1937 Austin Seven Race Special

The Austin Seven may have come from humble origins but proved itself a mightily effective weapon on the track thanks to its lack of weight and some rather highly developed engines. The original Seven, launched in 1922, featured a four-cylinder side-valve engine displacing just 747cc and had a flexible frame, beam axles and transverse-leaf front suspension. The Baby Austin soon proved immensely popular in England and was offered with a truly amazing diversity of body styles, ranging from the most pedestrian of tourers and saloons through to some very racy little sports numbers with pointed tails and minimal weather protection. During the 1930s, when quite a number of Sevens took to tracks like Donington and Brooklands, the Racing Department at Longbridge experimented with a number of supercharged and overhead-camshaft engines clothed in bodywork that resembled scaled-down Grand Prix cars of the era. Post-war, the Seven became the mainstay of low-budget motor sport and all manner of specials appeared, ranging from the cheap and cheerful to some very well designed and quick racing cars. Over the years the Seven has remained a popular choice for those looking to take up historic racing on a limited budget, offering plenty of thrills for a relatively minor outlay.