Nick Turley emailed me this earlier, having spotted it in May 1970 Motorsport...


Big Mileages in Austin 7s

Sir,

This is a letter putting in a word for people who really do use Austin 7s, and certainly do far in excess of 8,500 and even 12,200 Miles a year, as quoted in last month's "Cars In Books”.

My own 1929 saloon has been in use daily for the last 12 years (yes, it does show) and in the last six years has covered 122,400 miles, consuming three engines and four half-shafts, three sets of king-pins and four Dunlop Sidecar Mayor 350 x 19 tyres, the last of which is now on the spare, with approximately 3 mm. of tread left and 92,000 miles under its belt.

Petrol consumption has varied between 32 m.p.g. to 62 m.p.g., according to how well I've been able to keep the tank fuel tight. Oil consumption from 30 m.p.p.to -700 m.p.p.

So for this year the Bristol Austin Seven Club organised two runs (as opposed to rallies), one to the Brecon Beacons, where the snow was cold, especially on Sunday morning, when it was discovered that another three or four inches had fallen on our tents during the night. Eight cars turned out and we covered 246 miles in the weekend.

The second was somewhat more ambitious and consisted of a run to the Lake District over Easter. Fourteen Austin 7s made the trip north (only two the same, incidentally) and all traversed the ghastly slopes of the Wrynose and Hard Knott passes in a fairly stiff blizzard, also the Honister and Kirkstone, and any other rockfaces that appeared to threaten the mountaineering ability of our lightly underpowered machines. Total mechanical failures amounted to two broken half-shaft keys, one blown head gasket, one burst radiator (which thoughtfully sealed itself up after it stopped boiling) and one non-charging dynamo, all of which were corrected in a maximum of 30 minutes.

The oldest car was a 1926 Chummy, and three other vintage, and ten post-vintage 7s made up the numbers : 710 miles were covered in the four days. Most of the participants own and use no other cars (except perhaps another A.7).
Believe it or not, most of our members enjoy using these cars, more than winning cattle market rosettes at Concours, although some of them manage to keep their cars looking prettier than mine, and have cups to prove it.

Frampton Cotterell. IAN DUNFORD.
* * *

Ah, it's that Ian Dunford bloke again Ruairidh. He keeps cropping up. I understand that he has a son who even in these modern days is still involved with Sevens and has even dragged one around France and Spain this last summer with his wife and their three daughters and with the car towing a camping trailer as well. Can you believe it? Heaven knows how many miles he must have done!

As they say, takes all sorts

Steve

Location: North Yorkshire

I hear the son is much better looking.

Location: North Yorkshire

I'm not so sure about that Steve...

Location: Shropshire

Location: Bristol

Ruairidh Dunford

I'm not so sure about that Steve...

Location: Polegate, East Sussex, United Kingdom

That I do understand. Steady chap that librarian.

Location: Upton upon Severn