Baby Austin

How a small economy car affected motoring history

3y ago
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On 11th November 1918, Germany signed an armistice, thus marking the end of World War 1. The war had obviously taken it's toll on people and the cash under the blankets were running dangerously low.

And it was in the wake of this financial slump that the Austin Motor Company decided to bring out the Austin 7- a two door coupé with a four cylinder 696cc side valve engine. The car was a massive success.

One reason for its success that it was designed by Herbert Austin and Stanley Edge specifically as an economy car mainly targeting young families to whom an affordable car was pretty much a miracle. Another very important factor to its success was the Horsepower Tax introduced in 1921. According to this system, tax was calculated based upon the power produced by the engine (this method was later changed and came to be based around the piston's surface area). This made the 10.5 bhp Austin quite cheap to own.

In 1930, it became the the most produced car in Britain. And when Wall Street crashed in September 1929, signalling the dawn of the Great Depression, it was the "Baby Austin" that got the Austin Motor Company through the stormy seas. The design was licensed to many foreign companies- the very first BMW car, the Dixi was an Austin 7. As was the American Austin, and the Rosengarts which were sold in France by Lucien Rosengart.

While the Austin 7 was taking the world by storm, a New Zealand farmer called Les McLaren purchased a beaten up 1929 Austin 7 Ulster for $110 with an intention to mend and subsequently sell it. However, after the car arrived at their farm in Auckland, Les' 13 year old son, Bruce, persuaded his father not to sell it. Bruce repaired the car, and then some.

He added several sporty modifications such as 16 inch front and 17 inch rear rims, replacing the original 19 inch ones, twin SU carburetors, flatter rear springs, extended short tail and the like. He carved a figure 8 racetrack in his backyard to test the car.

Once he was satisfied with his handiwork, he decided to enter his car in a hill climb. Before leaving, his father said to him, "if you damage so much as a mudguard, the Ulster's gone for good". With his father's words of encouragement in mind, he took part in the hill climb. When the results came, Bruce was ecstatic- not only were his mudguards fine, but he had qualified first in the 750cc class.

McLaren, the team that Bruce started would go on to win 8 constructors championships, but it all began with a small economy car that had gripped the entire motoring world.

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