Austin 7 Special

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Back in the 1950s, cars were scarce and expensive – even second hand. For many, the only route to a bit of glamour was to build your own, many taking shape around the ubiquitous Austin 7.

Thanks to its simple chassis and plentiful supply, a whole industry evolved, selling ‘off the peg’ bodies which would transform your rusty £5 Austin into a ‘lookalike’ pre-war MG, or thanks to the new craze in fibreglass, a mini Frazer-Nash Sebring – well from a distance anyway...

By the 1960s, the supply of donor vehicles had started to dry up, with remaining Austin 7s being snapped up for restoration rather than conversion. Their place in history is significant though, with Austin 7 Specials forming the launch pad for none other than TVR, McLaren and Lotus, while today they still provide enormous fun on the road, 45mph feeling more like 100mph in a modern car.

This very smart two-seater first came into the vendor’s hands in 2002. Built by a retired aircraft engineer to a very high standard using aluminium over a wood frame, it even incorporates doors, probably the most difficult part of making a special body and an area usually ignored by the special builder. A threshold plate shows that his initials were RJC (not to be confused with the RTC body fitted to many Austin 7s), his coachwork being assembled onto a Vintage 1930 chassis with uncoupled brakes.

The chassis was fitted with a dropped sports-type front axle and the engine mildly tuned to give good performance while remaining reliable. It has an SU carburettor and is mated to a four-speed synchro gearbox (with a handy remote change) and Hardy-Spicer propshaft.

Shortly after acquiring the car, the vendor sold it to a good friend who kept it until passing away last year. As soon as it was advertised, he had no hesitation in paying the asking price and was delighted to once again be the custodian of this lovely little Austin. Sadly not quite as nimble as he was in 2002, he finds it rather difficult to manage and has reluctantly decided that it must go.

Complete with a hood, this practical, well-built and carefully looked after Vintage special is ready for a new owner to enjoy over the coming summer months.