Automobile - Fabric Saloon Found

[Colin Morgan]

Hi

The latest Automobile magazine shows a good find - 1930 factory fabric saloon - for careful gentle conservation...  

A Google search threw up a picture of it from a while ago from the Hertfordshire Archives.

Colin

[JonE]

some more pics here if you can't easily loiter in Smiths...
https://sevenrk.wordpress.com/2019/11/11...-surfaces/
(nothing to do with me but another Forum user here has helped the family revive it - well done!)

[James Anderson]

That photo is a great find Colin, and also great work on wordpress as usual Jon! As Jon is aware, I've been a bit 'out of it' having had a recent sinus operation but I really appreciate this great sort of publicity and the recovery of records like this is a great illustration of how good the Internet is. I would say that the photo is of the previous or even 1st owner of the car which is in barely used condition. It has been in the current family's ownership since 1966 and incredibly has never been MOTd! The car was trailered to and from local steam rallies from its current location near Billingshurst and the only evidence I have of it being 'on the road' is a photo of the current owner, now in her 80s, driving her mother around probably about 30 years ago. The owner still works part-time in a vaguely Downton Abbey-esque situation as a housekeeper for 'the Big House' and sadly is a bit confused. Her late husband was the 'engineer' to all the farm and other equipment and was a worse collector of things than me! He collected everything you could name from stationary steam engines to Fergie Tractors plus an immense amount of tat in between! But the only jewel as far as I can see is this Fabric Saloon. I was only brought into  the scene to value the car but couldn't resist getting it running etc. I am not likely to experience anything similar again, a dream find!

[Colin Morgan]

Hi James,

The photo carried the following caption:

"We hold many historic transport photos within our collections - here Arthur and wife Flo stand beside their Austin car"

https://twitter.com/HertsArchives/status...2957313025

They may have an idea of the date?

What an opportunity. Sevens are still turning up... we can all live in hope.

Colin

[James Anderson]

What a fabulous resource, I really haven't explored the internet as much as I possibly should but there again being old school feel much happier up to my elbows in spanners and grease but if I get any more knackered and my brain remains in gear perhaps that's the time to delve into the 'net'. Talking of (my) brain failure, Chris Gould has quite rightly brought it to my attention that the other thing the late Eric Taylor was very into were stationary engines, not stationary steam engines although no doubt if they exist he would've been! This latter interest may explain why the Austin 7 wasn't seen that often by anyone, except to date, Bertie Fowler who as everyone knows is a real 'people person' and would get to know anyone with anything of interest! Incidentally and possibly most importantly the car is for sale and I have valued it, in view of its rarity at £12,500 but this is negotiable particularly if a legitimate prospective owner was going to keep it in 'oily rag' condition. My stable is too full of cars to even think about another but if I had the space, time and money, I definitely would've bought it! Hopefully, as this is the first place it is getting vaguely advertised, it should attract an appropriate fellow enthusiast. Apologies to the management for hijacking the forum chat section to attempt to sell the car but most people I've talked to seem to think I've bought it!

[Tony Press]

Jon,

So we have- 1930 UK Fabric Saloon 

Car No. B 1068

Chassis 98300 

What is the Body/Tunnel Number ?

What is the Engine Number ?

Is the Car Number etched ?

[JonE]

Over to James! I'm close enough to go and see it and will respond to invitation!
(Tony - I've been wanting - nay, gagging to see it - but it's been private up till now, and I'm not a potential buyer just an anorakky gawper...:-)

But interestingly enough, isn't it fantastic to have those questions bandied around now? At all your meets, tunnel numbers and stamping/etching processes need to be on the agenda with the peanuts otherwise we will never truly get to the bottom of "how it all happened at Austins"....

[James Anderson]

The Engine Number is 98589 the car was first registered on 17/12/1930 and Clive John Davis Osborn who lived in Haslemere was the previous and most possibly first owner of the car, he is also likely to be the chap in the above photo. There is a delightfully old tax disc that expired on 31st December 1940 but as the car resides over 25 miles away from me, I'm not prepared to go and gather numbers and more proof of the car's identity unless someone is seriously interested in buying it! I've got to go out to see it again in about 2 week's time with a recharged battery and I'll try and obtain the details Tony requests, unless he is a potential purchaser and I'll go sooner. I've actually put a lot of effort into resuscitating this fantastic little car with innumerable trips up to Billingshurst for nothing as I feel so sorry for the confused old owner and also want to fly the flag for the A7 Fraternity and their decency for fellow less able owners. I don't want any sympathy or applause but I've got quite a number of my own cars to look after quite apart from recovering from a recent significant operation.

[Tony Press]

Hi

The latest Automobile magazine shows a good find - 1930 factory fabric saloon - for careful gentle conservation...  

A Google search threw up a picture of it from a while ago from the Hertfordshire Archives.

Colin

I know my eyesight is failing but I cannot find any mention in the January 2020 'Automobile'

---

The Engine Number is 98589 the car was first registered on 17/12/1930 and Clive John Davis Osborn who lived in Haslemere was the previous and most possibly first owner of the car, he is also likely to be the chap in the above photo. There is a delightfully old tax disc that expired on 31st December 1940 but as the car resides over 25 miles away from me, I'm not prepared to go and gather numbers and more proof of the car's identity unless someone is seriously interested in buying it! I've got to go out to see it again in about 2 week's time with a recharged battery and I'll try and obtain the details Tony requests, unless he is a potential purchaser and I'll go sooner. I've actually put a lot of effort into resuscitating this fantastic little car with innumerable trips up to Billingshurst for nothing as I feel so sorry for the confused old owner and also want to fly the flag for the A7 Fraternity and their decency for fellow less able owners. I don't want any sympathy or applause but I've got quite a number of my own cars to look after quite apart from recovering from a recent significant operation.

James,

I wasn't expecting you to do anything further than you already have- I thought Jon might have had these figures- sorry.

I am hard put to maintain my very original 1929 fabric Saloon along with two other 7's so I won't be putting in an offer.

My 7's fabric upholstery isn't standing up as well as the leathercloth in this one either so I do hope a sympathetic owner can be found soon.  

Tony.

[Colin Morgan]

Sorry, it is my eyesight that is going - it is the February 2020 issue, page 79.

Colin