Opals and two-seaters

[Ruairidh Dunford]

This is utterly bizarre - Graham is one of the people on FB arguing (in the nicest way) that the Opal is the painted cowl model??

I now join Tony Press’ queue for the confused...

[squeak]

All my remaining show brochures back up your claim Ruairidh, that the chrome rad 2 seater was the ONLY Austin 7 to carry the name 'opal',
Oskar Stockler in Vienna put out an illustrated brochure showing a painted late model cowl and printed title "offener tzweisitzer" BUT he adheres to the old mantle "opal" in his accompanying price list.  So we can discount the list as secondary evidence.

 

[Mike Costigan]

All my remaining show brochures back up your claim Ruairidh, that the chrome rad 2 seater was the ONLY Austin 7 to carry the name 'opal'...

But just to add to the confusion, only the 2-seater with the Ruby-type steering column - ie the 1934 £100 car - is an Opal, not the preceeding PD tourer! 

[JonE]

ha - yes. And that is a "Two-Seater"! But £105...
So the hypothesis must revolve around the word 'Opal' but not 'TwohyphenSeater'... unless the latter has terms and conditions!

[Derek Sheldon]

I have been driving around in a 1938 two seat tourer APE for 35 years, if anybody asks  in the future it will still be a
1938 OPAL

[e-richard]

Similar to Derek Sheldon, I have owned my OPAL painted cowl rad APE for 50 years. It came with the original (grey) log book defining it as an OPAL and all documents since then refer to OPAL.

Now, the purists among you may well debate the subtleties of naming by the Austin company, but to me, an enthusiastic owner, its just an Austin 7 OPAL 

[Mike Costigan]

Similar to Derek Sheldon, I have owned my OPAL painted cowl rad APE for 50 years. It came with the original (grey) log book defining it as an OPAL and all documents since then refer to OPAL.

Now, the purists among you may well debate the subtleties of naming by the Austin company, but to me, an enthusiastic owner, its just an Austin 7 OPAL 

That's interesting, and could be significant. Is it truly the original  logbook (ie issued 1936 or whatever) or is it an early continuation book?

I must admit as the instigator of the original thread which was probably the catalyst for the Facebook conversation I was stirring things for amusement - I too have always considered the APEs as Opals 

[JonE]

"I didn't get where I am today without stirring up things for amusement..."
Let's face it, if nobody picked things up and reinvestigated them, it would be pretty dull on 'ere wouldn't it?

"Did you see the new coffees menu at the Bull and Sprout? They've one that has been through the innards of a civet..."

e-Richard, are we allowed to see a pic? (with bits covered up if appropriate.... )

[Charles Levien]

An interesting conundrum on Facebook. 

The hypothesis [suggested by Wyatt, essentially, supported by all the Austin literature presently on offer] is that the "Opal" was so named in August '34 as part of the Longbridge launch of the Jewel series, as the last vestige of the flat chrome rad in the range. £100. 

In Aug 35, the Ruby-type front APE car took over (after 735 APDs produced), with the name "Two-Seater". £102.10s

There is believed to be evidence for the later model name continuing as the "Opal" in more than just social useage, the latter of which is completely understandable. So if anyone has any named picture of the APE contained within original Austin factory material or advertising, with anything other than "Two-Seater", please shout! 

I’m happy to call my 1937 “Opal” an Austin Seven two seat tourer but I suspect everybody else in the A7 world will call it an Opal. A rose is a rose etc.
On another point, did the painted grille cars come out of Longbridge with the Austin Seven script always in the center of the grille?

Charles

[Timothy P]

With regards 'Opal' appearing on a logbook, but not in the Austin literature, would it make sense that maybe some dealers continued using the term 'Opal' when selling the new 'Two Seater', as it was in line with the naming of the Ruby and Pearl?