You drove it well, several other people I have let drive it have really struggled with it... After a few thousand miles it becomes a bit less scary, although I do still find single track roads alarming at times.
Yes, single track roads are scary enough in any old car with non-servo drum brakes as you never really know if it's going to pull left or right or skid on the nearside mud, when a car comes hurtling round the bend from the other way. With this, I doubt you'd be all that confident of stopping at all! All adds to the fun of actually driving rather than being driven by a modern car.
Love it! When I was a kid growing up in Surrey, a neighbour and his friend drove an Austin Seven, black two door hard-top all the way to Russia. At that time nobody knew what went on in Russia, but he claimed that the people treated him like Royalty. It made the Newspapers and left everybody in awe of this rather brave feat.
A cute little car. Many in the UK will know the live action 1990s British childrens tv series called 'Brum' which was about the adventures of a characterful sentient half-scale replica Austin 7 Chummy convertible called 'Brum'. Each story was about the car escaping from the car museum without the owner knowing, having adventures in 'Big Town' (Birmingham) and then returning to the museum. 'Brum' is also short for Birmingham, UK.
Brum can be viewed at the Bourton-On-The Water motor museum where he used to escape from to have his adventures in Birmingham. They did bring back the Brum series in the early 2000's but it then disappeared again come the end around 2009-2010
One of my favourites when I was wee! 😊 The atmosphere of the setting, with the shop and the sentient objects reminded me of Bagpuss, another of my favourites. Even though of course the adventures themselves are quite different :)
Built by a FANTASTIC man called Rex Garrod, who died in 2019. Brum was operated remotely by 2 people, being part RC car and part robot. Rex went on to be part of the Robot Wars team 'Cassius', and was good friends with Tim Hunkin. They copresented the series 'The Secret Life of Machines.' Mr Hunkin has a youtube channel that's well worth exploring, where he often talks about Rex with great tenderness, affection and admiration. Truly legends of our time.
What a treat! This little car is a heart-stealer; she almost talks, what with the gear whine, exhaust thrum, valve clicking, fan roar, and a whole vocabulary of automotive chatter. More of these storied survivors, Ian - please!
Here's an idea. Dress in 1920s clothes, drive that car to a country pub, park, rush in, loudly asking 'What year is it? What year is it?" and when you're told, scream "YES! IT WORKS! IT WORKS!" Then rush out and drive away.
Perfectly splendid! I remember the newspaper man who delivered his daily round to all the outlying farms on the Gloucester side of Ross-on-Wye in the 1960s. I seem to recall he ran it on petrol and TVO (tractor vapourising oil: paraffin). It must have been a chilly experience trotting around in the thing, it was what you might call, basic. He got stuck once outside our place in the terrible winter of 1966. My brother and I fetched our old shire horse out - she was bored with no farm work to do any longer - we hitched up to Mr Rigby's Austin and she pulled it straight out. He gave us sixpence for it, it was wonderful! Therefafter old Flower found herself in work for the rest of the winter dragging out snow bound cars, she loved it! It was astonishing what she managed to drag out of the drifts, but then she was nearly 17 hands and built like a bulldozer. She earned us quite a few bob over that winter, it put the sparkle back in her eye and meant that my bro and I could go to the Roxy Cinema more than we had ever done.
This is peak Ian. The way he can relate the driving experience is like no-one else, plus he has his encyclopedic knowledge and infectious love of wipers. Pure indulgence for the viewer.
It's amazing to think that when this car was new, many in rural areas still travelled into town on a horse-drawn carriage. Hardly any other cars on the road so it was much less dangerous, I guess?
Not to mention starting within seconds at the turn of a key, tires that rarely go flat, and automatic transmission for most cars in the US. Not even counting the last 30 years of refinements! People from the 1920s would be dumbstruck at the thought of fatigued commuters falling asleep at the wheel doing 70 mph cruise control on the highway!
I enjoyed that. Fair dos to Colin for effectively daily drive it. The chassis on these early Sevens ended under the front seats, so the rear seat and body was effectively dangling over the rear wheels. The 747cc produces just 10bhp, but the car is exceptionally lightweight. Give me a shout if you fancy test-driving my 1932 Morris Minor.
I have a picture of my Grandfather behind the wheel of his (very simmilar to this example), in Dublin in the 1920's. Apparently the Police would pull him over as he was often a little too merry to drive it, they would help him get it home. There were no drink driving laws then, nor driving tests.
Even with Garda station closures, drink driving is a rare thing in rural Ireland. I went to New Zealand a few years ago. Saw drink drivers on a regular basis there from all walks of life.
I've driven an early 7 and it was exactly like you said: scary but amazing! It really is a skill to make one move along smoothly and thus incredibly rewarding. Scary to think people modified and raced there, and still do.
The Wiki article on the Austin 7 is really an excellent read and has some great pictures of all the different models, including the foreign licensed versions and the racing cars.
My late father was born in 1913 and in his youth, late 1920s early 1930s, he worked at Lucas's garage in Mansfield Notts. He sent for his licence at 16 in 1929 by telling them on the form that he was 17, no driving test until 1935 so once he got the licence in the post he was driving. One of his jobs was to take the train and tram to the Longbridge factory to pick up new Austin 7s for customers and drive them back to Mansfield at running-in speed of around 30mph maximum, so quite a few hours' journey on those old roads. (No car transporters in those days). Apparently when the customer came to pick up their new car they were taught how it worked and how to drive it, just for an hour or so before driving away. A few years ago a friend of mine was restoring a 1931 one which was a similar shade of red to that one you were driving, and he wanted to know the exact colour and whether it was a standard one. My Dad immediately said that it was indeed a standard colour called Indian Red, and he remembered it well, so my friend restored his accordingly. He sadly died in 2001, but his stories of how the motor trade was in the 20s and 30s were fascinating.
My dad was born in 1913 too. He worked as a mechanic and had an encyclopedic knowledge of every part on every car from then until the 1950s. He and my uncle and great uncle used to drag race in the 1930s in cars with nothing but a souped up engine and a suspension and steering wheel and a seat. My uncle was the youngest and smallest and the only one stupid enough to race the things.
Nothing makes me smile like an Austin 7, really enjoyed this. I find the trick with my, admittedly much more refined Box Saloon, is to just relax the grip on the wheel and let it wander. Also the back axel does steer as the body rolls due to the quarter-elliptic rear spring moving the axel further rearwards as they compress, the effect is sort of like a skateboard truck.
Your test videos recently have been true HubNut and fantastic. This is the first time I've been in an Austin 7 on the road (through video) and they're actually a great little car, better than expected. I'm really impressed how it handled the steep banks at the Severn Valley Railway which makes me think they could handle the hills around County Durham where I live, albeit at 10 mph!!
@@AdventuresinaMorris Ah... yes I desire some old GPO vans, or one at least, but way beyond my budget right now. Simply to mess with customers, turn up to install a cat7 data feed... in a van labelled GPO Telephones...
In the 1920's the blanket speed limit out of town was 20mph as set from 1904. This limit didn't change until 1935 when the in town limit became 30mph and out of town there was no set limit. So, the Austin 7 was simply a car of its time and when in first class order all round it goes very well. Its not terrifying, one simply accepts its design features and adapts to them.
In this day a day age when a Ford Fiesta is a terrifying monster truck and many times harder driving a car like this is indeed terrifying. No less charming though.
Not even through the ages. In the ten years that followed this one's production, cars went from this to what they would be until the early fifties. Brakes that would stop the car, synchro transmissions, handling that was significantly more confidence-inspiring... Not to mention all the creature comforts. Heaters, for one. It's surprising how modern a car from 1945 feels in comparison.
@@skylined5534 Absolutely! My everyday car is from 1951; it has self latching doors, centrifugal/vacuum ignition timing, automatic choke, thermostatic pump-driven engine cooling, fully pressure fed oiling, four-speed automatic gearbox, screen defrost and thermostatic cabin heat, self-latching doors, wind-up windows, an 8 tube radio, anti-glare rear view mirror, passenger vanity and it comfortably seats six plus luggage. Still got vacuum wipers, though. Gosh darn Ransom E Olds.
This might be the most beautiful video on your channel. It's not only the great original condition of the car - more it is the extremely happy expression on your face while driving it. I believe I had the same feeling when I first drove my Morris Minor again after two long years of extensive (but gentle) restoration.
This has to be one of Ian's best reviews ever. You can feel the horror in his voice, which makes for an exhilarating experience. It feels like watching the Ari Vatanen's co-pilot "oh dear God" moment at the 1983 Manx International Rally.
A very brave man indeed! I remember reading in Graham Hill’s autobiography about him being a passenger on the London-Brighton Vintage Car Rally - he found it terrifying! I didn’t really understand it at the time, but having just watched you driving that much later car I can now see why…
Some of the Brighton cars are "an experience"......but I wouldn't call them terrifying...... I once worked for a custodian of a number of them and every year they had to be checked and run a number of miles before Brighton to find any problems and my only mild terror was driving an 1890 something Wolesley when a woman in Metro pulled out in front of me and just stopped.....fortunately, the grass verge to the left on which I passed her was open and relative smooth....😄😄 .....my favourite was a 1904 Thornycroft which could barrel along at a fair old lick and steered beautifully........although you needed good long range eyesight to plan your stopping .......
@@ianhudson2193 'although you needed good long range eyesight to plan your stopping' That's probably why an F1 racing driver used to instant responses, found it terrfiying. :)
My late father learned to drive in a seven, and there was me thinking I had it hard learning to drive in a MK3 Cortina! I have to admit that driving the seven looks both terrifying, and a bunch of fun at the same time. She is just so tiny compared to a modern car. And those doors! Car doors these days are 10 times thicker. Amazing to see this one in such original condition, have seen plenty restored to within an inch of their life, so nice to see a true survivor like this.
I have seen a photo of myself as a toddler in the back of a circa 1928 Austin 7 Chummy with the roof up. It was my father's third car, after a pair of 1930 ish Austin heavy 12 fours.
I would like a shot in that, reminds me of some old Bristol / Leyland double deckers I have driven. It's their way or no way! Add a bit of steering free play to camber steering you get that totally unpredictable feeling. Also these oldies have nothing like the braking effort we take for granted, so you need to drive knowing it someone stops in front of you and you are close, you probably won't. Never try and descend a hill faster than it could climb it, was the rule I was taught.
Fair play Ian that was a tricky set of junctions where it stalled, but you got it all going calmly and set off without any drama. That has brightened up a gloomy Sunday morning 😊
Nice class 50 in the background. There is an Austin like this at the Launceston steam railway, up in the loft at their small museum also in this condition. Excellent vid Btw Ian.
Brilliant. Well done Colin for loaning it out. The rear feels like it's coming round because it is, as the body rolls one spring flattens and the other lengthens and so you have slightly rear steer.
Ahhhhhhh.....the joyous sounds of the wheezy side-valve with the straight cut gears providing a beautiful descant......and of course the driver uttering all sorts of concerns and exclamations (in any number of vocal registers - often simultaneously) as he pilots the wee beasty at 40mph! Many thanks for taking the challenge on, Ian. I've always wondered how the early Sevens were compared to the Model T of the era.....and the answer is SO MUCH easier to drive. I've seen the T driven and demonstrated and it makes the Seven look positively modern! If the foot brake worked both front and rear brakes at the same time, I don't think you would have been half as terrified. I'd like to give a Seven a go, but I don't think I'd ever take on a T. Funny how we get used to things like direct steering and hydraulic braking and really miss them when they aren't there, eh? All the best
I've driven a T and while the controls are a little more baffling, they feel much better to drive in many ways. 45mph is no bother at all in one of those.
The car that brought motoring to the masses. Great fun! I was at Bicester yesterday watching the VSCC putting these wonderful little machines through their paces.
Love it! Imagine if cars were like this now? No one would dare speed. Everyone would be driving along looking terrified at 30mph 😅. Incredible how original it still is at nearly 100years old. Using this as your main car is mental!
It is not my main car, I have a 2CV for that, but when the weather is nice I would rather use the Austin. It also gets used for navigation rallies and even the odd track day, evidence of which can be seen by searching "the Streatham chummy" on here.
Thanks for this Ian, this is probably my favourite one of your videos I've seen so far. I actually laughed out loud when you got to the twisty bits. Very entertaining and educational too
Back in the 50s a local man had one of those. His indicators were wooden arms, complete with hands, that swiveled up to indicate his intention to turn.
What a fantastic little car,so full of character,had a big smile on my face watching this video,the sound of the engine was great with the whining etc,really really enjoyed this thank you.
Brilliant fun. Austin Sevens are so involving and as you said, every journey is an adventure (they're surprisingly good off-road too, as long as the gradient isn't too steep (though I managed Porlock Hill in mine). Highley village to Bridgnorth is a route I never drove in my 1937 Ruby or 1937 Opal two seater, but many times in my Series Land Rover which replaced them. The Austins and Landy share quite a few characteristics: please yourself steering, fingers crossed brakes, bouncy castle ride and the unfailingly ability to put a smile on your face on every journey. Be careful, you'll end up wanting one!
My dad had a Ruby. His first car. 18 hours from London to Manchester before the motorways were built. -You know you are living when you are scared of dying! 😂
My dad's first car was also a Ruby; a 1935 car bought by his parents for him when he was 16. Unfortunately he turned 16 only weeks before WW2 broke out so it was laid up in their greenhouse until 1945.
Another legacy of the Austin Seven is that John Haynes - of Haynes manual fame - wrote his very first book about how to build Austin Seven-based 750 specials. I got the reprint that Practical Classics magazine included after his passing in 2019, I wish I knew where it was because it's fascinating.
Interesting, I remember driving my uncle's Ruby many years ago. My uncle drove it all around New Zealand. I remember he blew a gasket in the middle of nowhere , no problem just change it on the side of the road. They always made it home. Personally i find the affordable cars more interesting than all the limited production expensive cars stuff you see in museums.
I chuckled my way through this video, such fun you had. The seven has something that always makes you smile when you see one going down the road, love them.
When you say it feels like the rear is steering, it really is. A quirk of the rear springs at standard height means you get a snap-oversteer as the car leans. Racing / lowered cars are the opposite as the springs are flat. This induces a stabilising rear understeer which is much less lethal! You coped with the clutch and gearbox very well.
My friend has a Chummy, I've only been in it once and it was, as you quite rightly say, absolutely terrifying. Its body twisted and flexed like no business and the vibrations where pretty impressive too. Great fun and some happy memories were made.
Well done, Ian - brave lad! I was half expecting to hear a commentary from Toyah Wilcox. 😁(She was on 'BRUM', a British TV programme for kids about a little animated car's adventures. It looked remarkably like this one. The model itself was built by Rex Garrod, who was best known for making fighting machines for Robot Wars!). It's ironic that driving back in the 1920s was probably (sort of) safer than driving today. When making decent progress demanded your full attention and a fair bit of skill, a driver's mind was on driving and his eyes were on the road. Nowadays cars are so quiet, comfortable, capable and easy to drive that the only people who really, REALLY concentrate on the job in hand are racing drivers. It's scary to put an old car on modern roads, but what's even more scary is that people themselves haven't changed. We've got the same brains and reflexes they had in the '20s; we just employ them differently. So now, with more options everywhere, attention spans are shorter and minds are free to wander. There's at least 10x more traffic; cars have distracting touchscreen displays and entertainment systems; drivers are too relaxed because their vehicle is doing all the hard work, and they're too busy playing with toys, cup-holders and mobile phones to pay enough attention to the road. No wonder the rich employed chauffeurs. And no wonder driving gloves were such a popular Christmas present back then. Driving was so coarse, common, ghastly, beastly and laborious, what? 🤭
A guy in my village has four of these little cars, often see them driving around, even this time of year! Amazing how small & basic they are, I am impressed that the owner uses it as a daily driver 🚙
What a thoroughly joyous video! Proof once again that when it comes to power, less is more. What stayed with me was the line about how every journey in the Seven becomes an adventure. That hits the nail on the head and is absolutely what owning an older car should be about. Well done Ian, this is one of your best!
Ian, I thoroughly enjoyed your video. Apparently Herbert Austin copied the layout of a floor mounted stick shift and pedal arrangement etc from Cadillac and then did the world the great service of popularising it so that it became the standard we still use today. As always, thank for good, clean and edifying content.
This video reminds me of the Tasmanian 2CV video. I could feel the thrill and contagious enthusiasm as you fearfully head down the highway! I still feel this was one of the most important cars in automotive history
Well done Ian well driven i have been told by my older uncles who are no longer with us how tough they could be to drive! My granny worked at Joseph Lucas who made many components and also was a neighbour of Stanley Edge as well! Don’t blame Colin I bet they are such fun a great survivor!
Great review, Ian. I'm getting strong James Herriot vibes with this one having read the books and then watched the TV series as a youngster. At least you're not driving through the dales on a cold wet night to help a cow deliver her calf! Or doing 'driverless car' imaitations.
"...and now I see the appeal of this car. Every journey becomes a massive adventure..." LOL! Line of the century! Classic. 😂🤣 Great video. Thanks for showing us your friend's car. A true look back at what motoring once was.
That was brilliant and hilarious! Fabulous little car what a brilliant piece of British engineering too. Very nicely driven with that crash box, perfect down in to 1st! Felt like I was in the car albeit a bit warmer. Genius
Great little car from an era when you had to be a driver (and sometimes a mechanic) rather than just directing the car where you wanted to go. Loved the video.
Great video. That car is terrifying and amazing. Fascinating history too especially how so many manufacturers around the world built their own version - either under licence or by just copying!
I used to enjoy driving around those Bridgnorth roads in a very modern Morris minor 1000 pickup in the early 80' s , Thanks Ian , it's great to see the old place and i can totally understand the fun of driving that little 100 year old Austin .
Family legend time: allegedly my grandad (died long before I was born) once drive a 7 up Snowdon. He had to do most of it backwards as it was the lowest gear. Also nice to see the engine shed @ Bridgnorth - my father-in-law is working to restore one of their locos in there!
👍 👍 👍 Wow, that reminded me of how enjoyable motoring can be. When going out was an adventure, not a chore. I loved every moment, every wiring gear, every bump of your journey, totally inspiring to return to vintage motoring. 😁
Amazing, and a daily driver too! Can't imagine how cold it must get. Got to admit there is a certain joy in driving an older car. My daily transport is a 1960 model and I wouldn't want anything less.
awesome vid. ive built one of these and a regular 1930 austin 7 and the owner has won alot of awards. he absolutely loves driving them too, pops down the shops in a 1930's car. he also drove it about 700 klms to a show and back.
When I and my two brother (at the time - 4 of us later on) during the 40's after the war, were in my Dad's Austin 7 Ruby Saloon travelling from Sidcup in Kent to Bodmin in Cornwall. When any of us kids wanted to go to the toilet Dad would only stop the car when all of us wanted to go! When I got out my legs were dead and I fell over and we all laughed. We were so cramped up in the back. That little car never once let us down which was a credit to my Dad who got it as a bomb damaged vehicle and spent a year renovating it. Memories which this video brings back so vividly. Many, many thanks for sharing this, a wonderful story.
It's amazing how much quieter classic cars are. My local Transport museum has an Austin 7 and if it was any smaller you could pick it up and put it in your pocket. They've also restored an Austin 12/6 with a 1.5 straight 6 and again lovely and quiet.
The back wheels ARE steering Ian !.You took me back a few years ago when I had a re-aquaintance with the Austin Seven , selling a long family owned Mini and buying a ' 28 Fabric saloon.My first car 50 years ago was a ' 38 Ruby, luxury and easy compared with an early Seven .The Fabric was so sweet and charming , made people smile but the immense concentration required at all times and often meeting arrogant unsympathetic drivers, soured the brief ownership and reluctanlty let her go.You coped remarkably well , especially with the silent gear changes with tiny and cramped pedals !.This car is incredible , note the hingless bonnet top , early CAV electrics and wonderful patina of nearly 100 years .
Dunno if you heard, "The definition of a gentleman, is being able change gears in an austin 7 without getting your face slapped" My Grandfather had a similar size austin in the late 50s early 60s, until he got a humber. You did ok.
There is a BMW Dixie at Gaydon which is the built under license BMW version of the Austin Seven. Currently if you can get to the museum this year and possibly the start of next year they have a special exhibition on in the museum on the Austin Seven with some very interesting cars on show.
You drove it well, several other people I have let drive it have really struggled with it... After a few thousand miles it becomes a bit less scary, although I do still find single track roads alarming at times.
Cheers. When everything comes together, it's a little bundle of joy.
HubNut's right: you're a loony!
@@rogerking7258 it's prefect transportation, simple, easy to maintain, easy to drive (when you have mastered it) & tiny, so can be parked anywhere.
Yes, single track roads are scary enough in any old car with non-servo drum brakes as you never really know if it's going to pull left or right or skid on the nearside mud, when a car comes hurtling round the bend from the other way. With this, I doubt you'd be all that confident of stopping at all! All adds to the fun of actually driving rather than being driven by a modern car.
@@Nino500 you do have the advantage that it's tiny, so you can normally whizz passed oncoming traffic.
The camera position during the test drive was perfect! Helped share the sense of horror behind the wheel.
😂
Good point
Love it! When I was a kid growing up in Surrey, a neighbour and his friend drove an Austin Seven, black two door hard-top all the way to Russia. At that time nobody knew what went on in Russia, but he claimed that the people treated him like Royalty. It made the Newspapers and left everybody in awe of this rather brave feat.
interesting. Please let us know in what year this was happening?
A cute little car. Many in the UK will know the live action 1990s British childrens tv series called 'Brum' which was about the adventures of a characterful sentient half-scale replica Austin 7 Chummy convertible called 'Brum'. Each story was about the car escaping from the car museum without the owner knowing, having adventures in 'Big Town' (Birmingham) and then returning to the museum. 'Brum' is also short for Birmingham, UK.
Brum can be viewed at the Bourton-On-The Water motor museum where he used to escape from to have his adventures in Birmingham. They did bring back the Brum series in the early 2000's but it then disappeared again come the end around 2009-2010
@@bentullett6068 And Toyah Wilcox another brummie was the narrator
One of my favourites when I was wee! 😊 The atmosphere of the setting, with the shop and the sentient objects reminded me of Bagpuss, another of my favourites. Even though of course the adventures themselves are quite different :)
Built by a FANTASTIC man called Rex Garrod, who died in 2019. Brum was operated remotely by 2 people, being part RC car and part robot. Rex went on to be part of the Robot Wars team 'Cassius', and was good friends with Tim Hunkin. They copresented the series 'The Secret Life of Machines.' Mr Hunkin has a youtube channel that's well worth exploring, where he often talks about Rex with great tenderness, affection and admiration. Truly legends of our time.
Always wondered what Brum was based on.
What a treat! This little car is a heart-stealer; she almost talks, what with the gear whine, exhaust thrum, valve clicking, fan roar, and a whole vocabulary of automotive chatter. More of these storied survivors, Ian - please!
Here's an idea. Dress in 1920s clothes, drive that car to a country pub, park, rush in, loudly asking 'What year is it? What year is it?" and when you're told, scream "YES! IT WORKS! IT WORKS!" Then rush out and drive away.
A (large) part of me wishes that cars were still made like this today. Love the sound inside!
Brown corduroy trousers are a smart choice of wardrobe when trying out a car that scares you shitless 😂
😂😂
Perfectly splendid! I remember the newspaper man who delivered his daily round to all the outlying farms on the Gloucester side of Ross-on-Wye in the 1960s. I seem to recall he ran it on petrol and TVO (tractor vapourising oil: paraffin). It must have been a chilly experience trotting around in the thing, it was what you might call, basic. He got stuck once outside our place in the terrible winter of 1966. My brother and I fetched our old shire horse out - she was bored with no farm work to do any longer - we hitched up to Mr Rigby's Austin and she pulled it straight out. He gave us sixpence for it, it was wonderful! Therefafter old Flower found herself in work for the rest of the winter dragging out snow bound cars, she loved it! It was astonishing what she managed to drag out of the drifts, but then she was nearly 17 hands and built like a bulldozer. She earned us quite a few bob over that winter, it put the sparkle back in her eye and meant that my bro and I could go to the Roxy Cinema more than we had ever done.
Thank you for sharing your very cool story!
I recall that winter was 1962. Did he start it on TVO and then proceed with petrol?
This is peak Ian. The way he can relate the driving experience is like no-one else, plus he has his encyclopedic knowledge and infectious love of wipers. Pure indulgence for the viewer.
It's amazing to think that when this car was new, many in rural areas still travelled into town on a horse-drawn carriage. Hardly any other cars on the road so it was much less dangerous, I guess?
Indeed. And other drivers would be entirely aware of your braking limitations as their cars would be the same.
Thoroughly enjoyable - your enthusiasm is infectious, as is your abject terror...
I would be terrified for sure driving this thing, especially rural tight roads.
Astonishing how original this is - mind blowing. Makes me thankful of all the modern amenities we have now - like brakes, steering and synchro!
Well I can't speak for synchros because every car I get seems to have 1st and 2nd gear synchros already pre-broken.
..speed ;-)
Not to mention starting within seconds at the turn of a key, tires that rarely go flat, and automatic transmission for most cars in the US. Not even counting the last 30 years of refinements! People from the 1920s would be dumbstruck at the thought of fatigued commuters falling asleep at the wheel doing 70 mph cruise control on the highway!
those modern Junk won't last as long as this because of the 1000 ECMs and Planned obsolescence
I enjoyed that. Fair dos to Colin for effectively daily drive it. The chassis on these early Sevens ended under the front seats, so the rear seat and body was effectively dangling over the rear wheels. The 747cc produces just 10bhp, but the car is exceptionally lightweight.
Give me a shout if you fancy test-driving my 1932 Morris Minor.
Cheers. Please email ian@hubnut.org and we'll make that happen. Would love to compare.
That’s pretty solid of you, @Crash Box.
I have a picture of my Grandfather behind the wheel of his (very simmilar to this example), in Dublin in the 1920's. Apparently the Police would pull him over as he was often a little too merry to drive it, they would help him get it home. There were no drink driving laws then, nor driving tests.
It's changed far less than you might think in the rural areas!
Even with Garda station closures, drink driving is a rare thing in rural Ireland. I went to New Zealand a few years ago. Saw drink drivers on a regular basis there from all walks of life.
Like it was in the US up 'til 1980.
I've driven an early 7 and it was exactly like you said: scary but amazing! It really is a skill to make one move along smoothly and thus incredibly rewarding. Scary to think people modified and raced there, and still do.
The Wiki article on the Austin 7 is really an excellent read and has some great pictures of all the different models, including the foreign licensed versions and the racing cars.
My late father was born in 1913 and in his youth, late 1920s early 1930s, he worked at Lucas's garage in Mansfield Notts. He sent for his licence at 16 in 1929 by telling them on the form that he was 17, no driving test until 1935 so once he got the licence in the post he was driving. One of his jobs was to take the train and tram to the Longbridge factory to pick up new Austin 7s for customers and drive them back to Mansfield at running-in speed of around 30mph maximum, so quite a few hours' journey on those old roads. (No car transporters in those days). Apparently when the customer came to pick up their new car they were taught how it worked and how to drive it, just for an hour or so before driving away. A few years ago a friend of mine was restoring a 1931 one which was a similar shade of red to that one you were driving, and he wanted to know the exact colour and whether it was a standard one. My Dad immediately said that it was indeed a standard colour called Indian Red, and he remembered it well, so my friend restored his accordingly. He sadly died in 2001, but his stories of how the motor trade was in the 20s and 30s were fascinating.
My dad was born in 1913 too. He worked as a mechanic and had an encyclopedic knowledge of every part on every car from then until the 1950s. He and my uncle and great uncle used to drag race in the 1930s in cars with nothing but a souped up engine and a suspension and steering wheel and a seat. My uncle was the youngest and smallest and the only one stupid enough to race the things.
Nothing makes me smile like an Austin 7, really enjoyed this. I find the trick with my, admittedly much more refined Box Saloon, is to just relax the grip on the wheel and let it wander. Also the back axel does steer as the body rolls due to the quarter-elliptic rear spring moving the axel further rearwards as they compress, the effect is sort of like a skateboard truck.
Your test videos recently have been true HubNut and fantastic. This is the first time I've been in an Austin 7 on the road (through video) and they're actually a great little car, better than expected. I'm really impressed how it handled the steep banks at the Severn Valley Railway which makes me think they could handle the hills around County Durham where I live, albeit at 10 mph!!
Yes, I think you'd find an Austin 7 or a Morris 8 will climb anything, given time!
@@AdventuresinaMorris Ah... yes
I desire some old GPO vans, or one at least, but way beyond my budget right now. Simply to mess with customers, turn up to install a cat7 data feed... in a van labelled GPO Telephones...
In the 1920's the blanket speed limit out of town was 20mph as set from 1904. This limit didn't change until 1935 when the in town limit became 30mph and out of town there was no set limit. So, the Austin 7 was simply a car of its time and when in first class order all round it goes very well. Its not terrifying, one simply accepts its design features and adapts to them.
In this day a day age when a Ford Fiesta is a terrifying monster truck and many times harder driving a car like this is indeed terrifying. No less charming though.
This video, like the car, is an absolute gem. Your joy at that successful gear change was lovely.
5000 miles a year in that shows dedication and not a little madness.
Sums up Colin pretty well.
It shows how far motorcars have come through the ages.
Interesting history of Austin, to which I knew very little!
Not even through the ages. In the ten years that followed this one's production, cars went from this to what they would be until the early fifties. Brakes that would stop the car, synchro transmissions, handling that was significantly more confidence-inspiring... Not to mention all the creature comforts. Heaters, for one. It's surprising how modern a car from 1945 feels in comparison.
@@nigefoxx Very true. Over time improvements are made, making vehicles better than past models.
Even something from the late 50s would seem like an alien spacecraft! Think of the very first Mini in comparison to this lovely little 7.
@@skylined5534 Absolutely! My everyday car is from 1951; it has self latching doors, centrifugal/vacuum ignition timing, automatic choke, thermostatic pump-driven engine cooling, fully pressure fed oiling, four-speed automatic gearbox, screen defrost and thermostatic cabin heat, self-latching doors, wind-up windows, an 8 tube radio, anti-glare rear view mirror, passenger vanity and it comfortably seats six plus luggage. Still got vacuum wipers, though. Gosh darn Ransom E Olds.
The series/parallel switch for half power for the lights is pretty hilarious. Simple and effective though of course! But so crude! I love it.
Always loved the idea of a battered old 7 as a daily driver. Sounds like great fun but for now will stick to my 2CV
What an amazing little car. The fact that it's mostly original makes it even more appealing. Thanks for posting.
When someone who tools about in an Invacar says it’s terrifying you listen😂. Brilliant video mate, had me smiling all the way through👍
This might be the most beautiful video on your channel. It's not only the great original condition of the car - more it is the extremely happy expression on your face while driving it. I believe I had the same feeling when I first drove my Morris Minor again after two long years of extensive (but gentle) restoration.
This has to be one of Ian's best reviews ever. You can feel the horror in his voice, which makes for an exhilarating experience. It feels like watching the Ari Vatanen's co-pilot "oh dear God" moment at the 1983 Manx International Rally.
A very brave man indeed!
I remember reading in Graham Hill’s autobiography about him being a passenger on the London-Brighton Vintage Car Rally - he found it terrifying!
I didn’t really understand it at the time, but having just watched you driving that much later car I can now see why…
Some of the Brighton cars are "an experience"......but I wouldn't call them terrifying......
I once worked for a custodian of a number of them and every year they had to be checked and run a number of miles before Brighton to find any problems and my only mild terror was driving an 1890 something Wolesley when a woman in Metro pulled out in front of me and just stopped.....fortunately, the grass verge to the left on which I passed her was open and relative smooth....😄😄
.....my favourite was a 1904 Thornycroft which could barrel along at a fair old lick and steered beautifully........although you needed good long range eyesight to plan your stopping .......
@@ianhudson2193
'although you needed good long range eyesight to plan your stopping'
That's probably why an F1 racing driver used to instant responses, found it terrfiying. :)
@@VincentComet-l8e indeed!😄😄
My late father learned to drive in a seven, and there was me thinking I had it hard learning to drive in a MK3 Cortina! I have to admit that driving the seven looks both terrifying, and a bunch of fun at the same time. She is just so tiny compared to a modern car. And those doors! Car doors these days are 10 times thicker. Amazing to see this one in such original condition, have seen plenty restored to within an inch of their life, so nice to see a true survivor like this.
I have seen a photo of myself as a toddler in the back of a circa 1928 Austin 7 Chummy with the roof up. It was my father's third car, after a pair of 1930 ish Austin heavy 12 fours.
Love it. Thanks for putting your life on the line to bring us this history lesson.
I would like a shot in that, reminds me of some old Bristol / Leyland double deckers I have driven.
It's their way or no way!
Add a bit of steering free play to camber steering you get that totally unpredictable feeling.
Also these oldies have nothing like the braking effort we take for granted, so you need to drive knowing it someone stops in front of you and you are close, you probably won't.
Never try and descend a hill faster than it could climb it, was the rule I was taught.
That's a proper car, raw, visceral and totally involving. I'd love one.
Fair play Ian that was a tricky set of junctions where it stalled, but you got it all going calmly and set off without any drama.
That has brightened up a gloomy Sunday morning 😊
Nice class 50 in the background.
There is an Austin like this at the Launceston steam railway, up in the loft at their small museum also in this condition. Excellent vid Btw Ian.
Brilliant. Well done Colin for loaning it out. The rear feels like it's coming round because it is, as the body rolls one spring flattens and the other lengthens and so you have slightly rear steer.
Ahhhhhhh.....the joyous sounds of the wheezy side-valve with the straight cut gears providing a beautiful descant......and of course the driver uttering all sorts of concerns and exclamations (in any number of vocal registers - often simultaneously) as he pilots the wee beasty at 40mph!
Many thanks for taking the challenge on, Ian. I've always wondered how the early Sevens were compared to the Model T of the era.....and the answer is SO MUCH easier to drive. I've seen the T driven and demonstrated and it makes the Seven look positively modern! If the foot brake worked both front and rear brakes at the same time, I don't think you would have been half as terrified. I'd like to give a Seven a go, but I don't think I'd ever take on a T. Funny how we get used to things like direct steering and hydraulic braking and really miss them when they aren't there, eh?
All the best
I've driven a T and while the controls are a little more baffling, they feel much better to drive in many ways. 45mph is no bother at all in one of those.
The car that brought motoring to the masses. Great fun! I was at Bicester yesterday watching the VSCC putting these wonderful little machines through their paces.
I'd like to say ''a stroll down memory lane'' but it was twenty three years before my time. Great video.😎
They were very good choices for camera location. We could see the view ahead and see the controls, and also see what a grin you had on your face 😋
There are some fabulous classic car restorations around, but there's something very special about an original, untouched car.
Proper analogue motoring! Bracing..
Fantastic vid, Ian - right up there with TWC in a thunderstorm.
Love it! Imagine if cars were like this now? No one would dare speed. Everyone would be driving along looking terrified at 30mph 😅. Incredible how original it still is at nearly 100years old. Using this as your main car is mental!
It is not my main car, I have a 2CV for that, but when the weather is nice I would rather use the Austin. It also gets used for navigation rallies and even the odd track day, evidence of which can be seen by searching "the Streatham chummy" on here.
That long downhill stretch had my palms sweating! The best UA-cam ride along I've ever been on!
What an adorable happy little car!
Thanks for this Ian, this is probably my favourite one of your videos I've seen so far. I actually laughed out loud when you got to the twisty bits. Very entertaining and educational too
Back in the 50s a local man had one of those. His indicators were wooden arms, complete with hands, that swiveled up to indicate his intention to turn.
What a fantastic little car,so full of character,had a big smile on my face watching this video,the sound of the engine was great with the whining etc,really really enjoyed this thank you.
Great video, loved the short glimpse of the railway doings, a the foot of that steep hill. 👍
Brilliant fun. Austin Sevens are so involving and as you said, every journey is an adventure (they're surprisingly good off-road too, as long as the gradient isn't too steep (though I managed Porlock Hill in mine). Highley village to Bridgnorth is a route I never drove in my 1937 Ruby or 1937 Opal two seater, but many times in my Series Land Rover which replaced them. The Austins and Landy share quite a few characteristics: please yourself steering, fingers crossed brakes, bouncy castle ride and the unfailingly ability to put a smile on your face on every journey. Be careful, you'll end up wanting one!
That was the best video I saw this week. What a joy. Couldn't stop laughing at your expressions while you were driving it.
My dad had a Ruby. His first car. 18 hours from London to Manchester before the motorways were built.
-You know you are living when you are scared of dying! 😂
My dad's first car was also a Ruby; a 1935 car bought by his parents for him when he was 16. Unfortunately he turned 16 only weeks before WW2 broke out so it was laid up in their greenhouse until 1945.
Nothing as pure and as joyful as a nearly 100 year old Austin!
Another legacy of the Austin Seven is that John Haynes - of Haynes manual fame - wrote his very first book about how to build Austin Seven-based 750 specials. I got the reprint that Practical Classics magazine included after his passing in 2019, I wish I knew where it was because it's fascinating.
Brakes advisory, steering by post, beautiful sound. What a cracking little car. Brilliant!
Superb Ian, real hands on motoring….. and quite hilarious 😊
I'd love a pre-war car, every dull journey becoming an adventure sounds like great fun!
Interesting, I remember driving my uncle's Ruby many years ago. My uncle drove it all around New Zealand. I remember he blew a gasket in the middle of nowhere , no problem just change it on the side of the road. They always made it home.
Personally i find the affordable cars more interesting than all the limited production expensive cars stuff you see in museums.
I chuckled my way through this video, such fun you had. The seven has something that always makes you smile when you see one going down the road, love them.
Thoroughly absolutely brilliant video Ian 👍it's fantastic car waw you were brave there but it's a testament to properly built cars brilliant
When you say it feels like the rear is steering, it really is. A quirk of the rear springs at standard height means you get a snap-oversteer as the car leans. Racing / lowered cars are the opposite as the springs are flat. This induces a stabilising rear understeer which is much less lethal! You coped with the clutch and gearbox very well.
My friend has a Chummy, I've only been in it once and it was, as you quite rightly say, absolutely terrifying. Its body twisted and flexed like no business and the vibrations where pretty impressive too. Great fun and some happy memories were made.
Thanks for that drive Ian. Great drive, great little car
12:28 very few cars manage to make you make that sound in about 30 mph. love the rarity!
love the klaxon. my dream car will have that too!
Ian the look on your face whilst driving this wonderful little car is great. Somewhere between absolute pleasure and terror. I envy the pleasure part.
Well done, Ian - brave lad! I was half expecting to hear a commentary from Toyah Wilcox. 😁(She was on 'BRUM', a British TV programme for kids about a little animated car's adventures. It looked remarkably like this one. The model itself was built by Rex Garrod, who was best known for making fighting machines for Robot Wars!).
It's ironic that driving back in the 1920s was probably (sort of) safer than driving today. When making decent progress demanded your full attention and a fair bit of skill, a driver's mind was on driving and his eyes were on the road.
Nowadays cars are so quiet, comfortable, capable and easy to drive that the only people who really, REALLY concentrate on the job in hand are racing drivers.
It's scary to put an old car on modern roads, but what's even more scary is that people themselves haven't changed. We've got the same brains and reflexes they had in the '20s; we just employ them differently.
So now, with more options everywhere, attention spans are shorter and minds are free to wander. There's at least 10x more traffic; cars have distracting touchscreen displays and entertainment systems; drivers are too relaxed because their vehicle is doing all the hard work, and they're too busy playing with toys, cup-holders and mobile phones to pay enough attention to the road.
No wonder the rich employed chauffeurs. And no wonder driving gloves were such a popular Christmas present back then. Driving was so coarse, common, ghastly, beastly and laborious, what? 🤭
A guy in my village has four of these little cars, often see them driving around, even this time of year!
Amazing how small & basic they are, I am impressed that the owner uses it as a daily driver 🚙
What a thoroughly joyous video! Proof once again that when it comes to power, less is more. What stayed with me was the line about how every journey in the Seven becomes an adventure. That hits the nail on the head and is absolutely what owning an older car should be about. Well done Ian, this is one of your best!
Ian, I thoroughly enjoyed your video. Apparently Herbert Austin copied the layout of a floor mounted stick shift and pedal arrangement etc from Cadillac and then did the world the great service of popularising it so that it became the standard we still use today.
As always, thank for good, clean and edifying content.
I heard that, though I've seen a 1903 De Dietrich with the same pedal layout.
@@HubNut Interesting.... perhaps Cadillac copied them? More mysteries to solve!
This video reminds me of the Tasmanian 2CV video. I could feel the thrill and contagious enthusiasm as you fearfully head down the highway! I still feel this was one of the most important cars in automotive history
Well done Ian well driven i have been told by my older uncles who are no longer with us how tough they could be to drive!
My granny worked at Joseph Lucas who made many components and also was a neighbour of Stanley Edge as well! Don’t blame Colin I bet they are such fun a great survivor!
Great review, Ian. I'm getting strong James Herriot vibes with this one having read the books and then watched the TV series as a youngster. At least you're not driving through the dales on a cold wet night to help a cow deliver her calf! Or doing 'driverless car' imaitations.
"...and now I see the appeal of this car. Every journey becomes a massive adventure..."
LOL! Line of the century! Classic. 😂🤣
Great video. Thanks for showing us your friend's car. A true look back at what motoring once was.
That was brilliant and hilarious! Fabulous little car what a brilliant piece of British engineering too. Very nicely driven with that crash box, perfect down in to 1st! Felt like I was in the car albeit a bit warmer. Genius
This is great, a charming car and the ‘joys’ of driving a vintage car perfectly demonstrated in Hubnut’s unique style, more of this please.
this is one of your most entertaining videos ever 👍
Wow, what a thing, so much history wrapped up in such a little car. Wonderful!
Fantastic! Dad had a couple of sevens. The video also explains where his clock came from!
Great little car from an era when you had to be a driver (and sometimes a mechanic) rather than just directing the car where you wanted to go. Loved the video.
Great video. That car is terrifying and amazing. Fascinating history too especially how so many manufacturers around the world built their own version - either under licence or by just copying!
I used to enjoy driving around those Bridgnorth roads in a very modern Morris minor 1000 pickup in the early 80' s , Thanks Ian , it's great to see the old place and i can totally understand the fun of driving that little 100 year old Austin .
Lovely. Possibly your best ever road test!
Family legend time: allegedly my grandad (died long before I was born) once drive a 7 up Snowdon. He had to do most of it backwards as it was the lowest gear. Also nice to see the engine shed @ Bridgnorth - my father-in-law is working to restore one of their locos in there!
All through this video, I was smiling, what memories and I bet it’s got that ‘smell’! Brilliant, well done.
👍 👍 👍 Wow, that reminded me of how enjoyable motoring can be. When going out was an adventure, not a chore. I loved every moment, every wiring gear, every bump of your journey, totally inspiring to return to vintage motoring.
😁
Amazing, and a daily driver too! Can't imagine how cold it must get. Got to admit there is a certain joy in driving an older car. My daily transport is a 1960 model and I wouldn't want anything less.
One of the best vlogs for ages! Deep joy.
That is one of best videos you have ever done 👏 more vintage like this please amazing
awesome vid. ive built one of these and a regular 1930 austin 7 and the owner has won alot of awards. he absolutely loves driving them too, pops down the shops in a 1930's car. he also drove it about 700 klms to a show and back.
When I and my two brother (at the time - 4 of us later on) during the 40's after the war, were in my Dad's Austin 7 Ruby Saloon travelling from Sidcup in Kent to Bodmin in Cornwall. When any of us kids wanted to go to the toilet Dad would only stop the car when all of us wanted to go! When I got out my legs were dead and I fell over and we all laughed. We were so cramped up in the back. That little car never once let us down which was a credit to my Dad who got it as a bomb damaged vehicle and spent a year renovating it. Memories which this video brings back so vividly. Many, many thanks for sharing this, a wonderful story.
Absolutely loved this - thank you Hub Nut! My dad's first car was a 'Seven'... they are an important part of the history of the motor car!
I just need to say THANK YOU!
It's like I'm in the car with you.
I can't get enough of these types of videos.
Very good chap, Colin! I've got his tyres on my 1929 Standard Teignmouth. Very similar to drive but I have got a roof. Try it one day!
Cars like this are why I especially love this channel.
It's amazing how much quieter classic cars are. My local Transport museum has an Austin 7 and if it was any smaller you could pick it up and put it in your pocket. They've also restored an Austin 12/6 with a 1.5 straight 6 and again lovely and quiet.
The back wheels ARE steering Ian !.You took me back a few years ago when I had a re-aquaintance with the Austin Seven , selling a long family owned Mini and buying a ' 28 Fabric saloon.My first car 50 years ago was a ' 38 Ruby, luxury and easy compared with an early Seven .The Fabric was so sweet and charming , made people smile but the immense concentration required at all times and often meeting arrogant unsympathetic drivers, soured the brief ownership and reluctanlty let her go.You coped remarkably well , especially with the silent gear changes with tiny and cramped pedals !.This car is incredible , note the hingless bonnet top , early CAV electrics and wonderful patina of nearly 100 years .
Dunno if you heard, "The definition of a gentleman, is being able change gears in an austin 7 without getting your face slapped" My Grandfather had a similar size austin in the late 50s early 60s, until he got a humber. You did ok.
Good to see the Severn Valley Railway. Nissan also used Austin 7 design as I recall from a visit to motor museum at Gaydon.
There is a BMW Dixie at Gaydon which is the built under license BMW version of the Austin Seven. Currently if you can get to the museum this year and possibly the start of next year they have a special exhibition on in the museum on the Austin Seven with some very interesting cars on show.
Beautiful, just beautiful...! Lovely wee cars to drive. Loads over here, in 'norn iron', all on the road..!!