AND another thing -- Do tell folks, if anyone knows, when exactly did Longbridge first start fitting an INTERNAL rear view mirror to Sevens? My handbooks suggest that long chassis saloons had them but earlier cars? - maybe they came in with the 1930 steel bodied saloons.
Our 1930 RF(3) came with one of those 'panoramic' mirrors they advertised in the early '30's (it's now gracing our 'C' series RP) and the RP when we bought it had a miniscule rectangular non-standard Lucas mirror with a complicated screw adjustment, not one of the oval Austin types
The top of the screen in our RK style RF is very much higher than the rear window and so the angle of the rear view in the mirror only showed about 20 feet of the road surface behind. Although non -standard I've had to resort to a suction cup attachment to a lower point because a 'long stalk' fitting above the screen resulted in so much vibration of the mirror that it was useless.
What solutions have other early saloon owners adopted?
I’ve never had a saloon so this may be mistaken but, is it possible to run a brass rod from the top of the screen to the dashboard top and then fit a clamp mirror to that? The height would be fully variable and it should cut down vibration...
We were driving back home to Norfolk in the Opal from this years Yorkshire Experience on the A1M with the rain coming down in stair rods. My dear wife who was in the passenger seat remarked that she couldn’t see anything as there was no wiper on her side — I had to make the excuse that with an Austin Seven there are no unnecessary trimmings and from what I could see out of my side she should really count that as a blessing.
At that point the interior rear view mirror ( an ancient one) fell off leaving me feeling somewhat at a disadvantage. We pull of the road into a handy filling station and I half heartedly asked if they had any super glue to re attach it. Remarkably the guy had a special kit for attaching stick on mirrors — what are the chance of that!
I have an old 'panoramic' rear view mirror in the Pytchley saloon. Looking in the mirror you could be mistaken for thinking you were in the Royal Albert Hall and I think I can also see the back of my head!
I have what appears to be a prewar after-market mirror in my car, which someone has straightened out so that it actually can see through the rear window. And, yes, it vibrates when driving, but at least, when used in conjunction with the door mirror, gives me some indication that I am being followed.
To the original question -Handbook 619C (March 1929) does not mention a Driving mirror provided. Handbook 715 (late 1929/early 1930, haven't checked exactly) says Driving Mirror, then 715, 715A, 715D also say Yes. And Recker - H'book 972 (Nov 1932 for RP) definitely says Yes. So sometime between March and late '29 the answer must be Yes for the initiation. Hopefully others with Handbooks dated in that gap can pinpoint it further. Good Luck, Cheers, Bill in Oz
I have a couple of "lists of spsre parts" (Nov 27 and Jan 29) which detail "Equipment applicable to all models" at he back. Both list driving mirrors from Lucas and Desmo.
I guess it depends on the definition of all models - all "Sevens" or Austin cars in general?
