Pre-war Austin identification request

[JagJob]

Hi gus,

Who can help me identify these three Austins? Would be great!



I know nothing about this one. Participated in a hillclimb in the North of France.


This must be an Austin Seven tourer, but is this an AC, AD or something else?


And the last one, according to the entry list a 1936 Seven, but what type of Seven?

Thanks in advance! I am convinced this one will be solved as well!

Best, Job

[crankedup]

A7 special (home built body). A7 Chummy. A7 Ruby (I think)

[JagJob]

crankedup said:

A7 special (home built body). A7 Chummy. A7 Ruby (I think)

Thanks! I think you may be right regarding the Ruby. That would be a Ruby Mark II (ARR). The Chummy could be a type AD... I'm not sure anyway...

[davepen]

JagJob said:

The Chummy could be a type AD... I'm not sure anyway...

Most people just say Chummy and give the year, the spec changed so much in the 1920's
The AD type appears to refer to the body tub, which was used from 1926 to 1930. During that period Austin made other changes, changing the engine from Mag to Coil, having a chrome radiator, and moving the lights. The chrome rad and lights on the radiator on this car say it is a 1930 Model Year style car. So would have a coil engine.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C185977/
To compare here is a 1928 car - also AD type - but with the black rad and scuttle lights. It also has a magneto engine - but a coil conversion, see last picture. Factory coil engines don't have the SIMMS drive and the distributor is mounted on the end of the dynamo, at 90 degrees.

[austin]

davepen said:

JagJob said:

The Chummy could be a type AD... I'm not sure anyway...

Most people just say Chummy and give the year, the spec changed so much in the 1920's
The AD type appears to refer to the body tub, which was used from 1926 to 1930. During that period Austin made other changes, changing the engine from Mag to Coil, having a chrome radiator, and moving the lights. The chrome rad and lights on the radiator on this car say it is a 1930 Model Year style car. So would have a coil engine.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C185977/
To compare here is a 1928 car - also AD type - but with the black rad and scuttle lights. It also has a magneto engine - but a coil conversion, see last picture. Factory coil engines don't have the SIMMS drive and the distributor is mounted on the end of the dynamo, at 90 degrees.

If you want to get an*l about it you should also know that they weren't officially called Chummies either.

My Ulster, (also an unofficial Austin name!) has a magneto engine, (it should have a coil one for the date) but I love it, so little to look after. Always wondered why people do mag - coil conversions, seems a lot of work to introduce a whole new load of points of failure, (pun intended!)

One the mag is sorted that's it, doesn't need any power to run so the battery only runs the starter and the lights. (Which is good on mine as the dynamo is buggered

[JagJob]

davepen said:

JagJob said:

The Chummy could be a type AD... I'm not sure anyway...

Most people just say Chummy and give the year, the spec changed so much in the 1920's
The AD type appears to refer to the body tub, which was used from 1926 to 1930. During that period Austin made other changes, changing the engine from Mag to Coil, having a chrome radiator, and moving the lights. The chrome rad and lights on the radiator on this car say it is a 1930 Model Year style car. So would have a coil engine.

Thanks. Are all tourers (AB, AC, AD, AE and AF) referred to as Chummy? The AE was also built in 1929, wasn't it? Or is the AE different in appearance?

[davepen]

JagJob said:

Thanks. Are all tourers referred to as Chummy?

I think a few small close coupled 2+2's were refered to as a Chummy in the mid twenties. They were so small one sat very close to one's chums (in a Bertie Wooster - PG Woodhouse way). Austin just made a lot of them, so I guess the name has stuck.

Compare a chummy to a standard tourer of the period (in the 12hp class) with a Aster screen, or a car with a dixey (rumble) seat. Difficult to talk to the guys in the back; some of the big saloons had a speaking tube/horn, for the owner in the back to instruct the driver where to go.

[JagJob]

davepen said:

I think a few small close coupled 2+2's were refered to as a Chummy in the mid twenties. They were so small one sat very close to one's chums (in a Bertie Wooster - PG Woodhouse way). Austin just made a lot of them, so I guess the name has stuck.

Compare a chummy to a standard tourer of the period (in the 12hp class) with a Aster screen, or a car with a dixey (rumble) seat. Difficult to talk to the guys in the back; some of the big saloons had a speaking tube/horn, for the owner in the back to instruct the driver where to go.

Oh, those good old days! I love those details! Once we saw a car in a museum with brushes fitted to the driving boards with which you could brush your shoes! A good solution to mud in your car!
Yes, I know quite a bit about early body types. It is a pitty so many of them have been dropped or are considered old-fashioned. Only Maybach offers a Landau nowadays and four-door convertibles are not made at all as far as I know. How would a modern Coupe de Ville or still better, Sedan de Ville look like? The old Bentley Continental had something like a t-top which could, with a bit of fantasy, be referred to as a Coupe de Ville...

However, what I meant was: were all the Tourers (AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AH)made by Austin nicknamed "Chummy"?

By the way, what is an Aster screen?