Hot Rods Anyone build An Austin Seven (1930-ish) Hot Rod?

In action at Circuit Des Remparts d' Angouleme 2023 G.G. pics.

 

Donnington 1970's

 

Blowby was in a serious wreck months ago (not in this Bantam truck), Haven't heard from him since. I hope he is recovering. I agree, this is a great little truck, and an impressive packaging job. These little things take a lot of creativity to build.

 

Thanks for that info. Hope he's on the road to recovery.

Lee

 

Would love to see more about #9 in post 152 above. What steering box & how set up? And what looks like U channel frame? And that front shock (?) on front axle.

 

Seven frame had top-hat-section rails, which tapered in depth to the front. See the drawings I posted in Post #44.

 

^^ thanks for reference to post 44 see how top hat frame rail fits over quarter electric rear springs - slick. Also like curve in front axle for spring. Does not show how steering box links up. Curious how mounted steering box in that #9

 

Can not spell elliptical?

 

The black car is an Austin 10 I believe. Were Austin 7s other than the Bantam sold officially in the US ?

 

There was a gap in '35 & '36 where there were no American Austins (ceased Dec 1934) or American Bantams (started 1937). My Ruby is a 1936 "Export". 4 blade fan, smaller wheels & fatter tires, air filter and LHD. I don't know, I expect that Austin may have filled the gap with some '36's in those years. I figure there were licensing agreements with AA & AB when they were available here. I'd love to know more about how some of the other "rare" European cars all got here as well. 2CV's, Anglias, Hillmans, Borgwards, bigger Austins, Standards and more, were in the Whitney catalog when I was a kid for a reason. Were they selling them at tire stores ? Where did my '57 Anglia come from ? Were there Ford dealers that had them ? It is a LHD with it's own set of quirky features. I look on the web and can't find anything about import/export figures or which dealers sold them. Mike

 

I've wondered similar things? I mean, where did one go to buy a new Fiat Topolino in the US? Were there cheap car import dealers in the US then? And what type of person buys stuff like that at that time in the States? My Father in Law's Dad bought a very used '60-ish Hillman Husky in the late '60's, not because it was a good car, or loyalty to Britain, but because it was CHEAP. But who bought it new? They couldn't ALL have been shipped over by smitten GI's mustering out. Anyone?

 

My uncle used to buy second hand Renault Dauphines because they were cheap. He'd drive them until they couldn't be driven on the road anymore. Then we'd beat the rest of the life out of them in the woods and fields.

 

We (Britain) shipped a lot of cars to the US and other countries post war to bring in foreign cash. The government earmarked half of everything for export. We were basically bankrupt after 6 years of fighting. It took us till 2006 to pay of US government loans.

 

I was racing an Austin 7 at the weekend. Never even sat in it before so was a bit of a learning curve! Started last finished 6th

Race start at 7.33.00

 

There were cheap car import dealers, more postwar than prewar. They fell into two basic categories: captive imports sold by Ford & GM dealers, and little guys (used car lots, gas stations, repair shops, etc) who were looking for a new line of income. For example, in my home town there was a repair shop called Davids Motors. In 1948, their yellow pages ad listed them as a Playboy dealer (the car). In 1949 they listed Playboy, Austin and Crosley. By 1953, they were just a repair shop again.
Not all Ford or GM dealers carried the import models. For the 1949 model year, only 89 west coast Ford dealers carried the Anglia.

 

Is a rather unusual vehicle created in the 1950’s, based upon a 1928 Austin Seven chassis and powered by a 4-cyl 747cc engine
This marine conversion was built by William Rose and the vehicle is still registered and on the UK road today. It is not clear if it has any amphibious abilities and may have been produced as a promotional vehicle?

 

Here's the current condition of YX6686 along with some more of the story. Evidently , the body lives on a Ruby chassis in a museum. https://www.thesahb.com/snapshot-21...V3rkLxxUPzjTGuyq-VGRw3MS2z5MjNGbfPkE6eRJfCGR0

 

Austin Seven specials built by Alan Wragg. A. W. pic

 

The late Tom Wheatcroft is the gentleman second from right in glasses with sideburns. The owner of Donnington Park and responsible for its restoration and ultimately bringing formula 1 back there on one occasion. A very important man in the history of uk motorsport.

 

Another Wragg built Austin 7. D.b. pic

 

Bruce McLaren and dad with his 1929 Austin Ulster 7 with trophys.
After they rebuilt it his father first raced the Ulster, Bruce taught himself to drive it, and so when his father suffered from gallstones one day, a 15-year-old Bruce entered the race under his father's admission and won it."

 

There a few episodes in this series of videos.

Wragg Austin 7 Special - Winter Rebuild - Episode 1 (youtube.com)

 

this is headed to an Austin 7 chassis

 

Great to see another Perkolilli car in Kalgoorlie. This is Muz's 1934 Austin Seven Special built in the UK and raced in Britain before it came out to Australia.

 

wragg Built, see also posts nos. 133,135,148