The Austin 7 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[1], 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 [2].
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 [2].
After World War II, many Austin 7s were rebuilt as "specials"[3][4][5]
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 [6] 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 Swift of Coventry
called the Austin Seven.[7] 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.[2]
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.
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).
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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).
[edit] 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 [8] [9]
[edit] 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.
[edit] Body styles [2]
[edit] 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[edit] 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[edit] 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[edit] 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[edit] Coupés
Type Name Description From To
Type B Upper body fabric. 1928 1931
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[edit] 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
1929-1932, 21282 produced. (June 1930 -end 1932)
Types: Saloon, 4 doors, 4 seats(fabric saloon type also)
Tourer, 2 doors, 2+2 seats
[View Picture Gallery]
28826 produced - Sept 1929 to June 1930, 21282 produced - June
1930 - end 1932.Practical Classics April 1998 - Featuring
Buyers Guide Austin Seven available. Click here
to view in our shop.
Source: Motorbase
Austin of England