Identifying Austin Sevens by their Factory Initials

[Mike Costigan]

With the last month's production of RN saloons having 4 speed gearbox, D type rear axle, rear fuel tank, separate instrument panel in front of the driver they can be confused with the RP saloon. The easy way to identify them is by the scuttle waist moulding.

Dave, did the late RNs also have the vertical seams either side of the rear window - I would have thought that was an easier feature to spot?

[AustinWood]

That's excellent Howard, just what I needed. Also shows the size of the digits.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Again Jim

Digits are 1/2 inch.  My hinges are also stamped with the body number.

Cheers

Howard

[JonE]

we need to further investigate those cars Mike. Do they exist still with other owners?

Howard's is not a car number, it's a body number.

If car numbers with no prefixes were stamped, then there would be potentially duplicates created from different series? And why would they be different from what has gone before... and after?

Jim - does your Heritage Certificate Car number link to the number on your hinge?

[Howard Wright]

Oops. Well spotted Jon.

Yes it is the body number not car number stamped on the tunnel and hinges.

Howard

[AustinWood]

My car is A8-2350, Chassis 79784, Body No on hinge 3513.
I have always assumed that the RK saloon framing is pretty well identical between Aluminium and fabric.
These bodies are flimsy and I suspect that the doors were individually fitted to the frame and then removed for skinning. My guess is that the number on the hinges was there to ensure it went back on the same body.
I therefore assume that the transmission tunnel number would be the same as the number on the hinge.
There would be no RK & RF on the tunnel because that wouldn't be known until the body was skinned either in aluminium or fabric after the numbering had been done.
That's my guess anyway.
The body type, RN, RP etc appears on the tunnel of those cars.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Jim

I think you are probably right in your premiss. My only comment would be that fabric cars have steel support framing across the rear behind the seats.  I'm not sure if this was a welded part of the floor pan or simply bolted to the ash frame. Whether that made fabric framing different from aluminium cars I don't know.

Cheers

Howard

[JonE]

Good! But are you sure its a '3' at the start of that number, Jim??

Any more pre RL/RGs, please post if you do find a body number prefix! Or a car number!

[Douglas Alderson]

Hi Mike.  Very helpful guide and has been very useful to me.  One comment I would make if it is possible it would be good to have a photo/section for all initial types and not have them merged together e.g. the D/AD and P/PA/PB/PC/PF/PL.

Thanks. Douglas

Yes,Douglas, we hope to improve the photo selection. The D/AD is the same body, just Austin revised their method of annotation. The P/PA/PB/PC/PF/PL is still a puzzle to me and needs further research - I can only identify PA, PB, and PC versions; Austin had already started the double letter code by the introduction of the boat-tail, so I suspect the P doesn't exist unless it refers to the much earlier pointed tail Sports of 1924, and as for the PF and PL, they just don't make sense at all.

Mike, thanks.  Probably my confusion re the D/AD.  But what letter code is a March 29 tourer with nickel rad and headlights mounted next to the rad I appear to have incorrectly thought it was an AD as from the text it predates the AE.

Douglas

[Mike Costigan]

My understanding is that it will be an AD... but there are two different ADs, one with a smaller bulkhead for the earlier cars with small radiators, and one with wider bulkhead for the later cars like yours with the taller radiator! That's just one of the reasons why I am not 100% comfortable with our use of the body type as a foolproof means of identification.