64 replies to this topic

[Quixotic]

I was looking at a pic of an Austin 7 race car today. I have been told that these were one of the most common cars that were converted into racing cars. I am interested to see if any readers have pics of "racerised" versions of these common little cars.

[Vitesse2]

A good place to start would be the website of TNF member and LAT employee Austin Harris: currently he has 654 images of various Austins ....

http://www.austinhar...my/term/192/all

[Mr Plug]

An Ulster at Harewood Hillclimb, August this year. Afraid I don't know the owner/driver, but boy, was he fun to watch!

[Leigh Trevail]

During 1951 two Austin Sevens were raced at Fersfield, one was driven by A. Angell of the Peterborough Motor Club, this is all I know of either the man or the car.

The second was a creation by Wing Commander Ken Wallis, who is more famous for his autogyros. He made an extra long Seven by fixing the front of one chassis into the back of another, and clothing it with a rakish looking body, he built this for his own road use. By 1951 it was owned by Ken Cotterell who entered it at Fersfield. The picture was taken from the book “The Lives of Ken Wallis” by Ian Hancock and is available from
www.aviationmuseum.net


http://[IMG]http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/8137/wallisspecial002bu3.th.jpg[/IMG]

[Ray Bell]

Wouldn't that have some torsional flexing!

Leigh, you don't click on the 'IMG' when you're posting a pic like that, the codes are already embedded by your host. This is why you've got all the extra stuff around your pic.

[Leigh Trevail]

From Ray Bell..........."Wouldn't that have some torsional flexing"!

Probably, but it looked good!

Thanks for the tip...

[plannerpower]

This well-known Australian Austin is seen here in its 1962 form;




At this stage in its career, however, it was probably as original as the fabled "Grandfather's Axe".



Edit; probably 1963; see later posts.

[Ray Bell]

Yeah... it already had an A-series engine by then, though not the 1275 it finished up with...

I suspect, though, that pic might be '63? First meeting on the 'new' circuit at Oran Park?

[ErleMin]

Try 750 Motor Club (750mc.co.uk). They run a "Triple Challenge" - 3 race series for them in the UK these days. Its not obvious so look out for 750 Trophy Series within which they are a class.

[fuzzi]

There are a number on flickr under Fuzzi1

If it works here's a picture form the VSCC Goodwood Sprint in October. It is Amanda Fane de Salis in her Salamanda:
http://farm4.static...._7d15d5f2d2.jpg

[Stephen W]

Steve Smith hillclimbing his Austin 7 Monoposto at Bo'ness back in August 2008

[HiRich]

Several Austin 7 chassis made their way into the the early years of the 500cc Class, although it quickly became clear that the Fiat Topolino chassis offered a far more effective solution (not just for Cooper, but several other good specials).

Most obviously a Seven is the Bombsk of one Major Arthur Mallock. Despite some excellent technical articles by the Major in Iota magazine promoting the Seven over the Topolino, the proof of the pudding turned out not to be in the eating.

Also of note is the original Tiger Kitten of Clive Lones, one of the first pair of 500s. In both 500 (Kitten) and 1,000 (Cat) form, this proved a rather handy machine. On the hills at least it proved the measure of the early Coopers, and regularly embarrassed far larger cars.

A few others appear under the Marques section at www.500race.org

[HFJ Drifter]

Heres an Austin 7 Single seat race car that Roach Manufacturing made a while ago.

[Terry Walker]

On the right, an A-7 "Meteor?" On the left, Triumph Imp. Location, Lake Perkolilli, Western Australia, early 1930s.

[uechtel]

Some nice pictures in the links at the end of this old thread:

http://forums.autosp...ustin ratisbona

[Mistron]

I'll have a dig around to see if I can find photos from a friends wedding - he's in the VSCC and the car park in his field was quite something!

The stand out car for me (aside from a vintage hearse / camper!) was a 750 club special with all the tuning mods, but the body and bulkheads in single skin ply - even the seats were a ply frame with mesh inserts.

lightweight to the extreme!

[plannerpower]

I suspect, though, that pic might be '63? First meeting on the 'new' circuit at Oran Park?

This set of photos is not dated so I probably guessed at 1962 when I scanned them.

Thanks Ray; I will alter the date to 1963.

[Ray Bell]

I wouldn't take it as gospel, not at all!

It does seem to me, though, that the surface looks like new hotmix and that the pic's taken at the Dogleg, which he'd only be hitting that quickly on the altered circuit.

[Frank S]

Three photos of a Seven-based racer at the beginning of the first of these 2003 Monterey albums:
http://www.fototime....5B3BB8F0357F74F

--
Frank Sheffield
San Diego CA
Rain? What rain?
Oh, you mean "Water Falling Out Of The Sky".
Strange. Very Strange.

[Todd]

Originally posted by Frank S
Three photos of a Seven-based racer at the beginning of the first of these 2003 Monterey albums:
http://www.fototime....5B3BB8F0357F74F

--
Frank Sheffield
San Diego CA
Rain? What rain?
Oh, you mean "Water Falling Out Of The Sky".
Strange. Very Strange.

Love those photos! The Roach that HFJ Drifter posted is stunning. I particularly like the photos of the '30-'31 Chryslers of Castaing and the Swigs though. Who'd have thought it would take them 75 years to achieve their potential.

I also appreciate your signature. What is up with San Diego weather?

[Pat Clarke]

There are (or were last time I was there in 2006) two delightful examples of Austin 7 monopostos in the Donington Museum.

I might have some pictures somewhere?

Pat

[Ralf Pickel]

My girlfriend Daniela with her Seven racer at the Nürburgring/Eifelrennen 2008.
The car was well known in Singapore and Malaysia (known there as "Blue Bombe Special") and has, for example, won the Vintage race at the 1971 Singapore GP and the Selangor Historic GP at Malaysia in 1979.
Unfortunately the no.3 rod kept close to the cars´ nickname and did the "Bombe" thing at the ´Ring in September - but all will be well soon again !

[onelung]

Dual rears for the raw power....

[Quixotic]

How cool is that No 282.........

I think my next project should be a Austin 7 based Special....... something I can run at Lobethal.

[Quixotic]

How cool is that No 282.........

I think my next project should be a Austin 7 based Special....... something I can run at Lobethal.

[onelung]

Go for it! ... This was the start of a VERY successful career for a very famous New Zealander.

[David McKinney]

...but in a stripped production sportscar, not a special

[Dick Willis]

Grant Cowie's Rubber Duck at Eastern Creek last month, note the low seating position.

[David McKinney]

That's the ex-works "Dutch Clog" single-seater, a very famous car in NZ in the '30s and '40s

[onelung]

Originally posted by David McKinney
...but in a stripped production sportscar, not a special

Oh dear oh dear .. 748 apologies: this might qualify, then......?

[Pat Clarke]

http://picasaweb.goo...821302955311234

Cheers
Pat

[Gordon Graham]

Here's one at Amaroo in about 1982

And this one rounding up the ex-Matich Lotus 15. Talk about a mixed field

[onelung]

Very good, Gordon - and no doubt the Amilcar is about to take both of 'em!
Here's an A7 special a bit further up-market .. Prescott.

[Quixotic]

Good View of Amaroo. The bottom pic.......looks unrestored.......or just dirty. I love the bodywork though.

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by onelung
Very good, Gordon - and no doubt the Amilcar is about to take both of 'em!
Here's an A7 special a bit further up-market .. Prescott.

Not Austin 7 but the Lightweight Special (as the URL says, if you look!) which has no Austin seven in its makeup.

[onelung]

....the Lightweight Special (as the URL says, if you look!) ...

Thanks, Allan - always happy to further &/or correct my knowledge, but would it be possible for you to post the URL to which you refer?

[elansprint72]

I think there are three Sevens on this shot; VSCC OUlton a couple of years ago.

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by onelung

Thanks, Allan - always happy to further &/or correct my knowledge, but would it be possible for you to post the URL to which you refer?

When you use "quote" on that post, you will see the URL which you must have cut/pasted to get the image to appear.
I did, so that's where my comment came from.
It is
http://img508.images...rescottaax0.jpg
http://img508.images...rescottaax0.jpg

Which I don't understand but both say lightweightprescott

[elansprint72]

Originally posted by Allan Lupton

Not Austin 7 but the Lightweight Special (as the URL says, if you look!) which has no Austin seven in its makeup.

Looks like the Issigonis lightweight to me; later he did design a car marked (initially) as the Austin Seven.

[onelung]

Interesting car in more ways than one .. maybe something here which others than myself might learn from: the car seems to have started out with an A7 engine but now has something a little more sophisticated?

[onelung]

And via a little more surfing, here's the pre-war version of the car.

[Geoff E]

in The RACING CAR POCKETBOOK Jenks says (of the Lightweight), "The engine and gearbox were from one of the supercharged side-valve Austin 7 racing cars, while the rear axle unit was also Austin 7".

[Catalina Park]

Originally posted by Geoff E
in The RACING CAR POCKETBOOK Jenks says (of the Lightweight), "The engine and gearbox were from one of the supercharged side-valve Austin 7 racing cars, while the rear axle unit was also Austin 7".

The Lightweight Special had a swing axle rear end. So if it was Austin 7 it was much modified.
The original motor was an Austin 7 with a supercharger but I think it got a Wolseley OHC motor later on.

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by Catalina Park
The Lightweight Special had a swing axle rear end. So if it was Austin 7 it was much modified.
The original motor was an Austin 7 with a supercharger but I think it got a Wolseley OHC motor later on.

That's correct, so far as I know (both parts).
Although it used the A7 engine/gearbox at first, that is what Dowson and Issigonis had by them (ex-Dowson's A7 special, and modded by Amherst Villiers IIRC) and the rest was all non-Austin. That would include the rear axle (even if that means disagreeing with DSJ on a matter of fact) as said above.
By the time most of us knew it (and when that photo at Prescott was taken) the Wolseley OHC prototype engine had been installed, hence my "no Austin 7 in its make up" comment (I didn't say it never had . . )

[Geoff E]

Originally posted by Allan Lupton

That would include the rear axle (even if that means disagreeing with DSJ on a matter of fact) as said above.
By the time most of us knew it (and when that photo at Prescott was taken) the Wolseley OHC prototype engine had been installed, hence my "no Austin 7 in its make up" comment (I didn't say it never had . . )

Re the suspension, DSJ said "At the rear a swing-axle layout was used with rubber bands stretched over the half axles ... the rear axle was also Austin 7"

Re the post-war engine replacement: "The side-valve Austin engine was removed and in its place was installed an experimental engine from the factory where Issigonis was chief designer. This was a 748cc 4 cylinder engine with sohc and a large Zoller supercharger blowing at 28psi. It developed 95bhp @ 7.200 rpm."

[elansprint72]

This thread is screaming out for someone to post a shot of the first few Lotus cars. :

[Allan Lupton]

post deleted as unhelpful - sorry

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by Allan Lupton


Aaaargh!!!

http://www.autopuzzl...0;id=5369;image

Mark 3

Edit
Why doesn't that appear as an image?

When I click on the link it asks me to register! So I just closed the window. :

[onelung]

[onelung]

And from another thread, this link ... hope it's sufficiently "special".
http://timeframes.na...iewimage_object