Vintage Thing No.41 - the Cattley 7
One of my fellow marshals on the Launceston Trial turned up in this delightful little car. Warin Kelly has owned it for years and say the best thing about owning a special is that you can add to its specialness. This car is one of those that invite closer inspection. And the more I looked the more I saw that I liked about it. In recognition of its original builder, Warin calls it the Cattley 7 and, although he's owned it for some time now, it was originally built in the mid-fifties. Mr Cattley made the body himself out of aluminium on an ash frame and when Warin first got it the powerplant was the usual 747cc sidevalve Austin motor. Curious, isn't it, that sometimes the numbers 747 make you think of jumbo jets and at other times of tiny willing 4 pot motors, revving far higher than their designer ever intended, thanks to ingenious backyard tuning by an enthusiastic but knowledgeable amateur? However, just like anyone else, Warin wanted more power and found a ...