1. Austin 7 Ruby photograph from the thirties.
Firstly, this interesting photograph, one of a number that I found in 2007.
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Photographs of several Austin 7s, in various guises, appear within the vintage photographs section at oldclassiccar. Shown above is an example of the mid-1930s Austin 7 Ruby, complete with (presumably) its proud owners.
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The range of Austin 7s for 1935 first broke cover late in 1934, and looked noticeably different to the outgoing cars (the two-seat tourer version was known as the Austin 7 Opal). Sales of the 797cc Ruby began in 1935, and as the car shown here has a 1930s tax disc in the window, it is reasonable to assume that the car was new, or almost new, when this picture was taken. The paint and chromework are in super-clean condition, and even the starting handle has been carefully positioned for this photograph. A 1930s-style AA badge is also fitted to the grille, a painted feature for the '35-onwards small Austins. I wonder what the future held for BPW 358? did it see out the war, or end its days in a '50s scrapyard, or perhaps survive into preservation?
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2. A 1934 Ruby.
Secondly, here is a photograph that Nigel emailed over in 2008, and shows a 1934 Austin 7 Ruby parked in a very smart setting. This, and the other photos that he sent me, were discovered in a family photo album from his wife's side of the family. This example belonged to his wife's father. Thanks for sending it over!
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3. An Austin 7 Ruby and a small dog.
I hope this dog's claws weren't too sharp, otherwise this Austin Ruby's bonnet will never be the same again. The photo is un-dated, but the car looks to be immaculate so it cannot have been too old when the dog was posed for the picture, on the Austin's bonnet.
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4. Learning to drive in an Austin 7 Ruby.
Thanks to Peter now for sending over the next three photos to feature an Austin Ruby. The car belonged to a Ms. Dorothy Morgan, a friend of Peter's mother who taught Dorothy to drive in the Ruby, and went on a tour of Scotland together in the car. All the photographs date to the late 1930s. The first image features the rear of the car, with Dorothy stood behind it wearing a pair of stout gloves. Note the "L" plate affixed to the Austin's rear bumper.
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The second of Peter's photos shows Dorothy and his mother sat at the roadside, with the car's nearside door open, allowing a good look at the interior door trim. Also of interest is the single stop/tail lamp, and the jazzily-decorated luggage sat on the rear luggage rack. Again the thick gloves are in evidence, so perhaps it wasn't the warmest of days - they must have made turning the pages in a book difficult! Who the photographer was isn't known.
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Finally, a shot of the parked Austin with Dorothy, and an unknown lady (perhaps the photographer in the photo above) stood alongside the "Dependable Austin", registration ASG 118.
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5. Austin 7 Ruby in the snow.
This photo is from my own collection now, it features an Austin Ruby parked in a country lane in winter, alongside a sizeable bank of snow. A note on the rear of the photo reads as follows: "Me in my car out in the snow 2 winters ago". The Austin 7 bears evidence of wartime use, the edges of the front wings are painted in white, while the nearside headlamp still sports a blackout mask. The winter of 1947 was particularly bad, so perhaps that is the date of this photograph. The car's registration is GV 2850 (Suffolk - West).
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6. Brian's first & second cars.
Brian emailed over a number of his car photographs in 2014, his first motor being the Austin 7 Ruby shown below, the first of two such Austins he had. The Ruby was registered CBM 400 - a look on the "BM" registrations page confirms that it was registered in Bedfordshire, during 1938. It was in great condition, set off by silver-painted wheels and gleaming paintwork, and interestingly may still survive (see below). Thanks for sending it over.
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CBM 400 was followed by CPB 381, again an Austin Ruby albeit this time from late 1934 and first registered in Surrey, according to the PB registrations page. One of the road wheels on this example was also finished in non-standard silver paint, while the body itself appears to have received some moderate customisation to its paintwork. Brian paid 4 GBP for the tiny Austin, later selling it for a whopping 15 pounds.
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No record of the second Ruby can be found on the DVLA database, however interestinggly CBM 400 - Brian's first car - does show up as being registered. The Date of Liability is, at present, shown as 1st August 1995, which suggests that it may survive somewhere, but out of use. The date of first registration is given as 23rd June 1938. Is the car still with us, or has it been broken up and DVLA not informed? More information would be greatly appreciated.
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7. COE 770.
Credit for the following photograph goes to David Taylor, he emailed this over recently accompanied by a log of expenditure and work done to the Austin during his father's ownership. It's rare that any background history exists for vehicles that are included in this section of the site, so to have a record of expenditure on it - either side of WW2 - plus copies of pre-war tax discs, and a post-war petrol ration book, is great to see. The photograph dates to 30th December 1945.
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The Austin's registration is COE 770, a Birmingham issue first allocated mid-1936. As the history reproduced below states,
David's father bought the car from Whitehorn Motor Mart of Bristol, on 7th May 1938. The car remained in his ownership until
23rd April 1948, when it was sold on for a fair amount more than was paid ten years or so earlier. At the time, the supply of
new cars on the home market was negligible at best, bolstering values of pre-war vehicles amongst the car-hungry, fuel-starved, public.
Many thanks for taking the time to put the following history together, and for permitting me to share it here at OCC.
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8. A Canterbury-registered 7.
Site contributor Les emailed over a photo of his dad's old Austin 7, parked outside Park Villa in 1947. Les adds: "... I remember it [the Austin] expired on Dover hill Folkestone with five of us in it" - a well-used car. This example, registration JG 7938, was first registered in Canterbury.
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Return to the Old Photographs of Cars - Page 4.
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