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+--- Thread: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle (/showthread.php?tid=8050)
Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - kenkimber - 19-09-2022
If anyone amongst the knowledgeable subscribers to this forum knows of any other images of the Austin Seven bodied to look like a Dunlop Bicycle Saddle that was printed in The Austin Advocate, in I suspect, about 1925 I would be most grateful if you could point me in their direction.
My researches, so far, have failed to find any.
RE: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - Mike Costigan - 19-09-2022
That looks like it has 7" brakes and the flat steering wheel, so probably 1928-29 rather than 1925. I have seen another photo of the same or similar car from a similar angle without the box on the back... I'll have to start searching, I have no idea where!
RE: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - Bill Dixon - 19-09-2022
I would say june/july 1929.
RE: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - JonE - 19-09-2022
odd that if those are 7" brakes, that appears to be an open centre wheel at the rear?
RE: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - kenkimber - 19-09-2022
Mike, I must confess I based my date estimate on what appear to be open centred wheels without considering the steering wheel. If you do remember where you saw the other photograph then I would love to see it.
A trawl through the Austin Advocate Magazines would obviously provide the answer, I know the A7CA archives only have a few copies but presumably Beaulieu and Gaydon have full sets !
Bearing in mind my age, condition and lack of space it is fairly stupid to be considering another project - but if it were 1929 I do just happen to have a spare short chassis with a 1929 V5C in my name registered as a tourer !
RE: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - Mike Costigan - 19-09-2022
I think Bill is just about spot on, maybe August/September; the OF series issued by Birmingham began in May 1929, and had reached the mid-6000s by the end of the year.
RE: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - kenkimber - 20-09-2022
Thankyou chaps for positive dating of the car.
RE: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - JonE - 20-09-2022
so is that just a closed centre wheel with its top chopped off for practical purposes?
I wonder whether the front of the saddle went down over the grill top. It looks not from that angle.
RE: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - kenkimber - 20-09-2022
Doubtful that we will ever find out the mystery of the wheels with their open centres !
A front view would be extremely useful, but it looks as if the ‘saddle’ forms a cowl which only extends about halfway down the radiator and would need to be open at the front otherwise it would impact heavily on the cooling.
RE: Austin seven bodied to look like a bicycle saddle - Mike Costigan - 21-09-2022
I'm not convinced they are open-centre wheels: the shading on the front wheel could be interpreted either way, whilst the black mark on the rear wheel could just be a printer's blemish.