My grandads Austin 7 Cambridge - where is it?

[Youngseven]

Hi all, my grandad has shown me a picture of the Cambridge he had in the 60’s, it was a 1934 in grey and we believe the registration was HH 6559, it was in the Guildford area. Picture below. Does anyone know anything about it that may lead us to where it may have ended up or may be? Many thanks

[Greig Smith]

I rotated the picture for you

Aye
Greig

[Martin Prior]

Unfortunately it's not listed on DVLA or on the A7CA register. That doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't still around. It may simply have been laid up since the early 'seventies, or could have been exported, or may be running on a different registration.

[Youngseven]

So someone on the Facebook Austin 7 group has come good with some pictures, and the correct reg hh 6558. Was last on the road 1980, I wonder if it’s still around. Grey was the original colour, burgundy after it had been restored in the 70’s. However on dvla suggests it was later changed to green, or maybe a dvla error?

[Jeff Taylor]

As you say, the DVLA database shows that the last V5C was issued on 13th May 1980 and its current status is 'Not taxed for on road use' which suggests it hasn't been taxed since at least the introduction of SORN in January 1998 and probably for some time before that. HH 6558 is not known to the A7CA Chassis Register. The registration HH 6558 was issued by the City of Carlisle in early 1933 - the first registration issued on 1st January 1933 was HH 6529.

[Tony Griffiths]

Great to find other pictures. Here's a quickly cleaned-up, lower-resolution copy of the battered original.

[Bruce Nicholls]

The special previously owned by my brother in the 70's turned up recently in good condition after being missing for many years so anything is possible.

[Geoff12bikes]

Hi, your grandad’s Cambridge Special is in my garage! I’ve owned HH6558 since 1974, bought it off a school teacher (Hepple?) in Ropley just south of Guildford. I was an active member of the Solent A7 club, then house ownership got in the way. I’ve not used her since around 1980, last ran her around the village illegally in 1993. She is next on my list for light restoration, having just finished two vintage motorcycles. I reside in south Hampshire if you want to see her? Cheers, Geoff.

[Ian Williams]

That appears to be a nicely put together Cambridge and great to have the picture of it for the 60's and great that Geoff has made it possible to reunite him with the car. Did your grandfather build the car?

[JonE]

Fabulous news. I wonder if the time Geoff ended membership with Solent was prior to the time that data started to be gathered for the register? It makes me think that there is still a great hidden raft of garage cars; it would be great to know more on survival rates for the centenary. Certainly even the high survival rates of the Nippies 5 years back are continually still being added to.