Austin 7 - Remote Control Copier - Garage Doors Remote
History
History
Austin 7 Saloon 1931
Austin had, before World War I, built mainly large cars but in 1909 they sold a single cylinder 7 hp built by Swift of Coventry called the Austin Seven. After this they returned to bigger cars, but 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 got permission to start on his design, in which he was assisted by a young draughtsman called Stanley Edge who worked from 1921 into 1922 at Austin's home, Lickey Grange. Austin put a large amount of his own money into the design and patented many of its innovations in his own name. In return for the investment he was paid a royalty of two guineas (2, 2s), (2.10) on every car sold.
Nearly 2500 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 wiped out the cyclecar industry and transformed the fortunes of the Austin Motor Co. By 1939 when production finally ended, 290,000 cars and vans had been made.
In 2007, during an episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson and James May studied a number of early car designs (including the Ford Model T and the De Dion-Bouton Model Q and concluded that the Austin Seven was the first mass-market car to be fitted with a 'conventional' control layout, as found on modern cars (although the earliest car they found to use this layout was a Cadillac).
Chassis
The Austin 7 was considerably smaller than the Ford Model T. The wheelbase was only 6 ft 3 inches (1.905m), and the track only 40 inches (1.016m). Equally it was lighter - less than half the Ford's weight at 794pounds (360kg). The engine required for adequate performance was therefore equally reduced and the 747cc sidevalve was quite capable with a modest 10hp output.
The chassis took the form of an "A" with the engine mounted between the channel sections at the narrow front end. The rear suspension was by quarter elliptic springs cantilevered from the rear of the chassis while at the front the beam axle had a centrally mounted half elliptic transverse spring. Early cars did not have any shock absorbers. Brakes were on all wheels but at first the front brakes were operated by the handbrake and the rear by the footbrake, becoming fully coupled in 1930.
Steering is by worm and wheel mechanism.
Engine and transmission
The four cylinder 747cc, 56mm bore by 76mm stroke, side valve engine was composed of an aluminium crankcase, cast iron cylinder block and cast iron cylinder head. The splash lubricated crankshaft (pressure fed on some sports models) at first ran in two bearings changing to three in 1936. An electric starter was fitted from November 1923 and although the early cars used magneto ignition, this changed to coil in 1928.
The 3 speed and reverse gearbox was built in-unit with the engine and had a variety of ratios depending on application. A four speed gearbox was introduced in 1932 and in 1933 synchromesh was added to third and top ratios extending to second gear in 1934.
The back axle was of spiral bevel type with ratios between 4.4:1 and 5.6:1. A short torque tube runs forward from the differential housing to a bearing and bracket on the rear axle cross member.
Reliant used a derivative of the Austin Seven engine for their early three-wheelers, before developing an aluminium alloy engine (used as the replacement for the Austin Seven engine by the 750 Motor Club in their Formula 750 motor sport).
The Swallow
1931 Austin 7 Swallow saloon
In 1927, William Lyons, co-founder of the Swallow Sidecar Company, saw the commercial potential of producing a rebodied Austin 7. Lyons commissioned the talented coachbuilder Cyril Holland to produce a distinctive open tourer: the Austin Seven Swallow.
With its bright two-tone colour scheme and a style in befitting more expensive cars of the time, together with its low cost (175), the Swallow proved popular and was followed in 1928 by a saloon version: the Austin Seven Swallow Saloon.
Approximately 3500 bodies of various styles were produced up until 1932 when Lyons started making complete cars under the SS brand.
Such was the demand for the Austin Seven Swallows that Lyons was forced to move in 1928 from Blackpool to new premises in Coventry. It was, in part, the success of the Swallows that laid the foundations of what was to become, by 1945, Jaguar Cars
Licensed production
Versions of the Austin7 were made under licence by American Austin from 1930, Dixi (later bought by BMW) in Germany from 1927 and Rosengart in France from 1928. In addition, chassis and running gear were exported to Japan and Australia to have locally made bodies attached.
Body styles
Tourers
Austin 7 Chummy Tourer 1929
1934 Austin 7 two seater (pre-Opal)
Type
Name
Description
From
To
XL
prototypes
1922
AB
Aluminium body four seater
1922
1924
AC
1924
1926
AD
Four seater
1926
1929
AE
Four seater. Two inches wider than AD
1929
1929
Two seater
1929
1930
AF
Steel bodied Four seater
1930
1932
AH
Pressed steel body. Four seater
1932
AAK
Open road Tourer
Cowled radiator
1934
AH
Pressed steel body. Four seater
1932
PD
Two seater
1934
APD
Opal
Two seater
1934
1936
AAL
Open Road Tourer
Covered spare wheel
1935
AH
Pressed steel body. Four seater
1932
APE
New Opal
Two seater
1936
Saloons
Austin 7 Box Saloon 1933
Austin 7 "New Ruby" saloon
Type
Name
Description
From
To
R
Aluminium or fabric saloon
1926
1927
RK
Aluminium or fabric saloon
1927
RL
Steel saloon
1930
RG
Fabric saloon
1930
RN
Long wheelbase steel saloon
RP
1932
ARQ
Ruby
Saloon
1934
ARR
"New" Ruby
Saloon
1936
Cabriolet
Austin 7 Pearl Cabriolet 1935
Type
Name
Description
From
To
AC
Pearl
Cabriolet version of ARQ Ruby.
1934
ACA
"New" Pearl
Cabriolet version of ARR New Ruby.
1936
Sports
Austin 7 Ulster 2-Seater Sports 1930
Austin 7 Nippy 2-Seater Sports 1934
Type
Name
Description
From
To
50 mph
Aluminium bodied. Long tail
1926
E Super Sports
Aluminium bodied. No doors
1927
1928
EA Sports
Ulster
Aluminium bodied. No doors
EB 65
65
Aluminium body, steel wings. Rounded tail.
1933
1934
AEB
Nippy
All steel
1934
1937
EK 75
Speedy
Aluminium body. Pointed tail.
AEK
Speedy
Redesignation of EK 75
1935
Coups
Type
Name
Description
From
To
Type B
Upper body fabric.
1928
1931
Vans
Type
Name
Description
From
To
AB, AC and AD
Converted tourer
1923
1927
AE
1929
1930
RK
Converted RK saloon
RM
Converted RL saloon
RN
Converted RN saloon
RP
Converted RP saloon
1933
AVH
AVJ and AVK
Converted Ruby
1939
Gallery
Austin 7s
Austin 7, Australian Capital Territory Historic Car "195"
Austin 7 engine (right side), Australian Capital Territory Historic Car "195"
Austin 7 interior, Australian Capital Territory Historic Car "195"
References
^ Baldwin, N. (1994). A-Z of Cars of the 1920s. Devon, UK: Bay View Books. ISBN 1-870979-53-2.
^ a b c d Mills, Rinsey (1996). Original Austin Seven. Bideford, Devon: Bay View Books. ISBN 1-870979-68-0.
^ Classic Motor Monthly: The Super Accessories
^ The Austin Seven Special
^ Austin 7 Special
^ Robson, Graham (2006). A-Z British Cars 1945-1980. Devon, UK: Herridge & Sons. ISBN 0-9541063-9-3.
^ Georgano, N. (2000). Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. London: HMSO. ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
^ Sedgwick, M. (1989). A-Z of Cars of the 1930s. Devon, UK: Bay View Books. ISBN 1-870979-38-9.
^ Jaguar History: Swallow Sidecar Company (Retrieved 18 July 2007)
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Austin 7
The Austin 7 Clubs Association Details of the various A7 member clubs throughout the UK and the rest of the world.
The Pre-War Austin 7 Club The largest club purely for the Austin Seven.
Contains details of Austin Seven clubs, events, suppliers of spare parts and books.
A7 Components Spare parts for all models of Austin 7.
Categories: Austin vehicles | 1920s automobiles | 1930s automobiles | Vehicles introduced in 1922 | 24 Hours of Le Mans race cars
by: gaga
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