroots motorsport.

This example should be a real flyer. The work needed to finish it off isn't huge and, once completed, the new owner will have the perfect vehicle with which to compete in 750 Motor Club events, or even register it and use it as a quirky and entertaining road car.

Most of the hard work has been done - indeed, we have records covering some of the work on the car so far. Depending on how far you want to develop this project, then a few weekends should have it ready to compete once again.
The car starts on the button, drives, stops, clutch works.
There are a few boxes of parts, including a steering column.
A specially constructed 4 wheel Austin Seven trailer, complete with load straps so it can be taken from one event to another. Trailers alone go for between £1-2, 000 and this one is included in the sale. There's also a selection of 12 wheels supplied with the car, both in a taller road profile and a lower racing profile, along with boxes of assorted spare parts which are all included.
You may recognise this advert from one last year, yes it's the same car, I purchased it, with the hope of starting to get some low key racing however my vision isn't good enough.