1930 Austin Seven review
While convertible roadsters and tourers made up the bulk of early Austin Seven production, metal and fabric bodied saloons, with the greater weather protection they offered, had become the preferred body option by the end of the 1920s. According to Austin's records, saloon production, at least in the UK, increased almost threefold for 1930, with Tourer production dropping by 40 percent during the same period. Amongst the saloons, the metal-bodied versions were becoming the norm - so much so that 1930 marked the penultimate year of production for the fabric-bodied Seven saloons. The tourer body was made slightly wider and longer in 1930, providing more front and rear seat room without altering the wheelbase.
Of course, if the factory body styles - including roadsters, coupes, sports models and tourers - weren't to one's liking, the immense popularity of the Seven meant that by 1930 there was a range of aftermarket bodies available. Chief among these in the UK were those offered by Gordon England, Mulliner and Swallow (later to become Jaguar). Commercial bodies were also available, including delivery vans and utility-bodied versions designed to carry churns of milk.
The global reach of the Seven saw many other different body styles offered - both coachbuilt and homebuilt - around the world. In Australia, James Flood offered steel-bodied 2-seat roadsters, while the sporty 'Meteor' roadsters, identified by their semi-shrouded radiator surround and small cycle guards, were also being built by a number of local companies. Austin Sevens were also being assembled, albeit under different names, in Germany and France. 1930 also marked the expansion of Austin into the American market. These 'foreign' Sevens all have their own distinctive characteristics that set them apart from UK-built vehicles.
For all the body variations available, the Seven's mechanicals remained largely unchanged. The debut Sevens of 1922 were built with 697cc engines, but the 747cc inline four cylinder engine was adopted soon after and remained until the end of production in 1939. Similarly, the 3-speed transmission was largely unchanged from the debut model, although synchromesh would be added in stages throughout the 1930s. For the 1930 year, however, the non-synchro 'crashbox' remained. The major improvement of note to come out in 1930 was the introduction of coupled brakes. Prior to 1930, the front brakes worked off a separate hand-operated lever from the rear brakes, which worked off the floor pedal. Coupling the brakes meant that either operation applied the shoes to the drums. Minor changes were made to things like the bearings, gearing, oil pressure gauge and petrol tank in 1930. The tank itself still sat in the firewall/scuttle area, between the driver and engine.
Factory-offered colours were all quite sombre, mainly blues, maroons, greys, beiges, browns and, of course, black. Some non-standard colours were available on order, including two-tone treatments, but these seem to be more commonly found amongst the aftermarket coachbuilders, and best evidenced by the attractive 'pen nib' two-tone treatment offered on the Swallow-bodied saloons.
Driving a Seven presents some challenges, but it's certainly easier to master than most other vintage cars. Pedal placement and gear changing is conventional (and is largely credited with the broader adoption of the clutch-brake-accelerator layout), but the Seven does have a sharp clutch, meaning you have to practice your take offs to avoid stalling, as well as your changes to avoid crunching the non-synchro gearbox. It should also be noted that the pedals on a Seven are tiny, which makes operation a bit of a challenge for 'bigfoot' drivers! The Seven driver shouldn't expect screaming performance, either. In standard touring or saloon trim, the most you can expect is around 80kph, but the Seven will cruise along happily at 60kph. Rough roads will throw the Seven around a bit, and the narrow tyres can 'tramline' to follow any deviations. With the small, cable-operated brakes, you need to plan your stopping in advance and set your distance to other cars accordingly. A degree of mechanical sympathy is required, too, especially to operate the steering wheel-mounted advance and retard levers, but if a Seven is regularly maintained and kept in good running order, it shouldn't present any problems.
After 1932, a longer wheelbase - by six inches - Seven was offered, leading all the earlier versions to be nicknamed the 'Baby Seven'. In terms of collectability, these Baby Sevens seem to be the favourite with collectors, especially the open tourer and roadster versions. The Seven boasts a huge number of aficionados worldwide, and is arguably the best-supported pre-War British model in terms of club support, so the Seven buyer won't be short of friends, spare parts and advice, should they need it. As an enjoyable club car, the Seven has a lot going for it, with a "cute" factor that few other cars can equal.
SPECIFICATIONS: 1930 Austin Seven
Engine:747.5cc Sidevalve inline 4-cyl
Bore/Stroke:56mm x 76mm
Compression:5.0:1
Power/torque:10.5hp@2400rpm / N/A
Fuel system:Single Zenith carburettor
Cooling system:Liquid
Electrics:6 Volt
Transmision:3-speed manual
Front brakes:6" cable-operated drum
Rear brakes:6" cable-operated drum
Wheels:17" Fr/Rr
Tyres:26 x 3.50 Fr/Rr
Wheelbase:6' 3" (1905mm)
Length:13' 6" (4115mm)*
Width:5' 3" (1600mm)*
Weight:8 ½ cwt (432kg)*
0-100 kph:See below
Top Speed:80 kph - approx
*Varied depending on body style
AUSTIN SEVEN TRIVIA
Throughout its lifetime, the Austin Seven set endurance and performance records that belied its small stature and meagre power. 1930 was no exception. In that year, a Mr C R Dickason broke the Sydney to Melbourne record by 31 minutes in a stock Austin Seven 'chummy' 2-seater. Dickason was also Melbourne's Austin distributor, and displayed the record-setting car in his Bourke Street showroom after the event.
One of the more interesting factory-bodied Sevens made its debut in 1930 in the form of the 'EA Sports', later known as the 'Ulster' Seven following its success in the Ulster TT races. The EA Sports featured a streamlined body and door cut-outs instead of actual doors. In stock specification, the Sports could make almost 100km/h top speed, but tweaking the engine and fitting the optionally-available supercharger turned it into a little rocket, capable of humbling much larger and bigger-engined vehicles. Today, the 'Ulster' Sevens are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts.
