Hot Chummy

[Steve Bryant]

Hi all,
 I've often wondered about this car shown on the cover of a Austin Seven club magazine (can't recall which one) which showed a members car  that was described as a "Hot Chummy".  It seems to have wider tyres than normal and possibly smaller rims.

Does anyone know the car and what was done with it to make it a  Hot Chummy?

  Hot chummy.jpg (Size: 86.99 KB / Downloads: 519)
   

I've wondered about this car for years, and wondered if someone might know more about it.
Thanks,
Stephen

[Henry Harris]

It's Peter Warner's Chummy. 
These pics are en route to the south of France, April 1974, the 750 Motor Club Monte Carlo Rally.

   
Peter's passenger was Richard Crofts.

Peter was an Illustrator who lived in Tatsfield. His work ranged from animal to technical. 
For a while there was a sideline business, Boundary Prints which produced a series of prints of Austin Sevens.


PH was a 1928 Chummy. 
Genuine Speedy engine with downdraft SU carb.
Sports 4 speed gearbox with Eltos remote.
Nippy front axle.
Nippy springs.
5.25 CWP
Hydraulic brakes
15" wheels

Sadly, after Peter's death in 2007 the component parts were scattered.
The by then rather battered body turned up at Beaulieu in 2010 and the registration number is now on a 1925 car. 
I have no idea where the sports parts went.

[Zetomagneto]

   
Now back on a 1928 car

[Henry Harris]

Yes, Green, Petrol and registered 29th March 1928.
But it's now on Chassis number 7961, Car number A1-7961.

[Stuart Giles]

Did the hot chummy have a pram hood fitted from an earlier car? I remember a chummy at the Silver Jubilee rally on the IoM in 1977 that had a lot of sports parts on it; it was very quick. I remember from speaking to the owner at the time that he said the pram hood was fitted for aerodynamic reasons.

[Henry Harris]

Stuart, I think you're right. It did have a pram hood.
I remember it being recovered by Peter's friend Barry Argent using a treadle sewing machine in the garden at Boundary View.

[Ivor Hawkins]

What a specification and how desirable would that car be today?

Love Peter’s style, long hair, shades on, silly hat and a fag, very much de rigeur at the time and I’m still there!

[Zetomagneto]

I had aspirations of building something like this back in the 80s, talking to Ian Dunford at the time he said it would be an Austin 7 Chippy, or Austin 7 Nummy. Happy Day's.
Best Regards to you Ian
Gene

[Alan]

It must have been early 1980s that we put my race engine in Steve Hopkins’ Chummy. I can’t remember exactly why we did it but a following car reckoned 85 on the level. Of course the chassis and braking systems were standard 1927 and I described it at the time as gloriously dangerous. It was. Eventually I had to ask for my engine back before anything bad happened. O

[austin]

Richard Crofts "Crofty", (the one with he camera) was my metalwork teacher at Oxted County School.

Lovely chap who could be described as gloriously dangerous at times, used to brush his teeth in the workshop if you had him for first lesson!