The Austin 7 is often referred to as the “Model T” of Britain. For good reason too - from 1922 it was a common sight on British roads. 

The little budget car was available in a huge variety of body styles and was licensed for production by a number of companies such as BMW in various countries too. Mechanically simple and robust, they make a great first vintage classic, or are perfect for anyone who wants to use their classic regularly.

First registered in 1934, with only 5 owners from new, this 88 year old car is a brilliant survivor. Around 290,000 7’s were built during its production run of 17 years. It is believed some 2,000 still remain-testimony to it’s rugged and enduring and most appealing engineering.

Bought in 2012 by an enthusiast as a restoration project, they spent the next 6 years completely stripping and rebuilding the car, keeping whatever patina and originality they could while ensuring the drivetrain and body were in tip-top condition. When the car was finished in 2018, it was used by the owner as his daughter’s wedding car, before going back into dry storage.

The current owner purchased the vehicle in November 2019 and maintains it to a high standard. Always kept dry-stored, the car is brought out once a week (in dry weather only) for a drive around the local area to make sure everything is working as it should. In fact, during the height of the recent pandemic, the owner volunteered to deliver medicines to vulnerable people in the local area and this lovely little car was the delivery vehicle! Needless to say, it never missed a beat and elicited smiles wherever it went.

Sadly the present owner is not well and it is time for someone else to cherish this little car, have enormous fun and preserve it for posterity.

A wealth of paperwork comes with the ‘7’. As well as the current V5, there are many receipts detailing the servicing, maintenance and restoration that has been undertaken over the years. There are also a number of maintenance guides and instructions, including a photocopy of the original 1934 handbook, wiring diagrams, maintenance instructions and a parts catalogue. As a historic vehicle it should be noted that this car is MOT and tax exempt.

One of the nicest things in the paperwork file is a USB memory stick crammed with hundreds of photos and videos of the restoration process. As a record of the car’s history and a display of just how extensive the restoration was, this is invaluable.

We love how the previous owner has worked to restore the car while maintaining its character and the patina it’s built up almost 90 years. The simple dash and driving controls are all in nice condition for their age, and operate well.

The original seats are present, looking brilliant in a textured tan rexine. They were in such good condition that they weren’t touched when the car was recommissioned. The door cards, carpet and headlining were refreshed to match the seats, but otherwise the interior was restored with a light touch. It’s been very sympathetically done and we love it.

At the rear, the trunk compartment contains the spare wheel and is opened with a ’T’ shaped key. The lock works well and the compartment is in very good condition.

Originally painted flat black, during the restoration process, the body was taken off the chassis and everything was media-blasted back to bare metal before being rust treated, primed and repainted. The owner chose the classic burgundy over black colour scheme, which we think suits the car perfectly. The underside has been Schultz protected too, for extra peace of mind.

The bodywork and paintwork is in very good overall condition for the age of the vehicle. With a machine polish, the paintwork should come up beautifully. There’s no damage or dents that we could see, it’s a very straight car. Underneath, the chassis and drivetrain look to be in excellent condition, with no corrosion or damage evident. It’s clearly been very well cared for. The wire wheels have been resprayed in the original black and are in good condition too.

One of the things we adore on Austin 7s are the semaphore indicators (sometimes known as “trafficators”). They operate well here and are the kind of period detail that make you smile every time you see them.

While new external trim has been fitted where needed, as much as possible of the car’s original trim has been retained and wears its age very well. In 2012, a full set of five new tyres was fitted, along with new tubes and tapes. As the car has only been used once a week over the last couple of years, and then only locally, there’s lots of life left in them.

One of the main points of appeal for the Austin 7 is the simplicity of the drivetrain. For the enthusiast, they’re an easy car to work on and maintain, and parts are still widely available, with a thriving scene of owners clubs all over the world.

This car features an 747cc four cylinder engine with electric and crank handle start, mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. During the restoration, the entire drivetrain was taken apart, checked, serviced and refreshed as needed. Some of the work that has been carried out includes:

In February 2020, the current owner also had the brakes serviced and balanced. Under present ownership, it was professionally serviced and maintained most recently in 9/2/22.

When we examined it, the car started well and ran smoothly, with the classic thrum and warble of the little 4-cylinder powerplant sounding fantastic.

The Austin 7 has always been a delightful little machine – simple, capable and joyous to use. It’s the kind of car it’s impossible to be miserable in. This example makes a great buy too. It’s been significantly restored, cared for with real attention to detail and kept dry-stored since 2012.

If you’re looking for a classic or vintage car that you can genuinely use on a regular basis, maintain yourself and still has a massive range of parts and support available for it, you can’t really go wrong with an Austin 7. Of course, there are a lot of shoddy examples about, but this isn’t one of them. It’s been recommissioned perfectly, maintaining the character and patina of a 88 year old car, but making sure it’s solid, protected and easy to use. We think this is exactly the right approach for a car of this vintage, it shouldn’t be a trailer queen, but should wear its age with pride. 

The few changes that have been made over stock are perfectly executed too. For instance, the electric ignition is a sensible and practical upgrade, and the change from flat black to the burgundy over black colour scheme suits the vehicle very well.

2022 is the centenary year of the Austin 7, and there’s a huge meet happening in Gloucestershire with 1,000 Austin 7s scheduled to be there and enthusiasts from all over the world coming to celebrate this charming little car. So if ever there was a perfect time to get into the scene, this is it. And you won't find many more genuine, honest and cared for examples of the breed than this.

These cars and driving them take you back to a time when driving was an adventure!


Notice to bidders