1933

Sage

Black leather

Manual

696cc

12

The Austin Seven was produced from 1922 through to 1939 by the Austin Motor Company. Nicknamed the ‘Baby Austin’, it was one of the most popular cars ever produced and sold equally well abroad. It took a huge sector of the UK market having a similar effect to that of the Model T Ford in the US. Prior to the Austin Seven, larger cars were the order of the day; however, the forward thinking Sir Herbert Austin felt a smaller car would be more popular. In spite of protestations from the company's board of directors who were concerned about the financial status of the company, Austin won them over by threatening to take the idea to their competitor, Wolseley, and so got permission to start on his design. He was assisted by a young draughtsman called Stanley Edge who worked at Austin's home. Austin put a large amount of his own money into the design and patented many of its innovations; in return for the investment he was paid a royalty of two guineas on every car sold. Nearly 2,500 cars were made in the first year of production (1923); not as many as hoped but within a few years the ‘big car in miniature’ had transformed the fortunes of the Austin Motor Company and by 1939, when production finally ended, 290,000 cars and vans had been manufactured.

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This fabulous Austin has enjoyed much success on the track over the years. Graham Chambers raced the car for a number of years. With 66 race starts as confirmed by Authenticated National Racing Records, this Seven convertible achieved an impressive 26 first places, 19 seconds and five third places, an impressive record by any standard.