In the A7 Clubs magazine No 2009D, there is some correspondence about a certificate being available for a car built in 1929.
I had a look at the website given, http://www.heritage-motor-centre.cu.uk/ (note that the cu should be co) but this states that Austin records are only available from 1945.
Can someone set the record straight?

A topic covered a few times on this Forum over the years, and I'm surprised I can't find it on The A7CA web site..... Perhaps we should get that sorted, with perhaps an example of what an entry looks like in the Ledger(s), not the Heritage Certificate itself, although I suppose there's no reason why not, as long as it can't be copied......

However, I can vouch for the fact the following records are available at Gaydon. BTW I'm tempted to say any problems, have a word with Phil Baildon.

March –..June ‘29 - A8 series - c 77,535 – 87,433
June –....Dec. ‘29 -- A9 series - 87,434 – 97,332
April –....Oct. ‘30 - B1 series - 107,228 – 117,126
Jan. –....June ‘31 - B3 series - 127,026 – 136,924

These are the only (known) surviving records. However it does seem from the Heritage web site they are only listing post 1945 Austins.

EDIT - I have rung the Heritage Line at Gaydon and they confirm they have the Ledgers as listed above, although they are not on the Web site, because so few Ledgers are known to survive for the whole A7 Production (1,000 cars per Ledger) - Heritage Certificates are available for the cars within the above groupings, you have to quote the Car No, not the Chassis if at all possible.

Gaydon would probably spend more time sending cheques back etc for the other 250,000 cars not available in the Ledgers people have sent for.... I think that's called the 'B*ggeration Factor' I can personally see where they are coming from on this one.

Sandy Croall

PS EDIT - just to clarify, the series goes A6, A7, A8, A9, B, B1, B2, etc. Thus there is not a typo - there was a plain 'B', the Ledger is missing - :-
June –....Dec. ‘29 -- A9 series - 87,434 – 97,332
April –....Oct. ‘30 - B1 series - 107,228 – 117,126

My mistake ..(1,000 cars per Ledger)..

It's 10,000 cars per ledger, OK 9,999 to be pedantic....

Sandy

Can anyone advise what information is contained on the Ledgers and what info you get on the certificate from the Heritage Centre?

Thanks

Location: Dorset

If your chassis is on the surviving ledgers:

Make and Model

Car and Chassis number

Engine number

Body number (if recorded)

Specification

Colour a. exterior b. trim c. hood (if applicable)

Date of build

Date of despatch (if recorded)

Destination (dealer)

Other numbers (car)

Other info. (where number was issued etc.)

Issued to (this will be you)

Date of issue (of certificate)

Signature of Archivist


Of the few cars we have which are on surviving ledgers I would say the interest alone is worth the cost.

The information on the certificate is:
Body type (Mine says 'Saloon')
Car/chassis Number
Heritage Certificate Number
To whom it was issued (My name in this case)
Engine number
Body number (Mine says 'not recorded')
Specification (Mine says 'RHD, Home market')
Colours: a) exterior
b) trim (including material - mine 'leatherette')
c) Hood (Mine 'not applicable')
Date of build
Date of despatch
Destination (dealer)
Other numbers (where recorded) (Mine is chassis number)
Details of Factory Fitted Equipment (Mine says 'fabric body')
Other Information (Mine is reg no and issuing authority which I provided)
There is also a picture which I provided.

Location: Melrose, Roxburghshire

Jim thank for the info, looks like they have more info than I thought.

Location: Dorset

And if you do not require a Heritage Certificate (which is not really necessary if you just want to find the chassis number for an original car with an unmarked chassis), you ask nicely for the kind person at the Heritage Centre who knows where the ledgers are and pay £10, after which he will look up the number and advise this with any other details shown- date of record etcetera.

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Melbourne.

I wrote-

"you ask nicely for the kind person at the Heritage Centre who knows where the ledgers are and pay £10, after which he will look up the number and advise this with any other details shown- date of record etcetera."

After checking for a later posting on a similar subject -

"you ask nicely for the kind person at the Heritage Centre who knows where the ledgers are and pay £6, after which he will look up the number and advise this with any other details shown- date of record etcetera."

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Melbourne.

I obtained the remains of a 1929 Chummy from a scrapyard in 1971 - Chassis No. 95215, Car no. A9-7882 - but no log book or number plate.

In 1973 I wrote to Austin-Morris. They advised that the chassis and car numbers were correct, it was originally a tourer, colour maroon with black trim.

In 1983, with construction as a special well advanced, I wrote to BL Heritage, who told me that the records for the car were in their archive, but could only add that it was built on 21 August 1929, destined for the home market and dispatched on 9 September to an unknown dealer.

I finally got it back on the road in 2011, with a "BF" reg number. Is there any point in spending money at Gaydon? Are the ledgers that BL Heritage had the same ones now held there? Am I likely to learn more?

Rick

Location: Deepest Norfolk

Without being close to the said material- from what has been reported I would suggest that the records referred to in 1983 are the present books.
Maybe Phil Baildon can confirm.

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Melbourne.