1930 Austin Swallow Saloon

First registered in the UK on 7th June 1930, this Austin Seven Swallow is in very decent overall condition, although there are a few minor issues to consider.

We have driven the car and can attest to its willingness to start on the button and its sheer driveability.

Yes, the steering is a little vague and inclined to wander about a bit, but this is understandable: we’ve seen fatter tyres on a bicycle.

And the handling and brakes are everything you’d expect to find in a car that’s now 93 years old.

But it works, and goes, and turns and stops.

And it does all of that with the automotive equivalent of a cheeky grin and a wink.

If our experience of it is anything to go by, wherever you go in this impossibly cute car people will stop, stare and, inevitably, smile.

This 1930 Mark 1 Austin Swallow is very original, and all the body panels, engine and transmission are from the original car.

The paint on the car today is period-correct cellulose paint.

The vendor, a classic car enthusiast whose very first car was an Austin Seven he assembled himself, bought the car a couple of years ago from a family in whose ownership it had been since 1973.

It was bought then (1973) as a collection of (matching numbers) parts and the owner, an engineer, set about restoring, refurbishing and rebuilding the car over a two-year period during the ‘70s.

There are many references in the documents section to events attended (and prizes won) over the years, and the car was clearly well-known and well-regarded among Austin Seven aficionados.

While not original, the interior was very well researched and recreated from original drawings and photographs by the penultimate owner.

The seats and door card insert panels were re-upholstered in a Rexine-type material at this time and, as with everything else about the restoration, the focus was very much on remaining as authentic as possible to the original designs and materials.

By the time the current vendor bought the car it had been laid-up for the best part of 12 years and needed some basic servicing and recommissioning to get it up and running again. It also needed some work doing to improve the cooling system.

The vendor, perhaps unsurprisingly, is neither a small child nor a 4’3” contortionist.

So, one of the first things he did was move the front seats back to enable ingress and egress to and from the car without the risk of dislocating a limb.

The previous owner hadn’t completed the floor under the seats, and with that space now partially exposed, the vendor had new aluminium flooring sections fabricated and fitted.

A 6ft-tall adult (your author is one of them) can now fit relatively comfortably into the driving seat and enjoy the experience of taking to the open road in this splendid car.

The vendor has also had emergency lights and flashing indicators (LED) installed but has done so discreetly and they are now incorporated within the existing lighting fixtures.

The vendor had the Seven Workshop do a very thorough survey of the car, after which they stated that the body, chassis, drivetrain and mechanicals were very good and original, save from a few spots on the aluminium bodywork. In fact, they were really quite keen to buy the car for themselves.

The (4-digit) odometer shows a mileage of 3,944 miles.

On the occasion of its 2008 MoT, it read 3,874 miles.

While the current owner doesn’t regularly drag it around the country in pursuit of concours trophies or Austin Seven Owners’ Club cups and gongs, he did have it accepted (many apply, few are invited) for display at the 2022 GRRC Annual Open Day Vehicle Display.

Impressively, the charming little Austin Seven Swallow came second at this prestigious, members only event.

We think that says a great deal about both its originality and its quality.

The bodywork is pretty good, save for a dent at the rear of the roof and a dent on each rear wing.

There’s also a small cut on the forward edge of the nearside bonnet section, caused by the bonnet meeting the wings of the magnificent Swallow mascot.

The mascot can be turned to face backwards, thereby avoiding the chance of incurring further damage when opening the bonnet

The shut lines and panel gaps seem consistent and even throughout, at least by the standards achievable in 1930.

The black over red paintwork is good in parts and rather less so in others, with cracks and crazing to the paint on all four wheel arches.

At the back on the nearside there are various small spots of missing paint into which some oxidisation has crept.

There is some cracked and missing paint and a few spots of underlying blistering at the forward-facing base of the driver’s door and the wing ahead of it.

The n/s/f wheel arch has a few scuffs and scrapes round the rim.

The wire wheels look to be in good order and the vinyl covering on the roof is free of any nicks, tears or ripples.

The chrome is pretty decent all-round, too, as are the other external fixtures and fittings, including the fully functional ‘smoker’s hatch’ and the delightful, marine-style scuttle vents between the windscreen and the bonnet lid.

Some of the exterior rubber trim has cracked or perished in places.

The interior is much the same as its exterior counterpart. In other words, it’s really pretty impressive all over with one or two minor issues here and there.

The red upholstery is very good indeed and has survived the passage of time with commendable stoicism and resilience.

Ditto the red carpets and mats.

The door cards, too, are in fine fettle.

Some of the decorative fabric trim is coming away in places, but the car comes with a big box of spare parts and other bits and pieces, including all sorts of replacement trim.

The headlining is a little grubby, but is intact and free from any meaningful damage.

There is a small split in the fabric on the inside of the driver’s-side ‘B’ pillar.

The vanity/compact mirror sitting in its recess in the glove compartment is not original, but you may fare better if you’re keen to track one down.

There is what appears to be an original tool-roll in the rear.

The wood on the dashboard and door cappings has patina, and the brown paint is wearing away in places, but it looks to us to be fundamentally sound.

We didn’t press every button, flick every switch or pull every knob, but those we did press, flick and pull did what they are supposed to do.

We can’t speak highly enough of the richly sonorous bass rasp emitted by the horn.

It is pure ‘Mr. Toad’ and seems to us to be entirely in keeping with the car’s distinctive character.

The engine and engine bay look clean and dry, and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car (where you’ll see the relatively new battery sitting in its cradle) look to have a good deal of structural integrity and to be only vaguely familiar with any kind or road surface.

While the engine is recorded on the V5 as being 858cc, we believe that this is a DVLA error and the car retains its 848cc unit as originally fitted.

We know where this car’s been and who’s been looking after it from 1973 (when it was 43) until today (it’s now 93).

We don’t know anything about its life prior to 1973, although we note that it is wearing what appear to be its original London registration plates.

The condition, provenance and known history are all in its favour.

Please see the documents section for various bills, letters, documents and articles.

We’ve really taken a shine to this jaunty little car.

Its endearing simplicity means that it has nothing to hide – and virtually nowhere to hide it.

We’ve seen nothing to make us tut or raise an eyebrow.

In fact, everything we’ve seen has made us smile.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|CarsOnline HQ, Abingdon. Viewings are strictly by appointment. 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’.