SMALL WONDER
As the car which at once both put Britain on wheels and saved the Austin company, the Seven is an important link in the history of the British motor industry. Marketed as “a real car in miniature,” it offered the first chance for average families to trade up from motorcycle and sidecar to proper four-wheeled transport. It looked the part too, with the right proportions despite its tiny (by 1920s standards) 6’3” wheelbase and 4’6” width.
Over its 16-year lifespan, some 290,000 Sevens were sold in styles ranging from boxy saloons to sporty two-seaters and from 1937 the ‘Big Seven’ took the recipe and upsized it slightly as society became more affluent. Today the cars make a delightful introduction to the world of prewar motoring and their handy size makes them simple to work on even in a domestic single garage. Here then is what you’ll need to know before taking the plunge into Austin Seven ownership.
HISTORY
The Seven came about as an indirect result of Austin’s involvement in WWI. The firm had been
