Isn't this a lovely car!
When I was a wee sprog my mother drove an Austin 7; I presume it was her first ever car. Hers was actually black, but otherwise just like the above. I remember it well.
I once fell out of it (aged about 4); she was turning a sharp corner in the centre of our Surrey village and someone hadn't closed the door properly. Seatbelts were yet to be invented and I still have the scars on my knees as witness.
When she came to sell it, and move on to greater things (a pale grey Austin A40 Somerset), the garage man who'd delivered the new car, and had taken the 7 in part-exchange, attempted to drive it away but he just couldn't get the hang of it, and my mother was obliged to drive it back to the garage for him.
A very idiosyncratic little car (they even made sports versions of it). I think its number was WD 594.
And, thanks to my sister (with the kittens), here is the actual car which I now think was probably a convertible Austin 10.
Australian bodied Austin 7 Meteor - Robinson & Co Coachmakers, 1929
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Before WWII it was cheaper to import cars into Australia with wheels chassis and engine assembled only and then build bodies onto them out here - Coach building car bodies on licence was the start of the Australian car manufacturing industry.
I see what you mean! Beautiful job. I've also seen much more basic 'sports' versions in all aluminium bodies. I'd love to own one.
DeleteI'd _love_ to see the yoof of today driving in bad weather or wintry conditions in real cars (i.e. without ABS, EBD, DDT, ETC)! It would reduce the population wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteMagnificent vehicles and I have to confess that given a choice I would drive JohnD's antipodean-bodied version. Sort of car you put under a blanket in the garage at night, with a dish of fresh oil and a bowl of nuts and bolts!
I even mourn the passing of plugs and distributors. Home mechanics used to be so satisfying.
DeleteI have posted a photo of Mum's taken from the rear.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. It does look bigger than the one above. Maybe it was an Austin 7½.
DeleteThe pin-holes look to me like kitten claw holes!!
I've just had a look at some Google pix, and I'm wondering if it wasn't an Austin 10.
DeleteYes, I am sure it was bigger than the 7.
ReplyDeleteDo you remember that A40 (Grey) that I inherited at Farnham, Cro? It ended up with Mel. There is a pair of elderly gay men who drive around here in an Austin 7 - squeezed together like two peas in a pod.
ReplyDeleteNo I don't remember it. I drove a white Beetle at the time, which had mice living in it. They used to live off all the Chicken and Chips bags that I used to chuck in the back.
DeleteLooks like a wonderful car to drive. My dad drove an MG, and i wanted my chance to drive it. Alas! He sold it when we were too big to fit in the back seat anymore (such as it was, being an MG), and bought a station waggon, which suited our family far better, but all of us were sad to see the red MG go.
ReplyDeleteWe're off on our 'delayed' adventure this evening. If we survive, I'll post some pix tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteHave fun on your adventure and what a great old car,isn't it wonderful how we have these memories,guess todays kids will too but just different from ours.
ReplyDeleteAnd did you spot the Austin - 7 though maybe it was the copy cat Morris Minor - in Rowan Atkinson's Chariots of Fire spoof at the Olympics Games opening. Same colours as your lead photo and also my husband's 1934 MM. Oh yes the joys of real cars. The internal workings were so understandable - but they also broke down a lot. How I learnt to deal with jammed starter motors, blown frost plugs, temperamental carburettors and the rest... My generation were driving out-moded Austin Devons, Ford Prefects and Consuls, MO Morris Oxfords and Isis, A40s and big six Wolseleys. My brother drove Humber Super Snipes! Glorious.
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