Nostalgic moment

I thought that I'd share this with you all, even if it's of no interest to anybody but me!

Yesterday afternoon, I happened to be changing channels and caught a few minutes of the BBC programme "Flog it!" There was an elderly lady parting with a vintage dashboard-mounted 8-day clock. Not particularly interesting, you may think, but then she started talking about her father, who was into vintage cars. Cut to an old photograph of an Austin 7 Ruby. I immediately sat up and took notice as I had one as my first road car. Looking at the number plate and I was astonished to see that it was MY actual car! BGU 940! I couldn't believe it, but there it was, looking somewhat forlorn and neglected and obviously some time before I bought it for the princely sum of £26 and 10 shillings in 1984. It was 50 years old, then and I was 17, having recently passed my driving test. I spent a lot of time and what was to me a lot of money rebuilding it and giving it a respray in British Racing Green (what else?). It appeared in a magazine advert for a pain killing drug alongside a speeding Sunbeam Alpine Harrington coupé and gave me many happy hours pleasure (of all sorts). I sold it for about £40 and used the money to "upgrade" to an Austin A30 saloon.

There, I told you it wouldn't interest you, but it made an old man very happy for a few minutes.

John

Edit,  This is the car in question:

Edited By John Hinkley on 24/05/2022 11:17:53

Nice story, John

I’m just a little confused by your mix of date and currency

… which one is correct ?

MichaelG.

Quite an experience for you!

And nostalgic for me as my first car was a Ruby, too. What's more, a later Seven of mine had been hand-painted BRG by the previous owner and later still I had a Sunbeam MkIII, the successor to the Sunbeam Talbot saloon.

What a machine!

I meant 1964! I told you I was old. Seems to be happening more and more often these days. I had better go and get my bumps felt.

John

Edit: and that means the car was 'only' 30 years old when I acquired it.

Edited By John Hinkley on 24/05/2022 13:02:47

I had a similar experience when my old Morris Minor Estate (LTP 809G) cropped up on Car SOS, as the working example they take out and interview the owner of. I made various attempts to make contact with the present owner, but wasn't successful. Perhaps I should try again.

George

Notice the style of the caravans and the "Social distancing". The attached was my 1937 Ruby CCE 954 in about 1967 (First year of compulsory MOT) and me as a young driver. Petrol 4/3 per gallon !!

Edited By Speedy Builder5 on 24/05/2022 13:09:37

Never owned an Austin 7, but had dealings with those of friend. Clutcg pedal tarvel must have been almost 2 inches; and the brakes, or lack of them!.

Passed my test on a 1934 Austin 10.

My first car was a Singer 9 Coupe. It leaked oil, almost everywhere. Going home from Shrewsbury to Hereford each weekeend, it used to climb the hill out of Ludlow at the same speed, whether in 2nd or top gear. The difference was the size of the cloud of oil from the bell housing when I lifted off at the top of the hill! Like the earlier Austin 7s, the crank was only 2 bearing and flexed!

But life was more thrilling, if slower, in those days.

Good folk are still keeping them on the road

Howard

from the DVLA site it is taxed (exempt) till 2023 so still aorund!

Vehicle make

AUSTIN

Date of first registration

September 1934

Year of manufacture

1934

Cylinder capacity

747 cc

CO₂ emissions

Not available

Fuel type

PETROL

Euro status

Not available

Real Driving Emissions (RDE)

Not available

Export marker

No

Vehicle status

Taxed

Vehicle colour

BLUE

Vehicle type approval

Not available

Wheelplan

2 AXLE RIGID BODY

Revenue weight

Not available

Date of last V5C (logbook) issued

15 February 2016

Interesting

I'm sure we all wonder what eventually happened to old pals from bygone decades, and whether of course they survived

My first car, after motorcycles, was a 1954 Ford Popular with the side valve engine, registration was DHC 521 if anyone knows of its whereabouts let me know. I acquired it in 1966 and during the time I had it I changed the engine with one that I had reconditioned, it was a very reliable mode of transport, I used it every weekend commuting back and forth from my camp when I was in the Air Force and in the cold weather when the 6 volt battery was a bit short of amps there was the starting handle stowed conveniently under the bonnet. I was not all that fond of the rod operated brakes, gave me few frights, but I have good memories of its time with me. Dave W

In the early 1980s I suddenly found myself in need of a car. I was offered a 1965 MGB cheaply as it had nothing left below the sills, rather like Fred Flintstone's car.

After many hours of welding and a respray I drove it for a couple of years. Then, around 1984, someone made me an offer of two and a half times what I paid for it.

Last year, on a whim, I googled the reg no. and found pictures of it being raced at Brands Hatch! I contacted the new owner who confirmed it is still largely the same car.

Wish I hadn't sold it now!

John Hinkley

You mentioned"Harrington". Would that indicate some sort of modification by Harrington's Motors in Hove, Sussex? They did a lot of work on coaches and in fact I believe their site was known as Harrington's Coach works.

John

DMB,

It depends on whether you trust wikipedia or not. The Harrington Coachworks entry there certainly indicates that they were the people who did the conversions to the Sunbeam Alpines, being both fibreglass specialists and Rootes dealers. Thinking about it a little more, I'm pretty sure it was a Le Mans version that I was photographed with.

John

My nostalgic moment was last month when I saw the 1996 Toyota MR2 that I owned from Dec 1996 until 2001.

It was going along a local road and looked immaculate that sighting nearly brought tears to my eyes.

probably the most fun car I ever owned (and the quickest)

Edited By V8Eng on 24/05/2022 19:22:57

I thought the MOT came in in 1959 or 60 ? My dad got rid of a 1930s Austin 7 due to it being unlikely to pass, so said the garage who gave him £37 against a new vehicle. Noel.

Hi Noel, the MOT came into operation in 1960, but at first was only for vehicles that were 10 years old and over, but was progressively reduce to three years by 1967. History of MOT test

Regards Nick.

Hi, my first car was a twin carb MG 1100 saloon, don't laugh, I know they were rust buckets but most of it had been fixed. I think it was the 1962 model and I bought it in early 1974 had for about 18 months and then bought a three year old Boxford HA van which I needed for doing my mobile Disco. Never have seen any cars again that I've had, but I did have the Van for the longest period.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 24/05/2022 20:02:15

a three year old Boxford HA van

A slip of the keyboard there Nick ?

Nigel B.

Hi Nigel B, Opps! bit more like a Bedford HA van, but it did have a very good turning circle.

Regards Nick.