Hello, and thanks for allowing me to join. I am considering buying an Austin 7, trouble is, I've never even sat in one let alone drive one. I've had many classics, but mainly 50s and 60s cars. I bought a Morris 8 series E many years ago and it was awful. Truly awful. It put me off older stuff. But.. When I see a box saloon or a special I'm stopped in my tracks and am tempted. So. My question is, what are they like to live with and drive on these modern roads? Are there any models or years to avoid? I'm pretty good at spannering and not scared of oily bits. Just looking for opinions really.
That question is so subjective Colin, you will get a wide range of answers I am sure. I guess my question to you is what are you looking for from the car, use performance etc, these factors will have bearing on which model is most suitable for your personal requirements. Any well fettled A7 is a delightful car and the badly set up ones truly awful, so you really need to meet knowledgeable people with good cars who are willing to take you for a drive. Perhaps some local members of this forum may be willing to assist you on that front. The great thing about A7's is you can go from a quirky early open car like a Mag engined Chummy, one of my personal favourites, through the range of saloons, sports models and specials to a +90mph capable racer!
A well maintained Austin Seven is a reliable and comparatively inexpensive way of getting into prewar motoring, although standard cars are somewhat pedestrian by modern standards. They are, however a totally different driving experience from most post war cars. Everything has to be managed, from the power of the engine, which, again on a standard car is less than a garden tractor, to the handling which requires constant attention, and the barely adequate brakes. The clutch has very little movement between engaged and disengaged and needs careful handling, at least at first, but is quickly mastered.They are also little. Folk were smaller in the 30's than they are now. I am 5' 7", not tall by today's standards, But, in my RP saloon, even with the seat in the rearmost position, I have to sit on a cushion to get enough room for my legs to be comfortable.
That having been said, however, I thoroughly enjoy driving my box saloon and use it frequently. In fact, just over a week ago, I used it to go down to South Wales to collect parts for my VW Polo, doing nearly 270 miles there and back in the day without any difficulty whatsoever at an average (cross country) speed of about 30 mph.
AS the years went by, Sevens became more and more civilised. The earlier cars are truly vintage in their feel, but a late 3 bearing engined Ruby is a very comfortable (comparatively) quiet little car indeed and capable of almost 60 mph.
To give to some sort of feel as to what a Seven is like, there are several videos on Youtube ranging from a couple of road tests of a Ruby to videos of simply being out and about in one.
And Yes! Try and blagg a drive in one!
You don't say why you found a Series E Morris 8 so awful. I'm afraid my experience of that type of car is limited and is confined to a Wolseley 8 (same car but with the Wolseley overhead cam engine with another 5 bhp) that a friend owned when I was at college some 50 years ago. I remember it as quite a worthy little car. I had no wish to own one, but I wouldn't have described it as 'awful'. In fact the Wolseley 8 was the late Lord Nuffield's favourite car, and when he wore his first one out, in the 50's the factory built him another one out of spare parts!
The fact that you found an E awful not a good omen. With the engine far forward they rode well without the pitching of predecessors (and Sevens) and had a smooth reasonably powerful engine with 4 speed box and hydraulic brakes and shock absorbers; amongst the sweetest of pre war small cars.
I owned a Series E for many years and was able to compare directly with an Austin Ruby. The Morris is quieter, smoother easier to drive and generally more civilised than the Ruby. It does have gearing that makes steep hills difficult (I had to ask passengers to walk more than once) and is much less engaging than the Ruby. It generally feels more modern but a lot less fun.
At the time I owned my Morris (30 years ago) the spares situation and club scene was far better for Austins and the owners far more active and youthful (yes really!) than for the Morris. When things went wrong I found myself asking for help from the Austin owners I knew and eventually decided the Morris wasn't worth all the work. I'm still driving the Ruby and I love it.
I agree you need to try before you buy, with the caveat that Sevens feel much better if you drive them frequently.
Colin - do take up any offer to 'try before you buy' and go along to your nearest Austin 7 Club meeting and talk to owners. You will find them always ready to help a prospective new owner...
Colin916, i did not sit in an Austin seven before buying one, I just bought it. After a lengthy restoration (there was a period of 21 years in the middle when I didn't touch the seven) it is now driveable. I've only driven it three times, total mileage maybe 20 miles, but this is how I enjoyed it.
Plenty of room for my legs (I'm 6 foot) and quite comfortable. No room for my left foot. I'm only a size 9 shoe but most footwear is too wide to operate the clutch easily. I've found an old pair of deck shoes and that problem is fixed.
Fun to drive! Quite nippy, light steering, and with practice you don't need brakes. Going in a straight line is easy, turning a corner is easy but seems different to other cars. Not a problem.
The clutch is a bit fierce but no problem to drive. I have not mastered manoeuvring, stop start in and out of the garage etc. Starting when the lights go green is ok, but trying to creep a foot forward is impossible. In reverse it's worse. But it's early days.
Can't drive it at the moment as the seats are away for upholstering. Strangely, i don't miss it. It's likely I will learn to love it, and no way I will hate it, but at the moment... don't really care.
In the past I've enjoyed driving everything from an A30 to an E type Jag, Rolls Royce and Audi Quattro, Transit and trailer, 7 1/2 tonne car transporter to artic. My other old car is a 1955 Austin Cambridge, a very pleasant and sedate form of transport.
12-06-2020, 01:08 PM (This post was last modified: 12-06-2020, 01:13 PM by Tony Griffiths.)
The wonderful thing about the Austin 7 is the sheer variety of models to choose from. An early Chummy will give you a startling insight into marginal motoring in the 1920s; a Box saloon from the early 1930s something a little more civilised and a late-model Ruby a quite different experience. Underneath the body, as you probably know, the design - if not the details of the components used - remained unchanged. It might be best to start with a standard car from the following popular and easily obtained types. The Seven is so different from any small car made from the early 1950s onwards that they do take some getting used to. Drive one daily - for a couple of weeks - and the initial doubts might well wear off. Enjoy the difference!
I can quite understand Andrew's ambivalence at this stage; I'm sure the car will grow on him given time.
Put it this way, over a period of over fifty years' of driving in which I started in Austin Sevens, I have twice sold up and moved on thinking that was a motoring experience that I had enjoyed but outgrown; it's telling that I am back yet again, and enjoying the experience just as much as I have ever done.
