Two.


It looks like the Chummy mentioned above as having covered 350,000 miles is the highest Seven anyone knows?

The high mileage Ruby I owned had been used continuously, including during the War, until the beginning of the 1960s, but hadn't done much since. This would give twenty years of running, which at an estimated 10,000 a year is 200,000 miles. It would take a mileage of 20,000 a year to take it over 400,000 total miles - this seems too high as an annual amount. So a demonstrable 350,000 miles would be impressive...
Colin

Can anyone persuade Ken Cooke to comment on this thread?

There are always vehicles at the extremes. Sevens were especially susceptible to substitute major components so total mileage may relate to little more than the chassis.
Based on family cars disposed of, and those of colleagues, and several defunct 1950s cars I dismantled in the 70s, the typical “modern”car often ceased to be used after about 20-25 years with mileage in the mid 100,000 range. But few Sevens would have maintained high average annual distance year on year and through WW2. There is an example in the Brooklands book Austin Seven in the Thirties of an owner who by 1938 covered 80,000 mile in 8 years but it was spread over 5 cars. He refers to colleagues covering 5-6000 pa in light cars.
The exceptional mileage cars now are mostly those very few which have received continuous medium use; over decades just 3,000 pa stacks up, esp if on top of a generous original usage.

It is difficult to judge mileage from mechanical condition, so much depends on maintenance, and with Sevens a lot of parts interchange tended to occur. I have seen shackles worn through the bushes and deep into the steel. Colossal mileage or neglect? Similarly the pinion on my car was starting to pit at 110,000 miles, with maybe 30,000 miles to go. But original cwp are common. Maybe they encountered fewer hills. A stub axle was seriously cracked at this mileage, and a steering arm had failed long before. Maybe less corrugated roads elsewhere. Yet other parts acquired were notably more worn than on my car. With the oils of yesteryear the life of some components ie main bearings, rings, seemed to be as much age as distance related; rebores at 40,000 or less were common to the 50s.
I ran a Jowett for 20 years to beyond 200,000; in unavoidable maintenance effort manhours per mile it exceeded the Seven yet rumours emerged of cars to 350, 000 or so. Either the owners were very industrious or free spending or some sort of idealistic running, or chance lucky.

The mileage and mechanical history of old high mileage cars is often hard to trace. Especially if not diy, owners often forgot quite major works, or may not have fully understood work done.

Bob Culver

Location: Auckland, NZ

I would think most sevens suffered from lack of proper maintenance unless a particular owner was really careful with its service schedule.
It's amazing that so many have survived the test of time,I've had crankcases that look like the insides are covered in hard treacle,not oil!