1936 Austin Seven Fixed Head Ruby Saloon

Guide price: £6,000- £9,000

・Very original
・Period correct
・Collectible vintage vehicle

*The photographs in this listing were provided by the seller.*

The Background

The Austin 7 is an economy car that was produced from 1923 until 1939 in the United Kingdom by Austin. It was nicknamed the "Baby Austin" and was at that time one of the most popular cars produced for the British market and sold well abroad. Its effect on the British market was similar to that of the Model T Ford in the US, replacing most other British economy cars and cyclecars of the early 1920s. It was also licensed and copied by companies all over the world. The very first BMW car, the BMW Dixi, was a licensed Austin 7. In France they were made and sold as Rosengarts, and in the United States they were built by the American Austin Car Company. In Japan, Nissan also used the 7 design as the basis for their first cars, although not under licence.This eventually led to a 1952 agreement for Nissan to build and sell Austins in Japan under the Austin name.

Many Austin 7s were rebuilt as "specials" after the Second World War, including the first race car built by Bruce McLaren, and the first Lotus, the Mark I. Companies such as Speedex in Luton thrived in the late 1950s by producing race-proven bodies and engine parts for the Seven chassis.

The History

This particular car was rescued from a breakers yard in Croydon in 1959 and then owned by a lady who loved it dearly for many years. Her husband carried out a restoration of the vehicle including a respray in 1971.

In 1977 the car appeared on Nationwide and also in the TV Series Jubilee. Since then the car has been looked after and kept up together.

The current owner purchased the car in 2016 and unfortunately has not had much chance to use it so he would like to sell it on to someone who will be able to enjoy it.

The Paperwork

There are some historical documents with the car detailing a small amount of its history and the normal registration documents are also present and pictured.
 
dESXjuYkmzi4eAZTxCzyt428SU6AQU50leTOEzG5.jpg 133.79 KB



The Interior

The interior is original and in perfectly useable condition, the rare smoking hatch in the roof is a unique feature.
It’s a pleasant place to be.

IMG_1948.jpg 105.42 KB


The Exterior 

The exterior is in solid useable condition, it received a restoration including repaint in 1971. The car is fitted with a smoking hatch on the roof which appears to be quite rare.
The car is in very solid original condition and as such has been used for period TV programmes in the past, it has won several awards over the years at various classic car shows and events.

The Mechanics 

Mechanically the car is in working condition with the 747cc engine still having plenty of life in it. Everything works as it should including the side indicators . Of course it is MOT and Tax Exempt given its age.

The Appeal

The Austin Seven was seen as a template for “how cars should be” back in the 1920s. Such a simple popular design was taken and rebadged and made under licence all over the world, as my first background paragraph explained.

It was a recipe that worked and worked well. It was also fairly simple to mass produce, well as mass produced as possible back then.

Today, this is a 747cc 85 year old Vintage car. Sure, it won’t have the mod cons we’ve become accustomed too, it may not have enough power to throw you back in your seat but that’s not the point of owning something like this.

Every drive out will be an occasion and not just for you as the driver, or even your passengers, but also for everyone who sees you go past. They don’t make them like they used to, more the pity.

Notice to bidders

Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.

As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the sellers discretion.

Please see our FAQ's here and our Terms & Conditions here

Please see our FAQs here and our Terms & Conditions here

Vehicle specification
  • Year 1936
  • Make Austin
  • Model Seven Fixed Head Ruby Saloon
  • Colour Blue
  • Odometer 41,897 Miles
  • Engine size 885
Auction Details
  • Seller Type Private
  • Location Kent
  • Country United Kingdom
Bidding history
17 bids
  • Di•••• £7,000 06/05/21
  • Di•••• £6,850 04/05/21
  • wi•••• £6,750 04/05/21
  • mr•••• £6,650 04/05/21
  • mr•••• £6,550 04/05/21
  • wi•••• £6,450 04/05/21
  • Di•••• £6,350 04/05/21
  • wi•••• £6,250 04/05/21
  • Di•••• £5,950 04/05/21
  • Di•••• £5,600 04/05/21
Message C&C Auction Team

The gallery

The safest way to buy a classic car online

Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller. More about buying with us
Safe, secure payment process

About Max Bids

The max bid process allows you to bid without any hassle.

Enter your maximum bid and we will then bid on your behalf to ensure you're the highest bidder - just enough to keep you in the lead and only up until your maximum.

Anti-sniping

Car & Classic prevent auction snipers from bidding in the last seconds to win an auction.

Auctions are extended by 3 minutes if anyone bids within the last 2 minutes to allow other bidders to react and counter-bid.

Auto-bidding increments

  • If your maximum bid is equal to or below the reserve price, your maximum bid will be applied in full if you are the highest bidder.
  • If you are the highest bidder and place a maximum bid above the reserve, we will automatically put in the reserve as your first bid.
    • Once the reserve has been met, Car & Classic will make sure you are the highest bidder using only the bidding increments stated below.
    • We will keep you in the lead up until your maximum bid OR the increment closest to your maximum bid, providing your maximum bid is enough to cover the increment value.

Bid Amount Increment
£0 to £9,999 £100.00
£10,000 to £49,999 £250.00
£50,000 to £99,999 £500.00
£100,000 + £1,000.00

Automatically outbid immediately

When you place a max bid and are outbid immediately that means that another bidder has placed a max bid limit which is higher than yours.

You can bid again and we will use our automatic bid system to try and get you as the highest bidder.

Matching max bids

When there are two max bids of the same value, the one placed first remains the lead bidder.

Pre-authorisation

We may hold a pre-authorisation charge on your card until the end of the auction when the hold will be cancelled. If you win, we'll take a security deposit which counts towards the payment for the vehicle and isn't any extra cost to you.

What are pre-bids?

A pre-bid means you're able to place a bid before the official start of the auction.
You will be notified whether or not you are the highest bidder when the auction starts.

Problem with your bid

Bids are contractually binding. To help protect you, we have some rules in place if we think it's been mistyped. Please check and amend what you have entered.