Austin 7 Four-Seat Tourer

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Launched in 1922 and remaining in production until 1939, the Austin 7 was an overnight sensation. Far superior in every way and cheaper than any contemporary rival, the "big car in miniature" quickly wiped out the cyclecar industry and transformed the fortunes of Austin. With good performance, accommodation and four-wheel brakes, it brought proper motoring to the masses and won a legendary status which it has not lost to this day.

An extremely versatile design, its simple but well-executed A-frame, leaf-sprung chassis played host to a bewildering range of derivatives and it won the hearts of the nation, not just because of its toughness, but also its cheeky looks. Drive an Austin 7 today and you will receive more waves and smiles per mile than in any other car.

First registered in June 1933, this Austin 7 Four-Seat Tourer is a late AH model (sometimes referred to as an AJ) with a rear-mounted fuel tank and is effectively an open-top RN saloon. The vendor, a long-standing VSCC member and regular trials marshal, acquired the car in 2015, the V5 showing that it had last changed hands in 1993.

During his ownership he has spent thousands on the car with a view to making it a reliable tourer, much of the work carried out by Ian Tilman of Oxfordshire Sevens and by Alderton Austin Services, with many invoices on file. This has included a rebuild of the front and rear axles with new/replacement half-shafts and king pins; new David Cochrane steering arm and replacement track rod ends; full brake system overhaul; engine block stripped and cleaned internally; recored radiator; part new exhaust; new battery; new hood, hood bag and side screens by David Nightingale (these alone costing £2,857).

In super condition all round, AHK 971 retains its original (transferable) number and recently completed a tour of Jersey in company with a vintage Rolls-Royce, much to the amusement of onlookers! It is only reluctantly for sale to free up space and resources for the vendor’s burgeoning collection of interesting old cars.