1936 Austin Seven Cambridge Special

The vendor bought this car for the simply unbeatable reason that his grandfather raced an Austin Seven in the 1931 Double-Twelve race at Brooklands – an event that included such legendary names from the motorsports world as Campbell, Cobb, Birkin, Frazer Nash, Eyston and Lord March.

The other reason he bought it is that he is an engineer and likes nothing more than working on a project.

When we say engineer, we’re talking about someone who has been through the same Harwell engineering apprenticeship as Ross Brawn, which is also identical to the apprenticeship Allen Millyard (of eponymous Millyard Viper V10 motorcycle fame) completed.

Today the vendor, who is well known to several of us in and around Bonhams HQ, maintains a ludicrously complicated and expensive Harwell particle accelerator for a living.

Among friends who own cars of this vintage (and pretty much anything else mechanical, to be honest) he is the go-to source of expertise and knowledge on repairing, modifying, improving, enhancing, machining and creating all things automotive and, particularly, all things engine related.

And that’s where this Cambridge Special differs from some of its lesser brethren.

You’d be forgiven for looking at this car and conjuring up images of P.G. Wodehouse characters - maiden aunts, buck-toothed vicars, love-struck youths clutching slim volumes of poetry - pootling along dusty country lanes in carefree, halcyon pre-war days.

Welcome to a world of cream teas, good manners and gentle living, you might well think.

Then you’d climb aboard, fire up the engine, let the clutch slip….and take off like a peregrine falcon in a stoop, ripping the air with a sound like bushfire and making birds fall stunned from the skies.

This thing is utterly bonkers and just about as much fun as you can have without being arrested or finding yourself lashed to a stretcher.

It weighs less than a damp whippet and has an engine that puts out three times the power of other Cambridge Specials.

It’s also got all the torsional rigidity and driver aids of an Edwardian pram, so it’s never less than a fully ‘engaging’ experience and one where you’ll need to have your wits about you.

Rest assured that this car has been built and rebuilt to far-better-than-new standards and to truly exemplary engineering standards.

During the vendor’s expert curation he has, among many other things, carried out work as follows.

• New dash, handmade by vendor
• New floorboards
• Brake rebuild with a period ‘Bowdenex’ brake cable upgrade
• New wheel bearings
• All suspension components serviced
• All fluids replaced
• Battery relocated to the boot floor
• LED lights
• Dynamo and charging system rebuilt

Starting with the vendor’s initial purchase of a suitable second-hand engine, over 1000 man-hours went into rebuilding the engine alone, with the work comprising the following.

• New forged crank (7 County Austins)
• New RHP Main bearings (Austin 7 Workshop)
• New white metal big ends (7 County Austins)
• Hand lapping the face of the block flat
• All new studs fitted using appropriate Loctite (3 types) throughout the build
• New slipper pistons and pins (7 County Austins)
• Honed bores correct to new pistons (FJ Paynes)
• Block machined flat (FJ Paynes)
• New valve guides and re-cut seats (FJ Paynes)
• New big valves (7 County Austins)
• New alloy cylinder head (Austin 7 Ulster)
• St. steel water jacket repair (Austin 7 Ulster)
• Alloy tappet cover (Austin 7 Ulster)
• Alloy inlet manifold for 1 ¼” SU Carburettor (Austin 7 Ulster)
• New clutch (Austin 7 workshop)

The result is a car that can be happily driven to the shops or down to the Dog & Duck on a Sunday afternoon or, as it has been several times, it can be pointed uphill at Prescott and unleashed like some kind of small red bat out of hell.

It has a 100% reliability record at such events, which should tell you all you need to know about the engineering integrity of this car.

This is no pampered show-pony.

It doesn’t live in hope of having a concours rosette pinned to its flanks.

It’s not in the market for any detailing products.

It’s built to perform and, as our American cousins would say, it’s built to the hilt.

What it’s got in abundance is patina.

Lashings of patina.

The black wheel arches are missing flecks of paint all over the place.

The bonnet is a time-served tableau of scuffs, missing paint, exposed alloy and little blisters.

But the bodywork itself is straight and untroubled by any dinks, dents, kinks or warps of any note.

The car doesn’t have a hood, but it does have a full black tonneau cover which, a little fading aside, is in fine fettle.

A smaller red fabric tonneau covers the storage area when the full tonneau is stowed.

The chrome is pretty reasonable all round, as are the wheels, tyres, lights, lenses and badging.

Some of the trim at the base of the windscreen is a little ragged.

The interior, you won’t be remotely surprised to discover, is pretty much a match for its exterior counterpart in terms of condition, quality and preservation.

The highlight is the turned aluminium dash handmade by the vendor.

It looks fabulous and lifts the whole interior to a new level.

The black upholstery is decent, save for a small tear to the backrest on the driver’s side, and the seats are comfortable and supportive.

The steering wheel, gear lever and other controls are solid and sound.

As far as we’re aware, everything electrical (which isn’t much) does what it’s supposed to do.

There’s not much else to look at in here – but it’s all pretty good, really.

The engine bay as a whole is clean, dry and tidy, and is shiny with variously new, improved and enhanced bits and pieces.

There is no rust in evidence on the car’s undersides and nothing we’ve seen has given us any cause to tut, raise an eyebrow or otherwise question the robustness or integrity of what we’re looking at.

​The car comes with a comprehensive write-up of work carried out by the vendor, a number of accompanying photographs of the work in progress, and various bills for parts ordered from The Seven Workshop and elsewhere.

It also comes with a copy of ‘Bill’ Williams’ definitive 1958 book, ‘Austin Seven Specials’, a contemporary 1950’s Cambridge Engineering options and price list, a V5C, a clear HPI report and two sets of keys.

This car was built in the year that saw the completion of the Hoover Dam, the inception of the Spanish Civil War, and the coronation of Edward VIII.

That it’s alive and well at all is both surprising and commendable.

That it goes about its business with such superb engineering integrity and the ability to out-sprint a coursed hare is nothing short of extraordinary.

It really is more than a bit special. 

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £11,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.