Above is the A40 Devon I bought whilst stationed in RAF Valley (Anglesey) in 1967 for £25. I kept it for about a year and during that time drove it home every month to Sandwich in Kent. Used to take around nine hours as I recall. It drank oil at a great rate but only let me down twice, both times in Sandwich itself. First time was a dud battery and second time an oilpipe to the oil filter fractured. Sold it in late 1968 to a friend for £5!. How's that for economical motoring.

Now well before I was old enough to drive I had an old 1939 Austin Eight that I'd bought for £2 after it had failed it's MOT. My friend's father was the stationmaster in Sandwich and we used to drive it off the public highway, all around the extensive but disused goods yard. Unfortunately I never got around to taking any photos in the six  months or so that I owned it. Eventually it got taken to the local scrap yard as it had become jammed in 1st gear.

Now many years on I am still driving a Longbridge built product, a
MG TF
Nick Axon

PW 6720 is a 1925 Austin 7 AC Tourer, known as a Chummy. She was built in 1925 and first registered on 1st Jan 1926 at Norwich. The original Log Book has long gone but the continuation book shows the owner from July 1956 to be Sidney Victor Cleaver of Norwich, and in June 1957 Leonard Reynolds of Caister-on-Sea. The last entry in the book is for David Southall of Kinver, Staffordshire, but is not dated. However there is a stamp for Stoke V R O dated 1991.
 
I understand that Dave Southall bought the car from Len Reynolds along with a spare engine. He then set about restoration of the vehicle with engine work being carried out by John Wilcox and body restoration and painting by Bob Hewston of Catshill.
 
In April 2003 Stuart Holzer of Barnt Green acquired the car and by the time I bought the car from him in October 2006, the car was residing on the Lickey Grange estate, not a hundred yards from the place where Stanley Edge and ‘The Old Man’ created the Austin 7.
 
Since owning the car, my wife Hilary and I have attended the Austin Ten Drivers Club Austins in Bromsgrove High Street, the Midlands Austin 7 Club Cotswold Run, the Pride of Longbridge Rally, the Evesham Vintage Easter Gathering, Avoncroft Museum of Buildings 1940’s Weekend, Midlands Austin 7 Club Longbridge Rally and the NWVT&EC Rally at S E Davis & Son, Astwood Bank at which PW 6720 won the Tony Latham Cup for Best Restored Car.
 

 We now have these in our family
1925 Austin 7 AC Tourer Chummy
1933 Austin 10/4 Two Seat and dickey
1938 Austin 7 Mk 2 Pearl Cabriolet

Austin 10/4 Two Seater and Dickey


Austin 7 Mk II Pearl

The Australian Army placed an order for 400 vehicles with the Austin Motor Company. This one which was built under Contract No 6VEH5531 Chassis No 10819 the Wh 115781 Vin No is 08BF19 This shows that the vehicle was the 819 to be produced.

As you can see it has been extensively Customised and a great deal of time and effort along with a bill for A$60,000. The owner says it drives well but with out a roof you need a sunny day.

Restoration Project

The Taxi was first registered in 1968, and remained in carrying out Taxi services until 1973. It was moved to Austria and owned by a gentleman who ran a photographic studio. The vehicle was used as his daily transport and no doubt gave him publicity driving round in an English Taxi. Sadly the gentleman passed away and the Taxi slowly deteriorated, it was purchased by myself Gergo Feher and got it transported to Hungary. You will see from the pictures below which show the before and after of the engine compartment, that it needed agreat deal of work.

After many, many hours, it is now in new condition and ready to act as the main family transport. It is also available to hire, which will help to pay for some of the work carried out.

When you have spent so much time on bring it back to life, it becomes part of the family, so we decided to call it Alfred the Cab.
 
Gergo Feher & Alfred the Cab