Good afternoon all. Although I have been involved with Austin 7's since 1964 when a pupil at school (dad bought me a partially built Super Accessories JA 5159 still existant but 'in store') I have never developed an interest in 'sports' A7's. The reason being that due to my size ingress and egress would be difficult.
However recently an RN owning friend called round on his way home from a local show where there were two Nippies side by side - one had front hinged doors, one rear hinged doors yet the owners both claimed them to be original.
My limited knowledge suggests that the doors were front hinged but were any ever rear hinged?
Regards from the creative county.
Stuart

Location: Staffordshire - the creative county

rear hinged, Stuart... (apart from the rare front hinged ones, of course)

http://aus7in.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/1930s-and-1940s-images/

Never seen a rear hinged door Nippy or Type 65, possibly fitted afterwards because of a fear of them flying open, a tendency I've never witnessed in a Nippy but sadly frequently witnessed in a Top Hat/Type R saloon until I fitted extra 'throw over'latches (same as mentioned in connection with a post on early Chummy Latches purchased from Paul Beck/Vintage Spares)

Location: Ferring, West Sussex.

I put an extra sash window catch on mine.

Location: Isle of Wight

Our friend Gordon Hill in Florida has an Export Nippy bought new by his friends mother in 1937 which has rear hinges..Gordon says if he had front hinges he would still be able to wear his kilt.

Location: Bristol

I don't recall EVER having seen a 65 or Nippy with front-hinged doors.

All of those that we've ever worked on have been rear-hinged and the structure of the body isn't designed for any other arrangement.

None of the cars illustrated in the Wyatt, Purves,or Mills books are front-hinged, nor can I find a picture of one on the internet.

Do we have a confusion of terminology here? To me, "front-hinged" means that the door is hung on the scuttle.

Location: Herefordshire, with an "E" not a "T".

Agree with Martin.
Hinges are at the back of the door below your right elbow, fixed to the vertical pillar just in front of the rear wheel arch.
It would take very special designed hinges to make it work on the front of the door hanging off the scuttle (A post).
My 3 Nippy bodies are all hinges at rear of door.

Location: N W Devon

Could Stuart's friend possibly have mis-identified a Speedy, which DOES have front-hung doors?

Location: Herefordshire, with an "E" not a "T".

Good morning all. Thank you for the responses - rear hinged it is but what was the car at the show? A very good special or as Martin suggests an unknown Speedy? I'd better track down its owner!
Regards
Stuart

Location: Staffordshire - the creative county