Description:

A pre-war Austin 7 single seat special using Austin mechanicals with a very pretty aluminum body reminiscent
of an early American sprint car. The potent little 750 is supercharged and the car has been updated with
reasonable safety equipment including a rollover bar, fuel cell, and harness.


History

In 1936 a tradesman wrote off a brand new Austin van after leaving a pub. This served as the basis
for this special which was constructed in 1937. The car is beautifully constructed, in particular the
front suspension is very cleverly fabricated. The car possesses huge drum brakes reminiscent of a GP
car of the era, and the rear suspension features an offset axle to provide a very low driver seating
position.
The car was raced in Britain in 1938 and 1939. At the outbreak of hostilities the owner entered the RAF
and was lost in the Battle of Britain. The completed car sat in his widow's barn for 50 years. It was
discovered in 1991. Purchased by the current owner it was
the object of a complete restoration by Don Rawson in 1995. The car is today
resplendent in it's slender bare aluminum bodywork.



Competition History

VCSSA Spring Sprints and Mount Equinox Hillclimb, 1996

Engine

• Austin 7 750cc.
  
• supercharged
  

Body

• bare aluminum, much of the bodywork was re-fabricated using the original as a pattern
  during the restoration
  

Chassis

• Austin 7 ladder
  
• beam, transverse leaf spring, friction dampers
  
• offset live axle, 1/4 elliptics
  
• worm & sector
  
• large hydraulic drums
  
• 3" and 4" x 15" 48 spoke Dunlops
  

Interior

• reproduction period instruments
  
• fire system