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information about our Club
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Events Diary
our events for the
months ahead
Event Reports
from the last four months
Member's Cars
a selection of
our active "Sevens"
Joys of being a 7'er
and a few stories
Do you fancy an Austin Seven?
advice on buying a "Seven"
Photo Gallery
of our past activities and
"Sevens" in close up
From the Past
Items from 1920/30s
magazines
Registration Marks
in the UK from 1903
Help at the roadside
fuel and electrical problems
Austin Seven Journal
advice for Austin Agents
& Service Depots
Austin Seven
Handbooks
information for the
new owner
Technical Articles
our Members help you
with various tasks
Austin Big Seven
Sixlite & Forlite
Magazine Articles
relevant to Sevens
Road Tests
for the most popular "Sevens"
Parts and Services
sources of spares etc
Quick Tips
a few handy ideas
Other Articles
of interest, not technical
Austin Seven Books
some of the books available
A7CA and FBHVC
CA7C is an active supporter
Links to other Austin
Seven Sites
Website Policy
on advertisements and links
These articles are reproduced in order to assist anyone new to Austin
Sevens to better understand their car, but remember that the handling
ability and braking are not as good as with modern cars.
Austin Sevens should be driven as they were originally designed to be
driven; observe, anticipate well and use the gearbox according to the
engine rpm and whether going uphill or downhill; the engine and gearbox
is part of the braking system.
Anyone intending to buy their first, or a replacement, car have usually sought the opinion of friends and relatives, and also visited the dealership showrooms of the competing manufacturers to talk with salesmen and gather brochures extolling the features and performance of the cars.
With the advent of weekly, and monthly, motoring magazines practical, and technical, advice became available for the new, or experienced, motorist. Every magazine was soon offering road tests, on cars provided by the manaufacturers wishing to extend the advertising of their new product. The readership could then have an 'unbiased' opinion offered by someone other than the manufacturer; the result of testing a car under many conditions, over several hundred miles, by experienced journalists who offered their informed recommendations.
Here reproduced are the road tests from some of the main magazines of the 1930s for the most popular Austin Sevens which still exist and are owned by many Austin Seven enthusiasts.
NB: All of the Austin Seven models were geared to have a top speed in the range 48 to 52mph. It is recommended that a suitable top speed on modern traffic conditions is 45 to 48mph. All models, when correctly tuned, have a fuel consumption of 40 to 44mpg.
NB: Cornwall Austin Seven Club is unable to supply an original copy of any article from an old magazine which is reproduced here.
This is not an exhaustive set of road tests reports published in the many pre-war Motoring Magazines and other reports will be added when sourced.
The 1929 RK Saloon From The Light Car and Cyclecar Magazine; January 24, 1930.
The Short Wheelbase Austin Seven From The Motor, July 8, 1930.
The Long Wheelbase Austin Seven From The Motor; November 17, 1931.
The Austin Seven De Luxe Saloon From The Light Car and Cyclecar Magazine; July 1, 1932.
The Austin Seven Two-seater Tourer - PD Tourer From The Light Car and Cyclecar Magazine; June 16, 1933.
The Austin Seven '65' (Nippy) From The Light Car and Cyclecar Magazine; June 23, 1933.
The 1934 Saloon De Luxe and the Two-seater (PD Tourer) From The Light Car and Cyclecar Magazine; July 6, 1934.
The Ruby Mk 1 1935 (2 bearing crankshaft) From The Light Car, December 24, 1934.
The Ruby Mk 2 1937 (3 bearing crankshaft) From The Autocar, November 6, 1936.
The Ruby Mk 2 1937 (3 bearing crankshaft) From Practical Motorist, March 27, 1937.
Austins Introduce a Big Seven From The Light Car, July 16, 1937.
Austin Big Seven Saloon From The Motor August 3, 1937.
The Austin Big Seven From The Light Car, January 7, 1938.
The Austin Big Seven 2door (Forlite) From Practical Motorist, July 16, 1938.
The Austin Big Seven 2door (Forlite) From The Motor, August 2, 1938.