Austin Motor Company Ltd., Longbridge, Birmingham, UK 1922 - 1939

Because of it's significance in motoring history and also because of the way in which several generations of motor racing designers and drivers were influenced by it we make no apology for making the Austin 7 a marque in it's own right.

At the time the design was conceived in 1920 Herbert Austin was not on good terms with the new managers installed at Longbridge by the Midland Bank and Eagle Star Insurance Company who had been installed by the receivers as part of the rescue package following the company's financial difficulties. As he was made to feel unwelcome at the factory he spent an increasing amount of time at his country home, Lickey Grange, set in 200 acres of parkland.

Austin had become convinced that the motoring public would demand a car, which could be garaged on the same space as a motorcycle combination, and yet provide the occupants with a much greater degree of comfort. The price had to be not much more than £100. The new managers of the company did not agree and so Austin decided to design and finance the project himself, but he was granted a royalty of two guineas per car (£2.10).

Herbert Austin was a very competent engineer, but he could not manage all the details and drawings on his own, and so he engaged a bright young, 18 year old, draughtsman named Stanley Edge. In the summer of 1921 they converted the billiard room at Lickey Grange into a drawing office and set to work on the "baby" car design.

Austin's original concept was for a flat-twin engine mounted in the simplest of chassis frames with a transverse front leaf spring and beam axle as successfully employed on the Model T Ford. It would have quarter elliptic rear springs and a rear axle incorporating a differential and a 3-speed gearbox. It was to be a "proper" car and not to be compared with the many very crude "cyclecars" that had filled the post war vacuum. Edge convinced Austin that in order to be sufficiently different from the "cyclecars" his proposed design must have a 4-cylinder water cooled engine and the little Baby Peugeot, designed by Ettore Bugatti, was held up as the model.

In many ways the design that emerged was quite radical as it had to combine good ride and handling, reliability and low cost. It also had to be capable of carrying four adults although not much luggage! Whether it was chance or foresight we may never know, but the chassis and suspension design is about as near to the optimum as it is possible to get with a live axle layout.

The spring base at the front is much wider than is possible with the more common, at the time, parallel chassis layout and the angled rear springs jutting out from the "A" frame chassis also tuck neatly into the axle ends. At a time when even the most expensive cars were still retarded by rear wheel brakes only, the Austin 7 had brakes on all four. They did, however have their faults, the most obvious being the front brakes which would "come on" when the steering was on full lock. This was simply a design fault because the king-pins on which the front stub axles were mounted were vertical in the axle beam instead of being vertical in the stub axles and angled in the beam. This was probably to make the front axle easier to machine, but they never modified the design, and one can only assume they never realised their mistake.

The whole project was completed in a very short time and the first car was built in a corner of the Longbridge plant, well away from prying eyes. It was shown to the public at Claridges Hotel in London in July 1922. Although it was not considered, by some people, to be a serious proposition because it was so much smaller than any other Austin model, it very soon proved itself. Within about two years it had virtually killed off the "cyclecar" and was a threat to the sales of larger motorcycles.

The first few Austin Sevens had a capacity of 696cc from the little side valve engine, but it was rather under powered, so the cylinder bores were increased in diameter to 56mm which equated to a capacity of 747cc. This put it in the next tax category but inside the capacity limit for the smallest racing class of 750cc.

Almost as soon as the car appeared in the showrooms a whole new industry was born to provide accessories, tuning equipment and even coachbuilders, offering every type of body style. No time wasted by the racing fraternity either in preparing the little car for race meetings.

Austin recognised the advertising benefits that would accrue from racing and an Austin Seven was tuned and fitted with a lightweight fabric covered body. It made it's first appearance at Brooklands on the 19^th March 1923 and was entered in the Easter Small Car Handicap for cars up to 1,100cc It was driven by Captain Arthur Waite who drove the car to the meeting from Longbridge won the race and drove home. The same car was entered for the Italian Grand Prix des Cyclecars at Monza over a distance of 250 km in May 1923 which it won at an average speed of 57 mph and made the fastest lap at 64 mph. The success of this car encouraged Austin to make another two identical cars and all three were entered for the Summer & August meetings at Brooklands. They were also entered as a team for the Boulogne Motor Week in France in September 1923 but their run of successes ran out with two retirements with lubrication problems and one crash.

Early in the same year Gordon England had persuaded Herbert Austin to let him have a racing chassis on which he built a single seat body. In this form the little car was successful at the Brooklands Meeting sponsored by the BARC when it won and achieved a flying lap at 60.05 mph.

From this time the Austin Seven was always featuring in competitions from trials to Le Mans and one was even driven up mount Snowden. This publicity was good for sales and by the time production had ceased in 1939 about 375,000 cars had been sold.

The Austin Seven was not just a British phenomenon as it was made under licence in the following countries:-

France as the Rosengart from 1928 to 1939

Germany as the Dixi by BMW from 1928 to 1932

America as the Bantam from 1930 to 1941 (see American Austin)

Japan as the Datsun from 1933 built on imported chassis but shortened to comply with Japanese light car regulations.

The basic design of the Austin Seven changed very little over the years, but as body styles were updated they tended to become longer and heavier, and the chassis was lengthened by 6 inches to 6ft. 9ins. in 1933. To counter this extra weight the 1937 models were fitted with a Ricardo designed cylinder head to increase the power and for the first time semi-Girling brakes. The Austin Seven had notoriously bad brakes previously.

Although the Seven ceased production in 1939 it has lived on with the support of owners all over the world who have used it as cheap transport and as the basis for sports and racing cars.

A club which owes it's formation to this marque is the 750 Motor Club (it's name derived from the Seven's engine capacity). Some of the most famous drivers and racing car designers are, or have been, members of this club. One notable member was Colin Chapman whose Lotus cars were so successful in Formula 1 racing. His first racing car was built to the 750 Formula and won the championship in 1951. As a mark of his respect for the Austin Seven every subsequent Lotus racing car had one Austin Seven component incorporated in the design.

Clubs for Austin Seven owners:

The 750 Motor Club : Secretary, Neil Carr-Jones, Worth Farm, Little Horsted,

East Sussex TN22 5TT

The Pre-War Austin Seven Club : Secretary, D MacCurrie, 11 Manor Close, Burbage,

Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 2NL

The Vintage Sports Car Club : Secretary, Stuart Pringle, The Old Post Office, West street,

Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 5EL

Bibliography:

The Austin Seven Source Book, by Bryan Purves, published by G T Foulis, 1989

Austin Seven, by Chris Harvey, published by Haynes, 1985

The Austin Seven, by R J Wyatt, published by David & Charles,

Austin Seven Specials, by L M Williams, published by Foulis 1958 and reprints.

Austin Seven Competition Cars 1922-1982, by M F Eyre, published by 750 Motor Club