There's a 1929 Lea Francis on ebay at the moment with a 'buy it now' price of £12,000. Personally I'd rather the VSCC buggered that up than a chummy.

Location: Stretham, Ely, the Fens.

Location: Nr. Selby, North Yorkshire

They already have then!

Location: Stretham, Ely, the Fens.

I expect quite a few who contribute to this site have other classic/vintage cars so they will realise just how expensive restoration and ownership of these are compared to an A7. I have been helping a mate rebuild his 1934 MG PA over the last 7 years and it has cost him an arm and a leg in new or secondhand parts,so much so that he daren't contemplate adding up the total cost.The crank was cracked and the engine block was unsound so a new Phoenix crank was purchased at twice the price of an A7 crank,and a secondhand block purchased for about an arm and a leg. Another example is he was requiring a new petrol tap which from a well known MG parts supplier would have cost £185. It wasn't a particularly complex item so he managed to repair the old one for next to nothing as it turned out.

Location: Sheffield

I used to think that the chassis destined for coachbuilders had the C prefix but it would appear that was not the case.
Several years ago I bought an interesting coupe de ville Austin 7 which was on a 1929 chassis, complete with C prefix. I have rebodied it as a genuine copy of a replica Gordon England Brooklands!
I will once again ask Ian McGowan to do his magic with the photos of the before and after. There will be a prize for anyone who can come up with a more amusing Austin 7 variant!

I can't suggest anything to better your variant Malcolm but look forward to hearing what others say. I meant to say earlier in the thread how much I admire the work you have put into the Pitchley, marvelous!

I attach a photo of the plate I understand was fitted to all chassis destined for coach builders workshops that may be of interest to some.

Location: Shropshire

I have heard of a top hat saloon but -

"How come no one has asked me for my chassis to build a milliner"

Tony

PS I have just noticed that the subject topic has changed two or three times lately - not seen that before

Location: Melbourne, Australia

maybe because you'd have to take your hat off to anyone who wanted to??

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

As an amusing aside to the 'before and after' photos above, my neighbour, who is a very intelligent chap who previously worked at GCHQ, asked me if my latest acquisition was an invalid carriage!

And it has been known as and referred to as the 'Invalid Carriage' ever since.

The Brooklands does look rather better and even better in the flesh than it does in the photo.

Steve

Location: United Kingdom

Location: Shropshire

Shouldnt the 555 be 666?

The GE looks wonderful though!

Its a good job there isnt anyone around who gets upset about off topic comments!

Stuart

Location: Devon

The invalid carriage weighed an absolute ton. The floor was 1" floorboards on 3" x 2" joists. The strange sponsons under the doors were fixed to heavy angle iron
brackets under the chassis. I think the panelling may have been done professionally, shame about the frame. The wings may have been Morris 8 and were given to an Autojumbler for recycling. I kept the bizarre detachable rear roof section for several years but eventually took it to the tip. All the hundreds of brass screws and the usable bits of aluminium beading were retained and some have been incorporated in the Pytchley. On the bulkhead under the bonnet there were the original Austin chassis and body plates which are now on the Brooklands.
I hope eventually to get the number plate back for the Brooklands.

Malcolm

O dear Malcolm, do you realise what you have done? It has just occured to me what this car was, the 555 gave it away. This was non other than the fabled Prodrive built A7 special, the very first car built by the renowned rally car builder and one time F1 team owners. Prodrive went on to build world rally championship winning Subarus which still carried the 555 logo and often incorporated it in the registration number! The late great Colin McRae won the WRC in such a car, link below.

http://www.colinmcrae.com/#third-tab

I hope you are suitably ashamed at destroying such an historic car.

Stuart.

Location: Devon

I still have sleepless nights over destroying this unique body! It was almost so bad it should have been preserved for posterity. At one time I considered bodging it up for use in VSCC trials but I didn't want to bring the Club into disrepute.
Fortunately I have sufficient photos of the car should anyone wish to create a replica!

I do hate to see a perfectly good Special butchered into an original car replica like that!

Martin

The meandering route this thread has taken should be a lesson to all other motoring enthusiast forums that chug on relentlessly in pursuit of the original topic.

This is what in my view makes the Austin Seven Friends forum so special and long may it continue.

Not only have we seen the vain attempt to save a historic car, but also the demise of a rather dreadful special by being given the "gentleman's way out", handed the revolver and asked to retire to the library...and ultimately the rebirth of a beautifully built GE replica...that could only happen here!

Location: Near Bicester

Marvellous isn't it?

And long may it continue!!

Location: Devon