Austin Seven Tourer

The Austin Seven was the brainchild of Herbert Austin and a young draughtsman, Stanley Edge, who set out to produce an affordable family car, which would bring motoring to a much wider customer base: “a motor for the millions” as Austin described it.

The first model appeared in 1922, with a four-cylinder, side valve, engine (initially 696cc but soon increased to 747cc) and although small, even by the standards of the time, it could carry four adults. It soon proved to be robust and reliable and was manufactured under license in France, Germany, Australia, the USA and Japan. The car was constantly improved technically, but the basic body design remained until 1934 when the “Ruby” version was introduced. By the time production ceased in 1939, over 290,000 had been made.

The car proved to be highly adaptable to motor racing, Richard Shuttleworth himself driving a supercharged version when he started racing in1931.

About this vehicle

Little is known of the history of the Collection’s Austin Seven. It was manufactured in 1934, based on the new Ruby design introduced in that year. This four-seater convertible version of the Ruby was known as the “Open Road Tourer” and was priced at £108 when it was first introduced.

The car underwent a major restoration by our vehicle engineers during 2015/16 and is regularly used at air shows.