RK4953

[Colin Ayre]

   
  525367A6-775E-45C6-A19D-9A5F9D5AE925.jpeg (Size: 88.78 KB / Downloads: 760)

Last year I bought this car described as a 1925 Austin Seven Special.  The car is well built and does not appear to be a home built car.  I decided to change the wings and by accident found that Chummy wings fitted without any modification.  When reading The Austin Seven Source Book, page 90 describes the 1925 Sports.  Unlike the earlier sports models this used front wings type D, rear wings type A and running boards type B.  The length of the tail was reduced from1924 with dimensional changes using 3 tail lengths.  In discussion with Chris Garner he produced some photos of a 1925 sports
We can see that the windscreen on the sports is angled back and the scallop on the doors is different.

I have also found that the car was rescued from a scrapyard at Wing areodrome in the 1960’s and put back on the road.  I assume that the cycle wings were fitted then and a bench seat fitted.  Inside the car the rear seat crossmember is also of reduced height as in the 1924 sports.

So the big question is “What is this car”?  What else should we look for to establish its origin.  Are there any other 1925 Sports that we can compare it with?

Any suggestions

Colin Ayre

[JonE]

what does it say on the transmission tunnel? There should be a stamp which might, with a chassis number, give some indication of what built series it initially belonged to.

[Colin Ayre]

The chassis No , car No and Engine No all match log book and are on the chassis register. So far I have not found a body No on transmission tunnel or rear chassis cross member. I intend to have another go at finding this

[Tony Press]

Bill Sheehan asked me to post this:
 
"RK4953  -----  Regret to say this looks nothing like a 1925 Sports and reference to the Source mudwing details is a waste of time.  The car looks like it has the small brakes of a '25, a flat AC (1925) tourer scuttle top the -  Sports 50 always had a curved top to the scuttle and matching lower windscreen frame which was angled back - , early lamps, steering wheel etc but the tail is nothing like a '25 Sports.  It is probably steel (not aluminium as the Sports 50) and it's difficult to say from the angle to say whether it's from a Wasp or a Meteor, both Aussie steel bodies.  Re the Chummy wings, I only know of one '25 Sports (in New Zealand) and the owner assured me that the wings, although similar, are not standard Chummy (probably modified at the factory to line up with the curved sports body).  Because I'm precluded from looking at the second photo (and from posting direct on the Forum by the ridiculous MyBB system)  I can't help any more unless you email me direct on ausevenoz@gmail,com for further help, which I'm happy to provide.  Good Luck and Cheers,   Bill in Oz"

The brilliant BB 'upgrade'    has struck again !

[Mike Costigan]

That looks like the special formally owned and campaigned in VSCC events in the 1970s by Clive Hamilton-Gould. He's still around and active in VSCC events, so it might be worth tracking him down. It's obviously not got the correct steering box for a 1925 Sports, and from memory if it is Clive's old car the proportions are all wrong for a Sports.

[Ivor Hawkins]

I agree with Mike, it looks like Clive H-Gs special, I will have a look at some of my old photographs from Enstone.

[Colin Ayre45]

Hello All
I have been locked out and have had to reregister in order to post.  I still can't log in on my Ipad.

The car is the one used by Clive Hamilton Gould in the 70's and he called it a special and I bought it as a special.  Clive has confirmed the details of its findings in a scrapyard.

I have now found a body No on the transmission tunnel which is in the correct sequence for a 1925 car.  Checking the log book it is registered as a sports.

I have been in contact with the gentleman in New Zealand who has a 1925 sports and I am waiting for photos of his car and a copy of the 1925 spec. that he has.

What we know is

Car No  A2 3602
Chassis 13602
Engine M 13678
Body  13207

Wing Aerodrome closed in the early 1960's so the car was scrapped then and subsequently rescued.  The brakes were coupled a bench seat fitted and the body, which is aluminium, fabric coated and the car called a special.  All the data I have points to it originally being a 1925 sports.  These are different in shape to the earlier sports models and I cant find a similar car in the UK.  The best information to date is Chris Garners photos,  Any further information or ideas will be appreciated.

Colin

[JonE]

Colin - the numbers are all in sequence... but body number probably AC tourer?

[Mike Costigan]

I have no doubt that it started life as a standard C tourer; the 'Sports' identity in the log book is inconclusive, it was normal practice in the 'sixties for the local authority to reclassify when a car was turned into a special. The scuttle, dashboard and steering box/column a clearly from a standard chummy rather than a Sports model.

[Ivor Hawkins]

Still a cracking little car and with a certain amount of history...and it’s all local!