1934 Austin 7

This particular Special is based upon a 1934 Austin Seven chassis, and whilst it may not look too different to a standard Seven, there has been plenty of modifications made.

For a start, the bodywork was entirely hand-built, with the whole car being built by hand over a two-year period at great expense, culminating in 2018.

The engine had been extensively reworked and modified during the early years of the build, though an entirely new engine was supplied and fitted to the car in Summer 2020, by Percival Motor Company and Ticking Tappets Austin 7 Specialists, with only around 300 miles having been covered by the new engine.

Going into more detail, the 750cc engine has been fitted with numerous performance-enhancing parts, including a rebuilt HS2 SU carburettor fitted to an ALR inlet manifold, tubular exhaust manifold and more.

In addition to this, the usual three-speed ‘box has been swapped out for a four-speed item, whilst the brakes are entirely hydraulically-operated all round. A full re-wiring has taken place, and the car has been fitted with some small, but useful modern amenities such as flashing indicators and LED headlights.

The recent owner has also fitted a rebuilt dynamo, new 6-volt battery, and fitted an isolator switch to avoid any battery draining problems when the car is stood for long periods of time.

The hand-formed bodywork has been finished in a timeless, rich green similar to British Racing Green, and the car has been christened “Dorothy” by the owner.

The bodywork itself has been finished to a high standard, with a generally good fit-and-finish throughout. The bonnet itself has some slight alignment issues and has a tendency to slide when driving, though it feels secure enough that it shouldn’t prove to be more than an aesthetic issue.

The wire wheels are colour-matched to the car and are all in excellent condition, whilst there are only a few light marks - particularly around the bonnet - from body panels being fitted and removed.

All of the light lenses throughout are in excellent condition with no sign of any damage, whilst the aftermarket indicators have been fitted in a considerate way, so as not to distract from the classic lines of this Seven.

Elsewhere, the swooping front arches are in great shape, as is the chrome work throughout which shows only some light wear, commensurate with the car’s age and hand-built nature.

The somewhat spartan, yet period-correct interior retains an unusual charm and quirkiness that only pre-war cars seem to be able to hold on to. For example, the clutch pedal is the opposite side of the steering column to the rest of the pedals, and the swan-neck gearshift is very ‘of its time’ but it’s all easy enough to get used to.

As far as condition goes, the cabin (or should that be cockpit) of this Austin Seven Special is in great shape, and has clearly not covered many miles.

The bucket-style seats are both immaculate and show very little wear, whilst the wooden dashboard wears only a light patina in keeping with the car’s aesthetic. The leather side panels are also in good shape, whilst the usual wear seen around the upper edges of the ‘door’ segments is largely absent.

Underneath the carpets, the floor looks to be wonderfully solid, which is no doubt music to any potential bidder’s ears.

The dials and controls appeared to work correctly during our short drive and photo shoot, with the exception of the choke which is stuck wide open, and this will require rectifying before the car is driven any great distance.

One of the great joys of these pre-war specials is just how much access there is to the moving parts and general ‘gubbins’ of the car, which in turn means that we’ve been able to supply an extensive gallery of underside photos.

As far as we could see, there were no causes for concern on this little Austin underneath, with everything looking to be in excellent condition, including the brake piping. There is some surface ‘bloom’ on areas such as the leaf springs and exhaust, but nothing untoward.

The car starts with an impressive ease and vigour, and despite its small displacement the engine is keen and pulls well as far as we could tell, though the aforementioned issue with the choke did mean it couldn’t be driven too far.

Looking in the engine bay itself, the diminutive 750cc engine looks to be in good visual health, with only some slight corrosion noted on the block itself. There were no signs of any major oil leaks or misting, with only some slight seepage noted - typical of a British car from this era.

Naturally, the car is MOT exempt on account of its age, but the last exam on 18 October 2018 resulted in a clean pass with no advisories, and there are no signs that the car would struggle with another MOT, should the next owner wish to put it through one.

The history folder for this Austin Seven Special is impressive. Pop the kettle on, get comfortable and crack open the box file.

One of the biggest delights is a number of period manuals and publications about maintaining and owning an Austin Seven, along with numerous other manuals that are significantly more modern.

Then there’s the mountain of invoices for parts, engine work, upgrades and the aforementioned replacement engine fitted in 2020. There is also invoices amounting to over £3,500 worth of performance enhancements fitted to the previous engine, though it is uncertain how many of these parts - if any - were carried across to the new block.

The V5 document is also present, showing five former owners and the current owner having care of the car since April 2019, and a number of old V5s are present allowing the next owner to trace the history and ownership of the car back an impressive number of years. Oh, and there’s a key - that might be useful!

Oozing with period charm and yet fitted with a number of modern-day drivability upgrades, this gorgeous 1934 Austin Seven Special is a true labour of love, and one that should delight its next custodian with years of characterful motoring and plenty of tinkering - after all, that’s part of the fun of these pre-war cars.

Given the condition and history of this ‘Special’ we estimate the hammer will fall somewhere in the region of £13,000 to £16,000 and, as always, we encourage any interested parties to come and inspect the car prior to bidding, with the car being located with us at our Oxfordshire HQ.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon. Our offices are open Mon-Fri 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions'.