Austin 7 Opal 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. 

In August 1934, Sir Herbert Austin invited the press to see the new vehicles in the Austin Seven range – the Opal, Ruby and Pearl. The Opal was the basic two seater version, and early cars carried over the flat fronted radiator. These sold for £100. The charming Opal Open Road Two-seat Tourer wore the new enclosed grille and cost £8 more.

Further improvements came in 1936 with the launch of the £112 New Opal. Innovations included a 4-speed gearbox with synchromesh on 2nd, 3rd and top and a 3-bearing crankshaft which enabled a higher compression head to be used increasing power to 16½bhp. A conventional Borg and Beck clutch replaced the Austin design, famous for its switch-like operation, while the brakes were also upgraded to a semi-Girling system with cast iron shoes and this made a significant improvement.

First registered in July 1937, this particular Opal is said by the vendor to be in good overall condition and to be great fun to drive with all mechanical parts in good health. Apparently restored some years ago, it has been entered into the sale on behalf of a gentleman who has owned it since 2005 but is now unwell.

Although the car reputedly has a fair amount of history, at the time of cataloguing this could not readily be located and we hope to have more documentation by the time of the sale. At present it comes only with a V5C and a few bills from the 1970s at which point it was with an owner in Stratford. The V5C records only one former keeper but we suspect that this is most likely incorrect.