1930 Austin Seven Meteor Sports

The Austin Seven may come from humble origins, having been conceived by Herbert Austin as cheap transportation for the masses in the early 1920s, but over 17 years of production - and in the many decades that followed - it developed a loyal following around the world. The first Seven was made available in January 1923 with a 650cc engine, although later models had an enlarged 750cc unit, and was sold in a bewildering variety of guises. Production totals neared the 300,000 mark when the last Baby Austin rolled off the line on the 3rd of March, 1939 and a number of these were sent to Australia where local coachbuilders fitted a range of body styles, including the little known Meteor sports found here. For Herbert Austin, who spent his formative years working with various engineering firms in Melbourne, Australia was seen as a key export market. With its favourable power to weight ratio, the Seven enjoyed remarkable success in competition and an example became the inaugural winner of the Australian Grand Prix after Arthur Waite piloted a supercharged example around the Phillip Island circuit at the average speed of 56.25 mph.