Austin Seven Mulliner Sunshine Saloon

Launched in 1922, the Austin Seven was an unprecedented success that not only saved Austin but wiped out most other small cars and cyclecars of the early 1920s. Simply yet brilliantly engineered by Herbert Austin and his young protégé, Stanley Edge, at Austin’s Lickey Grange home, it quite literally put Britain on the road.

Occupying barely more tarmac than a motorcycle and sidecar, it still had all the comforts of a family saloon and boasted such luxuries as four-wheel drum brakes and (from 1924) an electric starter. Built around an A-frame chassis, it was powered by a 10hp 747cc four-cylinder sidevalve engine mated to a three-speed manual transmission. Suspension was by transverse-leaf springs at the front and quarter-elliptics to the rear. Available in numerous different body styles, it remained in production until 1939. Tough, easy to maintain and huge fun to drive, it has long been the backbone of the vintage car movement.

First registered in May 1930, this particular Seven is an extremely rare Mulliner-bodied Sunshine Saloon. It has a fully documented ownership history from new and comes with no fewer than eight old log books, including the original 1930 buff log book, showing nine owners to date. The third owner, George Jack of Warwick, kept the car from 1937 to 1961 and the fifth owner had it from 1980 to 2003. Clearly a much loved motorcar, it is in excellent condition throughout, drives extremely well and still retains its original engine and original transferable registration number, OG 910.

It would originally have been fitted with a folding canvas roof but at some time this has been replaced with a sliding metal roof. Although this alteration has been expertly carried out, we feel that such a rare car deserves to be returned to the correct factory specification. Supplied with a large folder full of history, this is a most appealing and interesting little Seven that is sure to be a real talking point at any vintage event.