POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

1927 Austin Seven "Chummy" tourer

Object No. B1515

The Austin Seven is an endearing little car which in the 1920s and 1930s brought motoring into the reach of ordinary people. This car was made by the Austin Motor Co. Ltd. of Longbridge, Birmingham, England, in 1927, and imported into Australia. The first Austin Sevens appeared in 1922 and were introduced to supersede the motorcycle and sidecar combinations and cyclecars as a form of inexpensive transport for families. A total of 290,000 Austin Sevens were made between 1922 and 1939. This was a considerable number considering production techniques of the day and the era before widespread affluence in Britain and Australia. It has been said that the Austin Seven, the Bullnose Morris and the Model T brought motoring to the millions. Austin Sevens were popular because they were trust worthy, compact and easy to drive. At 149 pounds they were inexpensive and reliable compared to large cars of the time and much more comfortable than a motorcycle. According to the Austin Seven handbook, they were able to seat two adults and three very small children. A 1924 Austin Seven advertisement noted that "The Austin Seven is a car which makes life richer for a wife. She can driver around to friends, get to the links, and banish shopping fatigue with this fine smart little car. Make her New Year a happy one. If you have no wife you can make a sweet-heart happy, but don't let either of them miss a day of the fun you can buy them in the Austin Seven." The low price and the fact that motoring was now available to all are endorsed in the title of Austin's booklet "Motoring at Tram Fare". It was thought that the 1960s heralded the period of independent motoring for women and the two-car family but in the late 1920s and early 1930s manufacturers could see the value of advertising for women. Because of their tiny size, Austin Sevens were satirised in many motoring jokes. Edward du Cross in the Austin Seven's club magazine, "Baby Torque", noted "I can recall the vast Rolls-Royce with Austin Sevens held up around its body as lifeboats, also the crude plutocrat, who when halted in traffic, liked to use adjacent Austin Sevens as ashtrays. A leading comedian had a well-loved act with his Seven, which kept exploding and finally came apart completely on the stage of a London music hall. There was the song that had the refrain 'I'm taking my wife, and seven kids as well in my little Austin Seven!' The Austin Seven was nicked the "Chummy" as it was so small that the occupants had to sit very close. du Cross, Edward, 'The Austin 7' in "Baby Torque: Magazine of the Austin 7 Club of NSW Incorp", April 1994, No. 58, p.9-11. Margaret Simpson Curator, Transport August 2013