It was 1958, I had just had my 13th birthday and out driving with my father in our melbourne suburb that I glimpsed a small old car parked in a side street and enquired with dad as to what type of vehicle it was. He replied ‘’I’ts one of those small matchbox Austin sevens son’, Many years later I learnt that it belonged to a school friend.

My dad was always interested in motor cars so I guess in a family of only males a bit of it must have rubbed off as by the time I was 16 I had owned a 1939 Hillman and a J series Vauxhall to tinker with until dad found out and were quickly disposed of.

By this time I had realised that two fellows that were at my school had Austin sevens [one still has the same car to this day] albeit already of legal driving age. On one occasion I enquired with the brother of one of them who was a friend of mine that I would like to learn more about motor cars and he advised that I should buy an Austin 7 as they were of a simple design.

Five years later as a commercial traveller my interest in Austin sevens as a restoration project hadn’t gone away and the constant travelling allowed me to acquire and item here and there but finding a complete car eluded me. As I lacked mechanical acumen [and still do] a complete car was still considered my best option.

During the late 60’s sevens weren’t readily available and I constantly missed an advertised seven due to affordability or I was simply too late. This went on for two years but finally I located a car of interest and rang the other school friend to seek his advice prior to purchasing the car. Upon describing the proposed car he suggested that I contact a friend of his who had a chummy for sale. On that advice I purchased the november 1929 chummy which was in need of an engine and as it had been used as a trials car the front and rear axles were the incorrect type.

Upon learning that I had purchased the car my school friend placed a ‘Help me’ advertisment in the Austin seven club magazine on my behalf which proved very helpful. Within weeks I had been able to source the correct items missing to return the car to it’s original specifications.

Within 3 years the car had been dismantled, body removed and my younger brothers had stripped the layers of paint back to bare metal in readiness for the body work to be repaired prior to painting. In the meantime I had the opportunity to dismantle the rolling chassis to prepare it for repainting in my back yard. During the following 18 months the body was painted and reassembled, rewired, trimmed,engine rebuilt and back on the road by 1975.

Whilst all this was going on I realised that I needed a seven to participate in club events so firstly a 1929 utility was acquired for a brief time prior to purchasing a 1936 coupe which became my only car as I had left my corporate job and company car to pursue a venture in our own business.

After the chummy was completed I was disappointed in it’s handling and it probably only travelled around 3000 km’s in 40 years. I remember asking a friend to diagnose issues to improve the car and upon alighting from the drivers seat looking very distressed he announced ‘the only thing that works in this car is the driver’. Subsequent advice from friends have finally sorted issues of concern and now it is a delight to drive.

As I write this article on the eve of a 50 year ownership of the chummy the engine has been removed for a well deserved valve related work over and a lot more use.

None of the aforementioned would have been possible if it wasn’t for the help and advice of members of the Austin seven club of which I am eternally grateful. Lifelong friendships have resulted as a result of a simple desire to own and restore an Austin seven.