|
By
DAVID PIKE
With the exception of the Model T Ford, which was produced in even
greater quantities, the Austin Seven probably introduced more people to
motoring than any other car. Certainly after its introduction the market
for motorcycles took a dive as people found an alternative means of
transport which was not only economical but much more comfortable.
The fact that these cars were also amazingly long
lasting meant that through the second-hand car market many more
less well off people could enjoy motoring in an even cheaper
second-hand Austin Seven. More than a quarter of a million people
bought Austin Sevens.
Although the first Sevens had a 696cc engine, by
the time that production got fully underway in 1923 the
four-cylinder in-line, side-valve 747cc unit was standard. This
engine had a bore of 56mm, to keep the taxable horsepower rating
down to an acceptable level, and because of this the car had to
have a long stroke - 77.2mm in the 747cc unit which gave it a lot
of torque and meant it was understressed and so lasted a long
time.
The car itself was very cheaply made and had no
engine oil pump, lubrication of moving engine parts being achieved
more by good luck than good design. Indeed simplicity was the key
to the Austin Seven's low price, with equipment confined to the
bare necessities. To advance or retard the ignition a large lever
was attached to the steering wheel boss.
The chassis, like the engine, continued the
concept of cheap and simple construction. It employed two steel
girders with a central brace to form the letter `A' shape.
Springing was by elliptic springs and the whole car flexed
considerably, swaying from side to side whenever one of its wheels
struck a bump. It required real skill in handling, obtained by
constantly turning the steering wheel in a see saw motion in
rhythm with the road surface. In an effort to improve the handling
the wheelbase was extended by 150mm in 1932.
It had a tiny open body with two seats at the
front and a bench at the back for children, or anything else that
the driver desired to carry. These cars earned the nickname
chummies because their occupants had to be on very good terms with
each other to squeeze into the tiny body. Towards the end of the
model life the car became available with a variety of body types,
including saloon and van.
The Austin Seven was one of the first cars to have
brakes on all four wheels. This was not of any great advantage
however as they did not work all that well. At the time the law
decreed that all cars must have two completely independent braking
systems so the Austin Seven had back wheel brakes operated by foot
and front wheel brakes operated by a hand lever using cheap and
inefficient cables and levers. To overcome objections the company
maintained that good brakes led to bad driving habits, a tenet
which people who knew no better were happy to accept.
|
