A NEWSLETTER FOR ENTHUSIASTS OF AUSTIN PRE-1955

Feb/Mars 2008

Volume 6Issue 1

IN THIS ISSUE

We take a look at the incredible

network of tunnels beneath

LongbridgeWorks, as described

in an article byNEIL WEDGBURY. Full details of how

you can get the publication that tells this story.

AÏDA’S been in Australia and attended their

national Austin Seven rally. Some

fascinating insights on how they view

the little cars.

While the editorchallenges us to

ask whether, in the modern world, there is any future for this most celebrated of

all Austins!

NEXT TIMEWe’ll be giving you the benefit of some wisdom our friends ‘down other’ have discovered about

sparking plugs

And BENT will be back to talk more

about WWIand another role for

Austin.

One of the fascinating things about being an Austin enthusiast is the

sheer diversity of interest. On these pages, over the years, the company’s cars, lorries, coaches, aeroplanes, marine engines and much be-sides have been considered. However, we’ve never descen-ded into the labyrinth of tunnels that webbed their way beneath the Austin Works. This is exactly where Neil Wedg-bury goes in an in depth study published in the bulletin of Subter-ranae Britannica. The organization was founded in 1974 to study the archaeology and history of underground spaces and structures made or used by man. It was modelled on similar socie-ties in France and Germany and has contact with others throughout western and eastern Europe and Russia. It was only as Subterranea

Austin Times

Britannica’s field of interest wide-ned to mines, transport tunnels and military sites that Longbridge be-came eligible for examination. In approaching Mr Wedgbury’s work the reader should not be discouraged by a presentation that smacks of a university paper. As an ex-Longbridge apprentice he knows his ‘Austin’ but after ‘37 years in 21 different roles’ took early retirement in 2001.

Assembling aero engines in the tunnels beneath Austin’s East Works.

by the editor

Going

Concealed within the formality of his writing is a spell-binding adven-ture trail that leads us into many speculative corners that need further illumination from discussion and research. The ground on which the Works stands and was expanded is Triassic age (248-206 million years old) sandstone, marle, pebble and breccia (sharp cornered rocks com-pacted with sand and clay).

The hardness of the first varies considerably and there are a number of major fault lines. Generally the site is stable and easy to work but undulates through a range of about 150 feet. This has necessitated the buildings being built on its natural terraces, or man made ones, and led during WWI to the levelling of a hill in the centre of the plot. The work was carried out manually by priso-ners of war and the area subsequently became the poetically named ‘flying ground’. Perhaps the earliest tunnel to be struck was for the River Rea and enabled it to flow under the Works in the northern corner of the site. Another for drainage and to prevent flooding of the foundry and railway tracks was added much later. Having set the topographical scene Mr Wedg-bury introduces one of those intriguing little facts that may or may not be pivotal to future events. With impressive detail he describes how, on October 19, 1917, Zeppelin L60, inten-ding to raid Birmingham, missed the city and, no doubt anxious to lighten its load, jettisoned the bombs, one of which landed on Longbridge Works. Damage was minimal but the article poses the question as to whether the incident started Herbert Austin thinking about the consequences of heavy air attack in some future war. The opportunity for practical action came in 1936 when the newly enobled Lord Austin was made chairman of the government’s shadow factory scheme. The idea was to provide protec-ted or secret munitions manufacturing capacity in the event of the war everyone dreaded would come. The first, and one of the largest, was built as East Works on the Austin site. In parallel, the rest of the facility was prepared for a switch to military output. This involved drafting in South Wales miners to tunnel into the sandstone to provide what was effectively an underground plant. While they were away from the hillsides and valleys the Welshmen were kept welcome in the homes of Austin workers and were provi-ded with a club in which to sing about it. As the inevitability of war strengthened there were fascinating developments at Longbridge, some simply impressive for their skill in execu-tion, others dark and mysterious to this day. In the former category was an invitation to art colleges, architects and Austin’s own stylists to

General Erhard Milch, architect of Hitler’sLuftwaffe, was very familiar with Longbridge.

devise a camouflage scheme for the factory. They did so with such effect that trained RAF pi-lots failed to identify the Works and the patterns were adopted for other buildings throughout the War. The Longbridge camouflage may have baffled the RAF, not so much so the Germans. They knew where it all was anyway. This came about through a chain of cynical, if not sinister, events. It is well known that for a number of yearsmany British establishment figures were ambi-valent about, if not admiring of, some of Hitler’s strategies and this manifested itself in exchange visits between the Luftwaffe and British air force and the two country’s war departments. Mr Wedgbury suggests that German policy was to destroy the morale of the population by bombing city centres – Coventry is a good example with more than 1000 civilians killed in just two raids, and Birmingham itself, where over twice that number perished, but over a lon-ger period. Yet in Britain’s second city only an estimated five percent of industrial output was lost and virtually none at ‘the Austin’. General Erhard Milch, the architect of the Luftwaffe’s formidable strength through most of the 30s, had led a delegation to Britain as late as 1937 to examine aircraft, airfields and facto-ries and discuss the sale of parts to Germany. He visited East Works while touring air bases and other shadow factories in the Midlands and studied the production of the Fairey Battle, in progress at the time. There were also meetings with Air Marshall Dowding and Air Commodore Harris. We can only speculate as to what was carried back to Germany but are reminded, on a lighter

note, that a similar delegation to Rolls-Royce in Derby spotted an inverted batch of Phantom III motor car cylinder blocks and shortly after the Daimler-Benz DB600 aero engine was born which, of course, had the crankshaft above the cylinders! Reverting to Mr Wedgbury’s theme, there is a suggestion that, at this time, Hitler hoped Britain would be an ally when he executed his invasion plans elsewhere and that plants like East Works would be of considerable assistance in an assault on Russia. But as the writer says: ‘evi-dence is minimal and inconclusive mainly due to German strategies changing so much’. But maybe the fact ‘the Austin’ remained virtually unscathed is not coincidental, particularly in view of the fact the Luftwaffe had aerial pho-tographs of the site. At any rate the full output from the tunnels was not required. Longbridge though did not remain entirely un-molested and in November, 1940, was bombed by a Heinkel IIIK. Three employees were killed and there was significant damage to an engi-neering shop. Perhaps the greatest impact, in the broader sense, was that attending the fune-ral of one of the dead Lord Austin caught a cold which developed into pneumonia. Although he did recover he was so weakened that he died of a heart attack at home on May 23. The Heinkel was supposedly felled near Hereford, but that story may be a propagandist’s palliative. Although there was loss of life in this sole raid the Works was exceptionally well blessed with shelter, thanks to its tunnels that could accom-modate a total of 15,000 people . As we have seen those under East Works were designed as a steel-lined 1700 foot long underground factory which obviously could also be used as air raid protection. In addition there was a further 600 feet clad in brick and concrete that offered extra shelter and perhaps a control module. Mr Wedgbury explains there were many other excavations most of which were primarily shelters. Under West Works One there was 1700 feet of steel lined shaft with only limited manufacturing capacity and under West Works Two another 400 sheathed in brick and concrete and contai-ning what was possibly a Works control centre. A similarly constructed tunnel existed for 1000 feet under the Trentham block (named after the builders) and again had only limited manufactu-ring or storage use but a primary role as a

Longbridge was only bombed once in WWII, by daylight in November, 1940. The raid was carried out by a HeinkelIII similar to this. Attending the funeral of one of the victims led indirectly to Lord Austin’s own death.

shelter. Also beneath Trentham building was what was perhaps the most interesting under-ground structure of all, an emergency control centre to accommodate firemen, works police, service engineers and very senior management. Now totally abandoned, this area, that if pre-served would have made an interesting item in the nation’s industrial heritage, contained three floors – a further lower level was not finished because of water ingress. The first level inclu-ded refreshment and rest areas, pantry, toilets, ammunition and gun storage and a fully fitted, and presumably stocked, bar with a padded and buttoned counter. Below there was a telephone exchange and control room furnished with desks, filing cabi-nets and plans and charts with relevant informa-tion and below that a service area for pumps, ventilation equipment etc. The facility was constructed of three steel and concrete cylinders set in the ground. The upper two stand apart, one containing the spiral ac-cess stairs the other serving as an emergency exit. Below and between these two a larger tube holds the accommodation described. As with East Works the shafts under the air-field were steel lined, reinforced in part with concrete and contained a wage distribution faci-lity complete with strong room. There was also a manufacturing and storage possibility. The only other wartime tunnel system was beneath Cofton Park, an open space owned by Birmingham City Council and shelters were built for both the Longbridge workforce and civilian residents of Cofton Hackett. One was construc-ted by Bromsgrove Rural District Council and Austin built another as a casualty clearing and fire station.

We’ve already discussed the designs Germany may have had on Longbridge but Mr Wedgbury also suggests that the British government had its own plans, particularly for the tunnels under West Works Two and the smaller one at the East Works. It is now known that had Germany invaded, the War Office was to move from London to Worcestershire with control of the RAF based in Worcester itself, the Navy in Malvern and the Army Droitwich. But did Longbridge figure in these plans the writer asks. Post WWII only two more tunnels were cons-tructed. The first was a 2000 foot long concrete and steel structure made by cut and cover to convey bodies and engines to car assembly building number one (CAB 1). This had been built on the old airfield in 1951. The supply tunnel was particularly robust to not only sup-port the weight of components as they travelled along, suspended from the roof, but the machi-nes and traffic above. Car assembly building two was built in 1961 and had its own tunnel. Apart from housing machinery to drive the equipment that fed the assembly lines there were offices and rest and cloak rooms in the 800 foot long space. Like all self respecting tunnel systems the Longbridge network is supposed to have a ghost. This particular tortured soul is a building worker who disappeared during the construction of the CAB 1 tunnel. His footsteps are said to be audible, following walkers along the shaft, after the machinery has been shut down for the night and all is silent.

Needless to say Neil Wedgbury would like to hear from anyone who can add anything at all to the story of the underground world that laces the land beneath what was ‘the Austin’. Meanwhile, his writing so far is an invaluable source of information and interest to any stu-dent of the company’s history. It is comprehen-sively illustrated with photographs of the tunnels in recent times and in their heyday, but perhaps most valuable of all are the charts, maps and diagrams. You can obtain the bulletin containing this 27 page article for just £5 including UK post and packing from 12 The Ridgeway, Astwood Bank, Redditch, Worcestershire, B96 6LT. UK. Tel: 01527 892298 E-mail neil.wedgbury@homecall.co.uk

A simplified illustration of how the emergency control centre beneath the Trentham building was constructed.

One of two post-WWII tunnels conveyed bodies and engines (just visible in the background) to the assembly lines in car assembly building one (CAB 1). It was finished in 1951 and this is a Cambridge from the GS2 orGS5 series. They looked the same but engine capacitydiffered.

SOME WORLD WAR TWOSTATISTICS

The main types of aircraft produced at Longbridge were Fairey Battles (1200), Stirlings (600) and Lancasters (300).

There were also 360 Horsa glider fuselages, 4600Beaufighter and Miles Master wings and 15,000 bomber fuel tanks, plus 110,000 Churchill tank suspension units.

Not to mention 600,000 jerry cans, 2.5 million steel helmets, 3.5 million ammunition boxes and magazines and 3,500 engines for ships’ or airborne lifeboats.

The event was staged over five days from April 9-13, in Mudgee, New South Wales,

to mark the 85th anniversary of the Seven. Although that’s not a landmark of any particular significance it is as good an excuse as any to celebrate Austin’s Baby. Mudgee has a population of about 9000and lies on the Cudgegong river some 260 kilo-metres north west of Sydney. The name derives from a Wiradjuri tribe term meaning ‘Nest in the Hills’. Today it is an important wine processing centre with 40 producers working out of the area. In the past, gold has figured prominently in the economy and while there were no reser-ves in the town itself it serviced activity by smal-ler settlements in the surrounding countryside. The rally attracted 137 cars ranging from a 1923 AB tourer from Victoria, to a 1938 Open Road. Events were centred on the Parklands Resort and what became very apparent walking around the parking area was how different these Aus-tralian cars are from the Longbridge products that are the everyday representatives of the model in the UK. This, of course, is a consequence of so many cars being locally assembled by a multiplicity of builders but it is true to say that hardly any two cars are identical. It was good also to see some extremely origi-nal and unrestored vehicles taking part whilst everyone seemed to clock up impressive mi-leages either travelling to and from the rally or participating in the energetic road runs the organizers had devised.

The pictures on this page appeared in the March/April 2008 issue of that excellentmagazine RESTORED CARS. If you want to contact it with a view to receiving the maga-zine E-mail is restoredcars@iinet.net.au

Our regular correspondent AÏDA MAURICEwas ‘down under‛ to take in last year‛s...

National Austin Seven RallyPeculiar to the southern hemisphere, and perhaps just to Australia, these fhc’s have great charm and came in other Austin sizes. And isn’t it nice (fa-bric saloon below and tourer bottom) to see the starting handle properly stowed when so many polished and preened examples have it dangling vertically!

It is worthnoting thatin times past Sevensappeared in servicelike the twoyou see here. Goodon yer!

Is the Austin Seven stuck in reverse?In the 1980s there was still a reasonable

number of people around, in the trade if not the industry, who

had worked on Sevens extremely competently when there were plentiful numbers of well cared for examples visiting the dealers and agents. That they all too infre-quently had the chance to do that work harks back to a number of previous points. The shoestring classic was rarely going to have over and above the purchase price spent on a proper engine rebuild, and by the 70s and 80s many Sevens were desperate for this and similar attention. The situation could often be compounded by mistaking simple for crude and maladroit. Yet fitting a piston to an Austin Seven calls for as much know-how as installing one in a Rolls-Royce but the pre-viously mentioned perception meant the Rolls-Royces usually benefited from the application of such knowledge whereas Austins did not. In much the same way as over-breeding pets to achieve a certain coat pattern or physical characteristic weakens the genes, the abuse and misues of the Seven, plus poor quality, amateur work, over many years, has emaciated the breed and detracted from its ability to per-form as God, or at least Longbridge, intended. This situation has been exacerbated in far too many cases by Special builders and where club criteria for the cars they accept into mem-bership are lax, or the motoring community as a whole takes a laisser-faire attitude, the historical standing and social importance, and thus the worth in non-monetary terms, is diminished. The material value may also be impaired, of course, but that is not primarily our concern here.

The situation we are confronting, therefore, is a vintage and classic model, preserved in goodly numbers, but often not to as high a mechanical standard or level of historical accuracy as more exotic makes. At face value this is of no great importance. Preservation by volume is an end in itself and at the moment there are more services available to Seven owners than at anytime save when the model was current. But there are some knock on effects. However unpalatable, the Austin enthusiast needs to ac-knowledge that the make he or she regards so highly is not aspirational. That the high esteem is justified is not in dispute. But the majority of people do not hold a lifelong ambition to own an Austin Ten…or Twelve, Fourteen, Sixteen or Eighteen; whereas they might an Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Bentley or Duesenberg. This does not hold quite as true for the Seven as it does for other Austins. There are prized versions of the baby car, but even then, with the exception of a hard core of devotees,

The editor concludes the treatise he began in the last issue, when he asked whether the long term future of the Austin Seven was sustainable.

PART TWO1955 Jubilee illustration by Robert Johnston of the first

Chummy. But will the Seven soon have run its course?

(brakes, steering, electrics) but also because what is there has been compromised by incom-petent or ill-advised work. So is there a tow rope that can be passed to the Austin Seven, or is it going nowhere faster than its mechanical capabilities suggest, ultima-tely to be left on the hard shoulder of the histo-ric vehicle movement because of commonality, its non-aspirational nature and uncompromising impracticality. The answer is complex. I opened this discus-sion by suggesting the Seven is unique and we have touched on the reasons why that is so. It is this individuality, this life apart, that is both the Austin’s strength and weakness. Strength, because its continuing viability on the historic racing scene and to some extent a broader competition canvas – in itself remarka-ble – should give the car an appeal to younger generations. After all it is the only remaining vintage car that is both competitive and accessi-ble to those of avaerage means. But while there is fertile soil for this potential to flourish within the parameters of the Vintage Sports Car Club, the specialist clubs seem largely unaware - or uncaring - of the opportunity. In some cases the attitude may even be unconducive to a future for the car. To turn to the weakness of the Seven, it has to be said, that if sensible criteria are applied by those who are not, at best eccentric, or at worst deranged (I include myself in the former category) the models of Seven that are readily available, cheaply (saloons), to the would be classic car aspirant, are colossally impractical and will become more so. This brings us to the rather contradictory ques-tion of why, then, are there so many clubs and

the average entrant moves on, typically, to Ri-ley, MG or Frazer Nash, never to return. I mentioned diehards, which have always off-set the transfer of loyalty to other makes. But now we begin to encounter a potent and irre-pressible negative – Anno Domini.The men and women who remember the Seven at its peak and developed a commitment to the car are ageing and dieing. So let us review the picture. As we stand on the threshold of the 21st century we see a car of enormous historical and social importance that survives in impressive numbers if that is ta-ken numerically rather than as a percentage of total production. Furthermore, and unusually for a vintage car, there are almost certainly many more Sevens to be unearthed. However, the purity of the stock we already know to exist often leaves much to be desired both as regards historical accuracy and mecha-nical competence – a situation compounded by the inevitable dimunition of long standing advo-cates i.e. the people whose understanding of all aspects of the car was at the highest level. One might suppose that with increasing num-bers of people interested in historic vehicles and a burgeoning support industry a process of natural replenishment will put all to rights. It might. It is true that there is and will conti-nue to be a proportion of young people who are interested in old motor vehicles and in a few cases will become actively involved in them. But however much we may like to persuade oursel-ves otherwise, and to whatever degree we cite individual examples of young men and women participating in the hobby, and even involved with the Austin Seven, the failure to motivate coming generations is depressing. The choices, options and opportunities offered by 21st century society are too numerous. What is available on screen seemingly more appea-ling in a culture that places ‘quad bikes’ in the hands of children under 10 to travel at speeds as high as 40 mph – close to the limit for many a Seven; and one where the family holiday des-tination is more likely Mauritius than Margate. This is the problematic for the Seven with which we started. Cars that are in the main non-aspirational, increasingly fail to strike a cord with the population and are ever more unsuited to the driving conditions most people face. The latter partly by virtue of the inherent design

Some clubs organize long road runs, as is the case here, but all too often it’s round the corner to the pub for chicken and chips. The ultimate turn-off for most young people.

organizations specifically for Austin Sevens – around 30 in the UK alone. Clearly it has to do with the number of cars that remain, yet there’s more to it than that. Obviously the principal clubs for the marque need to consider whether they are delivering what appeals to the Seven community when so many owners look elsewhere. But once again we hark back to what has been said throughout this article. Recently, I was asked by an enthusiast whether I thought a trip from the UK to Brittany for these cars was too ambitious. Certainly the competency of many of the examples we see around us would prompt the response, ‘yes’. And perhaps that is why the profile of far too many clubs centres on a monthly, low mileage expedition to the pub or local attraction that appeals to a member profile that is almost as old – older in some instances – as the cars themselves. This is a uninspiring scenario in real as well as hypothetical terms. A more positive response to the question about the French adventure would be the rhe-torical one as to whether it is ambitious enough! For that to have validity though, the reliability base needs to be raised along with awareness of the uniqueness of the Seven and its role in history and many people’s social heritage. And this needs to occur, especially, amongst under 40s. If it doesn’t happen we face an impoverished landscape. There are simply not enough mu-seums, not enough appreciative custodians to accommodate the cars in the public domain which are now actually growing, rather than declining, in number. Does the scrap man cometh? Probably not. Because in our materially obsessed society where any piece of aged junk is hived away by someone in the belief it is price-less, there will always be those of such mentality to accommodate the Seven – or a sizeable proportion of them. But again that is to ema-ciate the car and with it

history and our cultural experience. So while it is unlikely the average model will ever again become an object of derision, if the trends outlined are not reversed and the per-ceived monetary value – hypothetical anyway – falls, the stock will decline. Because although no true enthusiast advocates unrealistic pricing, some level of cash value prompts preservation. Another slant on the value/enthusiasm/pre-servation equation is that lower price examples are converted into something that is percei-ved to be more desireable i.e. of geater resale value! Thus we negotiate a vicious circle where creating Specials and/or sports replicas from saloons gives the younger element an attractive plaything, but decreases the ranks of originals which reflect history for the wider audience and was the point of preservation in the first place. Of course, this already happens in a slightly different sense when the registration plate sharks rob a car of its original mark and achieve monetary gain by selling it to some inadequate with such an identity crisis they need their initials, or a sobriquet, on their vehicle’s licence plate. Can any or all of this be avoided. I would sug-gest that if some of the concepts outlined here are promulgated, it can. Heightened awareness and improved presentation across the piece must lead to more confident and ambitious use of the cars. Raising awareness should be addressed by the major clubs in an intelligent and imaginative

Are our wanderings in theSeven ambitious enough?These young members of the VSCC and their friends are to be congratulated on holidaying in Brittany with their cars. Photo Richard Ashford.

way. Yet how many of them have either a scho-ols or a press officer on their committees. If they do, it is usually as an afterthought and the incumbent may have no relevant qualifications for the task. Raising standards of presentation also centres on wareness and it is imperative that save for making concessions on the grounds of latter day safety requirements (flashing indicators, the replacement steering lever now available and ‘Triplex’ type glass, for example) the technical material and advice provided by clubs is histo-rically correct and that adherence is rewarded, and divergence penalized, at the ‘beauty shows’ that are now so popular. Cars that can achieve their design performan-ce should, even in the case of the Austin Seven, inspire, frequent, confident and ambitious use. Yet that should not provide a stimulus for clubs to go forth and multiply, but to provide well-or-ganized, coordinated and imaginative activity on at least a regional basis that will not only offer enjoyment to a much wider section of the mem-bership, but promote the car and its culture to a broad external audience. I would contend it is only by these means that the Austin Seven can maintain its position, long term, as the world’s best car for the motoring hobbyist.There are very many ‘takes’ on these arguments and no doubt areas into which the author has not delved. If you have a view on this important subject please let him know at the ad-dress you find at the end.

This basically sound Big Seven came with most of the parts to reassemble it. Yet, in the years ahead, will it be seen as worth the not inconsiderable effort, or does thescrap man cometh?

QUITE APART FROM the routine bits of old Austin that are continually passing through my workshop, we occasionally get something a little bit out of the ordinary. Nothing exotic, like a Works Super Sports gearbox, a Hayes ‘self select’, or a manifold with twin Cox Atmos carburetters, I’m sorry to say, but intriguing nonetheless. On this occasion it was three-speed ‘crash’ gearbox 3003D. Nothing extraordinary about that, you may say. Not so. On this one the bell housing had been removed, very carefully, by someone of great skill and sensitivity. Anything ‘Austin’ at this end now seems to be an irrele-vance, but a very substantial input spider has been welded to the boss of an Austin Seven clutch driven plate. The splined member had been drilled and saw cut across both diameters. Don’t know why. At the rear, an adaptor plate is bolted to the output spider. To the right of the casing and secured to the front and rear end casing studs is an extremely well executed and substantial mounting bracket. But the rub comes when you take on board a

Fathominga box oftricks

The gearbox before cleaning. The reshaped lever, flanges and support bracket (bottom right) can all be seen. The plate on top gives the instruction mentioned in the story.

the considerable torque generated with such an arrangement. I lifted the top cover. The lever has been shortened and re-shaped by someone who obviously had considerable skill. It sat in that beautiful three speed gate and lifted from studs in perfect condition and as good a paper gasket as the day it was laid down. Although by now the change mechanism itself was seized.

UNMATCHED

The box itself was topped by perfect fulcrum plates and selector arm and contained the full set of gears swimming in a disgusting amalgam of water and old oil that had seized the rest. I got everything apart by conventional proce-dures and thoroughly cleaned. The ingress of water, however, had taken its toll. Some of the pinions were very badly pitted, to a degree that I judged would have penetrated the heat treatment. The first motion shaft was badly effected with some of the teeth corroded to ‘knife edges’ while the main shaft was quite heavily burred along the splines. Very much against my better judgement I re-placed such individual components with ones in excellent condition but unmatched. I then put it back together taking care to shim as before.

MECHANICAL

The big issue now was that curvaceous little lever would not cross the gate. I should have engaged brain and figured there can be no mechanical reason, of any substance, why this should be so on a three-speed Austin Seven gearbox. I was convinced though, that to find the trouble necessitated removing the gate. The counter-sunk set screws proved impossible to slacken (why do people tighten to this extent?) and I made the proverbial ‘banjax’ of trying, very unsuccessfully, to get one of them out, disfigu-ring its head hideously in the process. Of cour-se, the amount of heat applied freed the lever like magic. You will be comforted to know a spot of Araldite repaired the damage at the screw head without any serious consequences. Sadly though, although the lever now whips back and forth across the gate to reach first, third and reverse it will not find and engage

professionally crafted and sizeable brass plate attached to the top cover with the legend: ‘STOP before changing gear’. I came by 3003D through the generosity of a fellow Austin enthusiast. Although I live in Fran-ce, by strange unrelated coincidences I know two people in the little town just down the road who are that way inclined and over the years we’ve exchanged parts. One of these friends has a leaning towards the mid-range cars and has furnished Ten and Twelve engines but on this occasion it was Robert, my Seven-loving neighbour, who swapped some bits with me. He was of the view that what I was getting were marine parts. Robert knew I had an affinity for the side valve Austin boat engine and thou-ght he’d found a home for some pieces of that ilk surplus to his needs.

CONCENSUS

Nice Northam and Blake bronze, vane type wa-ter pump, to be sure. Maybe an item I can use in due course on my track Special, but what’s this gearbox? No marine part this as anyone who has ever handled a powered boat would know, it being totally impracticable to ‘stop’ before shifting from ahead to astern or vice versa as the sign on this top cover demands. This is a gearbox from a land borne vehicle. The consensus is a tractor with an Austin Se-ven engine/gearbox(?) as the primary machine-ry, or some other make of engine and drive, but transferring to a modified Austin Seven gear-box as a reduction ‘box. The extremely robust mounting bracket being necessary to take

This picture shows how the bell-housing has been removed.

boring machine and the scream of its gears was driving him insane. I guess Roger represents the ideal recipient, but I think I’ll leave him to sort out the change. If you can tell the editor anything at all about this type of gearbox, or contribute anything at all, please do so. It is always so much apprecia-ted by our readers around the globe. MARTYN NUTLAND

second cleanly. Observations and comments welcome. Ironically the box will probably travel back to England. I have another friend who is an extre-mely talented marine engineer as well as the owner of (appropriately) a boat-tail Austin Se-ven. He had been regaling me with tales of how he had a motor cycle gearbox fitted to a

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E-mail Martyn.Nutland@gmail.comTel 00 33 (0)1 43 67 81 56

Don’t forget this year’s CLASSIC BRITISH CAR MEET at Morges in Switzerland has as its featured make, Austin. Now in it’s 17th year, the event takes place on October 4 in a glo-rious setting on the shores of Lake Geneva. Around 1300 British cars and motor cycles are expected to attend, but of course, the organizers would like to swell the ranks of Austins as they are doing us all the honour of celebrating ‘our’ marque. Any pre-1960 model is welcome and entry and attendance is free. Included on the publicity material is a glorious 1936 12-4 Ascot, that lives in Switzerland with the man who masterminds the meet, Keith Wynn. The tribute to Austin was prompted in part, by the successful participation in the Peking-Paris Challenge by a post-War Sixteen. It also recognizes the considerable achievement of three examples of that model, driven to seven European capitals in seven days in the atrocious winter of 1947 to help publicize the launch of the Sheerline at that year’s Geneva motor show. Historians please note...the Morges literature gives the three Sixteen’s epic journey as1948. This, of course, is incorrect. It was, as stated above, ‘47! MN