The Pre-War Car Thread

[angle]

I know feck all about pre-war stuff, but if we're doing Austin 7s it's an excuse to post this picture of a family friend.

That's him towing his son (Austin)'s Austin behind his Austin work van. Austin's Austin was his 7th birthday present and was made out of a Sinclair C5. When Austin turned 16 his first car was...

[captain_70s]

I remember getting that mag when it released. I was 15 at the time!

[straightSix]

Never really been interested in pre-war stuff but starting to see the appeal now. Think the guy who lives opposite has an MG TA so next time he's got it out I'll have to go and have a chat with him

[MT606]

that austin 7 'FO3 666' recently sold on ebay for just over £3k

[SiC]

9 minutes ago, MT606 said:

that austin 7 'FO3 666' recently sold on ebay for just over £3k

Yes I forgot to mention that. I saw the auction on my local classic car saved eBay search. I was tempted to bid at the time but tbh it's tattier than I want. Plus I would like a Chummy. 

It's also what triggered my memory that the Atwell Wilson Museum had Austin 7 stuff and made me go on Saturday. 

Listing here:

https://ebay.us/m/pJ3Pzf

I wouldn't be surprised if it went for a bit more just because it's at a museum and thus assumed to be in better condition than your average barn find. Tbh it looks pretty solid from my above pictures I took. Just paint tired/crusty in areas. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

Something interesting has come up for sale here in Norway.

1937 DKW F7 It is front-wheel drive and has a 2-cylinder 2-stroke engine. It is very likely that this was confiscated and used by the Germans during the war, so it has probably experienced some things.  £7262.

 

The floor looks to be wood.

 

Weird gear shifter.

 

And the roof appears to be fabric, but there's nothing saying this is a convertible, so it's probably fixed.

https://www.finn.no/mobility/item/402009719?ci=1

[HMC]

^ very interesting tech in the dkw

Twin coils and one per  cylinder (circled)

and indicators that dont seem to work at high speed (also circled)

[lesapandre]

Wooden floors a common feature on some pre-war cars. 

The gear-shift position reminds me of Citroen 2CV or Renault 4.

Interesting car - very early FWD. Part of the Auto Union group which was eventually acquired by Volkswagen and then merged with NSU to create the modern-day Audi company.

[SiC]

Twin coils is something that DKW did for quite a while including post war. I think the Trabbie has two coils too. Presumably a lot simpler to have a single set of points and no distributor cap. This firing both at the same time with one at top of stroke and one at bottom making a wasted spark. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

Austin 7 in Norway I don't think they sold that well here, but there were clearly some.

 

1928 Coupe in 1952 Toten Norway

 

 

Trysil Norway 1930

 

UK registered in Brumunddal Norway 1971 I would love to know the backstory here.

 

I guess this one is bigger than a 7 but shows Norwegian winter conditions.

 

[SiC]

Not a bad price. A red Brum for those old enough to remember. Basically what I'm pretty much looking for. Just waiting to see if they fall further...

https://www.facebook.com/share/16X1JWBFd6/

 

[lesapandre]

25 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Austin 7 in Norway I don't think they sold that well here, but there were clearly some.

 

1928 Coupe in 1952 Toten Norway

 

 

Trysil Norway 1930

 

UK registered in Brumunddal Norway 1971 I would love to know the backstory here.

 

I guess this one is bigger than a 7 but shows Norwegian winter conditions.

 

Dixie of Germany and Rosengart of France made 7 cars under licence using local materials and different bodies. There might also be some of those in Norway.

I'm not sure if many Longbridge-made 7's got exported into European markets - tariffs were probably pretty high - the main market abroad would have been the colonies.

[lesapandre]

Great set of Austin 7 photos and stories here:

https://pub25.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.phpusernum=2099944454&frmid=5&msgid=1015157&cmd=show

[artdjones]

56 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Wooden floors a common feature on some pre-war cars. 

The gear-shift position reminds me of Citroen 2CV or Renault 4.

Interesting car - very early FWD. Part of the Auto Union group which was eventually acquired by Volkswagen and then merged with NSU to create the modern-day Audi company.

The original Saab cars up to the end of the two strokes are a bit of a DKW copy.

 

1 hour ago, SiC said:

Yes I forgot to mention that. I saw the auction on my local classic car saved eBay search. I was tempted to bid at the time but tbh it's tattier than I want. Plus I would like a Chummy. 

It's also what triggered my memory that the Atwell Wilson Museum had Austin 7 stuff and made me go on Saturday. 

Listing here:

https://ebay.us/m/pJ3Pzf

I wouldn't be surprised if it went for a bit more just because it's at a museum and thus assumed to be in better condition than your average barn find. Tbh it looks pretty solid from my above pictures I took. Just paint tired/crusty in areas. 

My late father in law, who served a mechanic's apprenticeship when all the 30s cars were still in normal everyday use, did not have a high opinion of the Big 7 compared with the normal older 7 Ruby.

[Dyslexic Viking]

8 hours ago, lesapandre said:

Dixie of Germany and Rosengart of France made 7 cars under licence using local materials and different bodies. There might also be some of those in Norway.

I'm not sure if many Longbridge-made 7's got exported into European markets - tariffs were probably pretty high - the main market abroad would have been the colonies.

Most of these in the pictures in Norway are right-hand drive if not all and one has a spare wheel cover with Austin Seven written on it.

But it is very likely that there may have been some Dixie cars also here.

[wuvvum]

This has come up for sale not too far from me.  £1800 ono, been off the road for nearly 50 years.  Looks to be all there though.

[SiC]

This has come up for sale not too far from me.  £1800 ono, been off the road for nearly 50 years.  Looks to be all there though.

Got a link?

[lesapandre]

8 minutes ago, SiC said:

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

This has come up for sale not too far from me.  £1800 ono, been off the road for nearly 50 years.  Looks to be all there though.

Got a link?

I think that's a Standard. Very nice. Well engineered cars.

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

20 minutes ago, SiC said:

Got a link?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1699427154786222

JA5999 issued Stockport mid 1935.

"1935 Standard 10 - With Original Registration Number: JA 5999 Owned since 1968 and dry stored since 1976. 

Everything is there, just needs some tlc. Handbook, log book, electrical circuit diagrams all included. 

Many spares easy to come by through the Standard Motor Club. 

Offers invited about £1800."

[tooSavvy]

Oooof 😮.... £1800 deffo manageable ✔️ ..... 🙄

Sadly, nowhere to keep one 🫤

Bonus Point, however >> my *lathe could make any bushings + pins one might need for upkeep 🎉

*Lathe, I have somewhere to keep one 😎

🚙💨

[Angrydicky]

That Standard is lovely. It’s about the same price I paid for mine in 2017, except it’s far more original and complete than mine was. 
Sounds like a potential BARG to me.

[SiC]

The indicators are hideous but interesting to see them even back in 1969. Did people not understand/look for hand signals properly even back then?

[lesapandre]

These early cars had trafficators - not much good in modern conditions.

 

[lesapandre]

10 minutes ago, Angrydicky said:

That Standard is lovely. It’s about the same price I paid for mine in 2017, except it’s far more original and complete than mine was. 
Sounds like a potential BARG to me.

Yes. Nicely unspoilt. Does not need 'restoration' just maintenance. 👍

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

2 hours ago, SiC said:

The indicators are hideous but interesting to see them even back in 1969. Did people not understand/look for hand signals properly even back then?

Partly it was "modernisation" partly it was " ease of use".

 

I say keep the indicators as they are, part of the character.

They have been there for more than half of the car's life.

[bnseven]

I have an old nail, its much older than me and whilst is of a pre war type, was actually made after end of the war as an update of a pre war car. Its not terribly original what with having no doors and smaller wheels but is a lot of fun on a sunny day,  maybe being a "sportier" model makes it a bit more entertaining than an old saloon. would want to have to go to work in it everyday mind...

[lesapandre]

An HRG? 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HRG_Engineering_Company

[edit : it's an MGTC but with smaller wheels and altered front wings. Very cool]

[artdjones]

I saw a 1931 Alvis 12/60 Beetleback being driven past today. I think the owner lives near Bandon. Like this one, only all over Brunswick green.  

[RayMK]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

An HRG? 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HRG_Engineering_Company

MG TC (plus the modifications mentioned) is my guess.  HRGs mostly had leading 1/4 elliptics at the front rather than the semi-elliptics of the car shown.  Looks nice.  

[D.E]

Model T taxis, Amsterdam. The strange looking radiators allegedly had a bigger capacity than the original ones, and kept the engines cooler during the low speeds and long idling a taxi typically had to endure.