Arrow Foursome for Auction this week

[Ian Williams]

Ignoring the non original interior for a moment the Radiator, Wings, stays, lights and some of the body panelling all do not look quite right for a LWB Foursome. I will be interested in what Jim has to say.

[Tony Griffiths]

An original side-by-side? Clearly, the ex-WD headlamps are not correct - but the rest?

[Ruairidh Dunford]

The one at an event up here, last weekend, was exactly the same too - as far as I could tell.

The styling is slightly agricultural, compared to Longbridge, in my experience. The headlamp brackets, definitely.

[Ian Williams]

Yes agree they are very agricultural in construction as well as styling, the car discovered here in NZ had bracketry and woodwork which appeared homemade but comparing to other survivor they are all the same. It could be simply that someone has changed the Radiator cowl and headlights, and maybe repanelled parts of the body. Its very hard to judge from photos and I may well be wrong about the wings.

---

I am not sure that the red car is entirely original either Tony.

[Tony Griffiths]

Taking into account the many reports that these cars were of "agricultural construction" - and so few were built - might it be that no two were the same?

[Ian Williams]

Yes Tony you may be right which is why I am asking questions and wondering if this car has a known history. It is the only foursome survivor that I have seen using the 29 type radiator cowl. I was trying to establish if this was a customer special order, an owner modification, or if it is a post war Arrow based special. The special order idea is feasible as Arrow were building the sports 65 at this time which had the 29 type cowl but a different body and wings. However personally it think it is more likely to be an owner modification or special/recreation.

[Mike Costigan]

Another one for comparison:

   

[Tony Griffiths]

A small point, perhaps, but that line of double rivets along the edge of the bonnet must be a good clue as to this being an original car. Who would go to all that trouble if building a "special"? The smaller bonnet is interesting and, as Ian says, the company was also building types with that radiator (I think it looks rather better with that fitted). Wonderful, is it not, that the A7 can be had with so many different bodies - from sublime to prosaic. Is it the only small pre-war car to have been offered with such a wide choice?

[Belinni]

After purchasing my 'possible' Arrow based 50's mud plugger, I have been looking into all things Arrow related. It seems there where quite a few variations and I think the previous comment of no two being the same, could well be correct.The riveted bonnet, does seem to tie in with other known Arrow's and there does also seem to be different variations of the wing stays. With cars of this age, there is plenty of scope for alterations by their many owners, so who knows really what was original - with so few survivors and so little documentation. A few more pics below, the navy one does seem very close to the one in question.

---

Different wing supports:

---

last pic taken at a show last year

[Malcolm Parker]

I am sure that there were detail differences when the cars were made.    A number of reproduction LWB Arrow Foursome bodies have been produced over the years.   John Heath made a batch and Andy Hastings made one for a friend in Perth.  I don't know what became of that.

Andy also made a SWB Arrow Tourer from some very scant remains of an original car.   I remember driving it from Scarborough to Morecambe on one of the Coast to Coast Runs.  It was probably the nicest Austin 7 I have ever driven, beautifully balanced and planted on the road.   It was finished in black with maroon side panels like a Bugatti Type 55.  It went to Switzerland.