Identifying Austin Sevens by their Factory Initials

[JonE]

Surely it MUST be an AD, but one of the slight variants, assuming that is not a registration date for which there could have been lag.

PF is listed as fabric on metal, 8" Scuttle Jan '31; PL fabric body, Nov '30 - do they still exist or are they singular cars?

[Dave Mann]

I knew I'd miss something, yes they had the rear vertical seams but like the RP they were hidden only visible behind the headlining Mike

[Mike Costigan]

If PF is the 1931 type with 8" scuttle, what are the differences between PA, PB and PC - I can only identify two versions before Jan 1931? As for a PL fabric body, I don't believe there ever was such an animal... and what code should we be looking for on a 1932 all-metal boat-tail? And for that matter, why PF and PL, why not use PD and PE which were the next in sequence?

[Tony Press]

Goodness ! And I thought I was an Anorak/Rivet Counter !! 

Making my head hurt 

[JonE]

Sadly we can't apply rationality! If one looks at the Production Changes book, I can see that Dave Martin has interpreted where possible but in other places, one can perhaps only state facts. And the cards may not have been the only source (we once had.)
The P/PA thing seems to be the same as D/AD (or Ad initially) i.e. P was the start, but what other could 1929 be other than long scuttle?
PB has 27.5" bonnet, PC 25.5"bonnet... so following the development elsewhere. Both short scuttle.
Perhaps he could be approached on PL and PF and whether there are extant cars or whether they are like the RF (1) variant, recorded but probably lost?

[Mike Costigan]

So you're coming to the same conclusion as me, Jon? ie: the three basic models are PA (maybe initially P), PB, and PC, which leaves no room for PF and PL (the 25½" bonnet and 8" scuttle cars are the same animal, the equivalent of the RM saloon).

I agree, Tony, this is all a bit petty, but if we are going to publish the book, we need to get these details right, or someone will pop up with a car that 'doesn't exist' - see the recent thread which has revealed the existence of an AK tourer which appears to be identical to the AH tourer, not the later AAK ...

[JonE]

I'm only interpreting what's already been comprehensively interpreted by Dave and which are our only lead to what was used. I know nothing! Let's find out what is his best guess first, and see if there are any weird cars known to Chris Chubb perhaps, who I'm sure is signed up here, or if not, who might lurk...

[Lance Sheldrick]

My 1929 fabric saloon has just the body number stamped on the tunnel with no prefix. This number also appears neatly signwritten on the inside of the bonnet hinge near the radiator. Likewise my "RN" van does not have "RN" or any prefix  stamped into the tunnel, just the number.

[JonE]

Note from Dave Martin: "I am having trouble getting on to the A7 Friends website to contribute to the P/PA etc chat.
I see that some people do not believe in the PL or PF body type. All I can say is that this information came from the Index Cards which are now available on the A7CA website for anyone interested to check. They have NOT been invented!! The information is from primary Longbridge sources. And to make it easy for people to access, it is all tabulated in the Production Changes book.
(copies still available for £10 from Phil Baildon, cheque to A7CA)"

.....

Interesting about the Van lack of prefix... worth noting. What are others' experience there?

Mike, can the new revision split the RF down into the RF (1), RF (2) and RF (3) variants/ranges as per the recent Mag article, for correctness? It feels that if it can be done entirely, it won't need to be done again (unless another bucket of Longbridge records emerges from someone's shed)

Likewise, surely the PF and PL "spaces" in the redesign should be there precisely to generate more information; to keep people on their guard to something which may emerge?

It may all be dreadful rivet counting, but other than keeping cars running, assembling new ones and making new mates while talking about raffle prizes, what else IS there to talk about? Discovering original cars and pawing over primary source information is our only connection to what Austin thought constituted the Austin 7.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I think it is fascinating - particularly because many believe that ‘everything’ is already known.

Please keep up the good work Dave.