1931 Austin Seven RH Fabric Saloon

Description

From a deceased estate; rare model, one of around 700 made and only four known to survive; current owner 24 years; in regular use until recently; one for the Seven collector!

At first glance this cute little Austin Seven RH Fabric Saloon may look like any other Seven, but it is in fact an extremely rare survivor. As late as 2015 the Austin Seven Clubs Association stated in their booklet ‘Identifying Austin Sevens from their Factory Initials’ that, of the approximately 700 RH models built between May 1930 and early 1931, there were ‘no recorded survivors’. When the booklet was revised by Graham Baldock in 2018 it stated that there were now ‘two recorded survivors’.

Notes on file with this car suggest that there may now even be four survivors, although one (chassis no. 132737) has been rebodied as a Tourer so that doesn’t really count.

First registered in London in March 1931, this RH sadly comes with no early history but an old buff logbook shows that from 1954 – 1978 it had four owners, the first three in Swindon and the last in Hungerford.

Our vendor acquired the car at an Andrew Grant auction in Worcester in April 2001, the brief catalogue description stating that it had been “reupholstered; engine possibly overhauled”, the purchase invoice showing that it cost £4,940. While the buff logbook records the engine number as M130320, it is now fitted with engine number M159270 although the V5C still states the original number.

Invoices on file show that it was recommissioned for the road in May 2017 by A Davies of Bromsgrove in May 2017 which included new crankshaft bearings and a new fabric drive coupling. Another invoice (undated but presumably from around the same time) shows that the suspension was overhauled by Cranmore Classics of Wythall with new rear springs plus various other items, followed by a full waxoil treatment and road test.

Two old MOTs show the mileage rising from 1,550 in May 2009 to 2,089 miles in May 2010, while 17 old tax discs imply that it was in fairly regular use from 1988 – 2014, the odometer currently showing 2,402 miles.

On offer here from a deceased estate at no reserve, we are told that it was last driven about two years ago.

As you can see in the photos, this rare and charming Seven looks to be in generally good condition and would make an interesting addition to any collection. With so few surviving, it could be a very long time before you see another RH for sale so bid vigorously now or kick yourself for your hesitancy hereafter…  

Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com