23-10-2017, 09:38 PM
Ken Kimber writes:
"KR 9277.
This car was bought in about 1970 by an American called David Reilly who was living in this country. He restored what was a fairly rough car and the restoration was written up in the 750 MC Bulletin under the title of ‘What it costs to restore an Austin Seven today’,
I thought I had a copy but have not found it yet !
After about ten years the car was in need of a rebuild again and the work was carried out by someone known as ‘Nasty Peter’ who I think was based in Essex somewhere.
Soon afterwards David returned to America and left the car in the care of Henry Harris, whilst in his care the car was used for a scene in the film A passage to India . You would need to be told which shot it was because the camera was actually in the car looking forward through the windscreen.
I bought the car in about 1985 and used it quite extensively. Whilst I owned it the engine was rebuilt and I fitted a lower ratio diff. which was helpful in trials and driving tests, at which the car was fairly useful. In fact it was in the winning team at one Beaulieu National Rally and won the Shield that previous owner David Reilly had presented to The the 750MC before he returned to America
By the mid nineties I had become quite heavily involved in Historic Rallying and was not using KR 9277 so parted company with it via The Lenham Motor Company
With regard to colour it was a fairly pale colour in photographs before David restored it but I think since then it has always been maroon and black.
Regards Ken"
"KR 9277.
This car was bought in about 1970 by an American called David Reilly who was living in this country. He restored what was a fairly rough car and the restoration was written up in the 750 MC Bulletin under the title of ‘What it costs to restore an Austin Seven today’,
I thought I had a copy but have not found it yet !
After about ten years the car was in need of a rebuild again and the work was carried out by someone known as ‘Nasty Peter’ who I think was based in Essex somewhere.
Soon afterwards David returned to America and left the car in the care of Henry Harris, whilst in his care the car was used for a scene in the film A passage to India . You would need to be told which shot it was because the camera was actually in the car looking forward through the windscreen.
I bought the car in about 1985 and used it quite extensively. Whilst I owned it the engine was rebuilt and I fitted a lower ratio diff. which was helpful in trials and driving tests, at which the car was fairly useful. In fact it was in the winning team at one Beaulieu National Rally and won the Shield that previous owner David Reilly had presented to The the 750MC before he returned to America
By the mid nineties I had become quite heavily involved in Historic Rallying and was not using KR 9277 so parted company with it via The Lenham Motor Company
With regard to colour it was a fairly pale colour in photographs before David restored it but I think since then it has always been maroon and black.
Regards Ken"