Austin 7HP 1909


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Austin Seven Single Cylinder Car

In 1909 Austin stared to work on a 7 hp single cylinder, by using one cylinder-block from the 18/24 engine as a basis for a tiny single-cylinder engine. This engine of 1099 cc produced 9 hp at 1300 rpm, it was installed in a very light frame. A prototype was made at Longbridge to see if it was a practical vehicle to produce. After evaluating the project it was decided some time after to send the vehicle along with the drawings and body patterns to the Swift works at Coventry. It was there in a separate department that R.H.Every was put in charge of putting it into production. The Swift Company which was controlled by Harvey Du Cros, had agreed that the vehicle could be made at his factory. It appears that they were badged as Austin and Swifts and according to records out of the 1,030 produced 162 were Austin's. The car was sold for £150 but it was not a success so after just two years from launched, production ceased.

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Single-cylinder engine in chassis
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FRONT ___________________________ REAR richard-dimbleby-single-cyl-austin
Richard Dimbleby and Leonard Lord at a VCC Meeting 1922-austin-seven-single-cyl
One of the last versions made