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| Lot number | 6 |
|---|---|
| Hammer value | £1,500 |
| Description | Austin Seven Tractor |
| Year | c.1927 |
| Colour | Black |
| Engine size | 747 cc |
| Engine No. | M56517 |
| Documents | None |
The inherent reliability, performance and simplicity of the Austin 7 engine has ensured its place in the motoring hall of fame.
The willing 747cc side-valve engine has turned up in almost every conceivable application from a life-sized motorised Circus elephant, through Lotus and McLaren cars to station-yard cranes. The Austin Motor Company realised the promotional possibilities of its numerous uses when it released a film in the mid-'30s entitled ‘The Mighty Atom’ – available to view on ‘YouTube’ and well worth ten minutes of anyone’s time.
One common conversion was to mount two gearboxes, one behind the other, in an Austin 7 chassis to form a small farm tractor. A common enough sight in orchards and market gardens, these Austin-based mini-tractors had a choice of 16 gears for just a few pounds outlay and could access places no other machine could get near.
The vendor of this particular conversion is unclear when it ceased to be a car, but it is known to have served as a tractor on a Shropshire Estate until it was found hiding in a scrap yard under an old lorry body around 50 years ago.
Rescued and put to one side, the engine was rebuilt over many years and fitted with a reconditioned magneto and new radiator. More recently, Land Rover rear wheels have been fitted and the machine pressed into service once more.
Running within the last few months, it is sold with no paperwork, the chassis number having been cut off just behind the engine so it is unlikely that it could be restored back into an Austin 7 car. The parts in the machine are early, the vendor advising us that the engine dates from around 1927 and has a 'bacon-slicer' starter and bronze carburettor. It retains an original radiator shell and scuttle tank.
Offering a variety of alternative uses, this intriguing machine could be used around the farm, become a useful run-around at local shows, or provide a source of valuable and early Austin 7 bits to assist in a rebuild project. Offered at No Reserve, the highest bidder will decide the next chapter in the history of this particular ‘Mighty Atom’.
