Lot Ended
Description
Fully restored to show-winning condition 25 years ago and carefully
used since; has spent much of the last dozen years in our vendor's lounge; vast
file of photos and literature; find a better one!
Sir Herbert
Austin’s new ‘Baby’ was designed in secret on the billiard table of his home
near Birmingham and changed the face of motoring in Britain when it first
appeared in 1922.
The car was a miniature version
of the contemporary full-size Austin tourer and was fitted with a tiny
four-cylinder engine, unlike the strange and oddly-specified mechanical wonders
which until then had been the only light cars available. This sounded the
death-knell of the cycle-car and heralded the end of the motorcycle and sidecar
combination as the poor-man’s family transport.
The chassis design was simple and conventional: the side rails formed
an ‘A-frame’ with the rear springs protruding from the ends of the chassis and a
transverse leaf spring at the front. Electric lighting and starting was
available almost from the beginning and the little cars were very popular with
the new generation of lady motorists.
The Austin
Seven was an immediate success and could soon be ordered in sporting guise where
it was a formidable rival to MG in the 750cc class. Commercial vans and pick-ups
were also available and by the early 1930s, the two-door saloon had become the
most popular choice, sales overtaking the open ‘Chummy’ bodies as buyers opted
for more comfort and weather protection.
As the
years passed, the cars became heavier and more sophisticated, but for ‘cuteness’
and maximum family enjoyment, a late-Twenties Chummy has always been regarded as
the pick of the crop.
First registered in London
in May 1926, this spectacular Chummy has been restored to a jaw-dropping
standard, as you can clearly see in the photos. It had already had a full
restoration in the early 1990s when it was owned by a Mr Anastasio of Fife, as
documented in numerous invoices on file. There are also many photos of the car
before, during and after the restoration and it was clearly a very thorough and
well-executed job.
Copies of five old MOTs show that it covered just over
2,000 miles between 1992 and 1999.
In
1999 it was acquired by a friend of the current owner, an absolute perfectionist
who wanted the best Chummy that money could buy. He completely took the car
apart and totally rebuilt it again over the next three years.
Although there are no invoices for this second
restoration, the whole process was exhaustively documented in literally hundreds
of photos on file. Rest assured, no corners were cut, everything was done to a
most exacting standard and the car speaks for itself.
It was then lightly used, mainly for Pre-War Austin Club shows and
VSCC events where it scooped a few trophies. The owner then sadly died so in
July 2004 our vendor bought it from his widow to join a small collection of
equally good Vintage cars.
Since then it has
been mainly kept on display in the lounge of his second home in the Midlands,
the garages being too full of other cars!
It comes with a vast amount of
technical literature, Club literature, press cuttings, correspondence, invoices,
photos etc, which will keep the next owner happily engrossed for
hours.
The vendor reckons that he has done
no more than 50 miles in the Chummy and it was MOT tested three times from 2006
– 2008, always flying through with no advisories. Now showing 6.744 miles, we
are told that it drives as well as it looks but it has not been used on the road
for a couple of years or so, although it has been regularly started and whizzed
up and down the lane to keep everything free.
As
good a Chummy as we have ever seen – and we have sold at least 30 over the last
20 years – it now only needs an enthusiastic new owner who can get it back on
the show circuit where it belongs. No doubt capable of scooping more silverware
should the next owner feel so inclined, it is on offer here at a very tempting
guide price.
The Austin 7 has long been a
mainstay of the VSCC movement, with a thriving calendar of events to enjoy. So
if you are lucky enough to win this jewel of a Chummy, you don’t just get a
magnificent car, you also get a wonderful social life too. What more could you
want?
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970
309907 – [email protected]