Austin 7
GENERAL ADVICE
Austin 7s were, and are, the ubiquitous entry level vintage car, for many members of the VSCCA. Many members started their vintage experience in the 1940s and 50s with Austin 7 Chummies, roadsters and specials
There are a number of members who actively use their Austin 7s and several others who are either working on them or have them languishing in sheds to be dealt with “next year” or perhaps the year after.
The cars are simple, take up little space and can be made to perform well with reliability after modest modifications.
Original parts are still available
Many new parts are available through the Austin 7 Club (Vic) and several UK parts suppliers. These suppliers are readily accessible on the internet and their contacts are set out below. Because of the high demand from owners of surviving cars, replacement parts are comparatively inexpensive compared to other marques.
The majority of cars are bodied in Australia.
There are comparatively few English bodied cars here, although several have migrated from New Zealand where they are still reasonably plentiful.
The Australian Chummy is steel-bodied, usually with a moulded waistline around the top of the body. The later Australian cars adopted more American features.
The English-bodied cars are aluminium bodies, and some enthusiasts prefer their aesthetics and they are marginally lighter in weight.
The other body styles that were common in this country are the:
• saloons
• roadsters (often Holden-bodied)
• pointed tailed Meteors (made by a couple of manufacturers with slightly different styles).
Useful Web Links & Parts Suppliers
Austin 7 Friends
A great technical forum.
Austin 7 Club Vic
Excellent blurb and excellent spares supply for financial Club members only. Very helpful technical officers.
David Cochrane (UK)
This site has a large number of reproduction parts, together with parts lists available for download as a PDF.
Tony Betts (UK
Best telephone first. He is not especially good at unanticipated emails.
John Barlow (UK)
Supplier of Austin 7 spare parts
Austin Reproduction Parts
Vintage engineering and manufacturer of high quality parts for Vintage Austin’s
The Austin 7 Workshop
Spare parts service for the Austin Seven 1922/1939
Useful Books
There are a number of good books on the Austin 7. The following are recommended reading. An asterisk denotes the book is available for loan to financial Club members.
General Background
1. Wyatt – The Book of the Austin 7
2. Purves B – The Austin 7 Source Book
Special Building
1. Gould C – The Reproduction Ulster *
A useful guide to the creation of a reproduction Ulster, with a focus on fibreglass-bodied cars.
2. Williams – Austin 7 Specials *
3. Stephens – Building my Austin 7 Special
4. Gould – Basic fitting for Austin 7 Owners *
General Repair/Restoration/Engineering
Woodrow D – The Austin 7 Manual * -
THE workshop manual for the Austin 7, with exploded diagrams of all major mechanical components with variations between years
Austin 7 Motor Club – The Austin 7 Companion
Mills, R – “The Original Austin 7” *
The textbook for original details on production cars, but with an English focus
Harvey C “The Austin Seven” *
Austin 7 Travelogues
Ball C – Seven Years with Samantha
Macquarie H – Round the World in a Baby Austin *
A great book by two New Zealanders about the driving of an Austin 7 from Australia around the world in 1930. Previously they had driven an Austin 7 from Victoria to the tip of Cape York.
Learn more
Ulster
Austin 12
Austin 6/16
Austin 20hp