1929 Austin Seven Van "Bella"

[Reckless Rat]

The registration number on the front looks decidedly French. The 14 code might relate to the Calvados departement in northern France around Caen.

[Zetomagneto]

Hang on Reckless, this is Dereks car, It would have a French Reg wouldn’t it?

[JonE]

Oui oui!

[Reckless Rat]

No wonder! Senior moments are becoming more and more prevalent these days. I need to go and potter in the garage and keep off t'internet.

[Ally Monce]

   
   

Rosengart was provided with 100 rolling chassis in 1928 to start his business. These of course would be identical to the Austin of the period. These chassis could be recorded in the Austin archives. 
You may have a Rosengart  cooling fan which is mounted on a “tower”, on a slot arrangement.

Hi Derek  this is my engine fan tower please let me know what you think cheers Ally

[Martin Prior]

Rosengart was provided with 100 rolling chassis in 1928 to start his business. These of course would be identical to the Austin of the period. These chassis could be recorded in the Austin archives. 
You may have a Rosengart  cooling fan which is mounted on a “tower”, on a slot arrangement.

Hi Derek  this is my engine fan tower please let me know what you think cheers Ally

This is getting very interesting!   Derek's the Rosengart expert, so I'll leave it to him to comment.

Does the crankcase have "Austin" or "Rosengart" cast into it?  Any numbers visible?  Chassis photos, please!

[Derek Sheldon]

Hope that this shows what you mean

[Ally Monce]

[attachment=2448]
[attachment=2448]

Hi Martin a front axle and a mid chassis photo to ponder Block casting has Austin, Eng No,79116  I refer to Bella as my little mongrel !! cheers Ally

Rosengart was provided with 100 rolling chassis in 1928 to start his business. These of course would be identical to the Austin of the period. These chassis could be recorded in the Austin archives. 
You may have a Rosengart  cooling fan which is mounted on a “tower”, on a slot arrangement.

Hi Derek  this is my engine fan tower please let me know what you think cheers Ally

This is getting very interesting!   Derek's the Rosengart expert, so I'll leave it to him to comment.

Does the crankcase have "Austin" or "Rosengart" cast into it?  Any numbers visible?  Chassis photos, please!

[Derek Sheldon]

[attachment=2451][attachment=2452]As Lewis Carrol wrote “curiouser and curiouser “ as you can see from the photographs of my Rosengart , yours appears to be a bastardisation of Rosengart and Austin. The way I see it is .that you have two choices if you can’t fix what you have. Austin parts are more readily available, Rosengart parts will look more like you have. The dynamo housings are interchangeable as the hole centres are the same. You would then need an Austin fan assembly , having said that yours looks Austin.

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Reckless, bang on the nail. It is a French number and from Calvados. Haven’t finished restoring it yet, have a British number plate to attach.

[Jeff Taylor]

Certainly not an Austin 7 chassis, though reminiscent of the style and construction of pre 1934 Morris Minor chassis' - although if so it's been heavily altered. Finned brake drums - I believe these were available on the MG 'M' Type which was based on the early Morris Minor chassis - possibly 8" diameter ? The Armstrong DAS 8 Lever Arm shock absorbers were fitted to a wide variety of cars from the late 1930's onwards including the 1939 to 1948 Morris 8 Series E - these are of the earlier Armstrong design.