Lot Ended
Description
Thought to be 1 of only 8 survivors as recorded on the
Austin Seven Speedy Register ; long term ownership between 1981 and 2018;
spent time in Syon Park Motor Museum; impressive order and ready to
drive
Approximately 40 Austin Seven bodies for ’75 Sports’ or ‘Speedy’s’
were originally built and the register records 17 survivors, nine as a
Speedy and only eight as a 75 Sports. The 75 model was produced from
January 1934 until July 1934, then being replaced by the Speedy model. The 75
varies from the Speedy, in that the 75 has armoured cable wiring, a different
steering column, a centrifugal ignition in the distributor as oposed to manual
and a curved top to the windscreen.
Incredibly rare and therefore a great
deal of research has gone into the history of this car, which was also
registered as KR 5194, pre 1960.
Unfortunately, official
records are thin and an original body number can not be found on the car,
therefore much of the research is based on hearsay and mechanical knowledge of
those that have cared for the car more recently.
In summary, Mike
Stewart (creator of the register and owner of this car between 1963 and 1981)
has stated amongst the file of paperwork the
following:
“I bought the car from an
ad in Exchange and Mart in 1963, where it was described as a ‘1930 Speedy’. It
was in for two weeks, presumably because everyone knew that there was no such
thing.
On inspection, everything was ‘right’, except for the engine,
instruments, steering wheel and petrol tank. In fact, when I stripped it, I found that
the gearbox and rear axle were also ‘right’.
In other words, it was a
Speedy that had had a hard life. How it carried a 1930 registration KR 5194, and
had a long chassis was a mystery.
I happened to have a 1934
Nippy that was in a very poor state and not worth restoring so I used that
registration, WO 7816, when I put it back on the
road.
It was only when well into
the restoration that I learnt of the possibility that a batch of surplus Speedy
bodies had been sold off by the works and were retailed by Cooper Bodies of
London. This of course raises the possibility that my car was one of
those.”
A photograph is below that
shows how the car looked in 1963 and clearly (as can be seen today) one can see
a curved windscreen. This has prompted much discussion as although the original
Speedy 1933 Works assembly drawings showed a curved windscreen, very few, if any
actual cars seem to have one, and raised the possibility that this car was
either the missing 75 Sports 'Body number 2' or indeed a prototype.
Other
features such as the absence of a scuttle data plate, rear wing mountings being
fabricated rather than alloy castings, the petrol tank being smaller with
professionally made mountings have also prompted this discussion …….a
possibility but surely worth some more investigation.
Mike Stewart
restored the car completely, making it look exactly how he believed it to look
when it left the factory. After a period of time not driving the car, he lent it
to the Syon Park Motor Museum and it was apparently exhibited in 2005 and 2006
on the Pre War Austin Seven stand at the NEC Classic Car Show.
In 1981,
it looked very much like it does today and it was soon sold on to another long
term owner who owned the car until 2018, when it was purchased by our American
vendor. Having not had the chance to come to the UK to drive and enjoy the
Austin, WO 7816 is now being offered for sale again.
Recorded on the
register as one of only 17 survivors (and possibly one of only very few Type 75s
known about), this car has fantastic road presence and with the red
and black colour scheme, this car is absolutely ready to go. Starts and stops,
it has been driven around on site here with no problems and is an ideal
opportunity to continue or start Austin Seven
ownership.
Contact - [email protected]