Engine Punk

Getting down low with Little Satan While in pre-war Austin mode, I found these pictures I took of a well-executed Austin 7 special at the Crash Box Club gathering at Powderham Castle back in 2019. It's only knee high Little Satan is a neat little aluminium blob with a mischievous radiator mascot. I reckon there’s something of a Ford Model T flat tracker about it and I’ve heard Austin 7s and Model Ts mentioned together as endowing the population with cheap reliable transport in both their respective countries. All you need to know, clearly displayed Running gear is 1935 Austin 7 Ruby with shortened rear chassis members and the engine was built Don Rawson, who is a well-respected name in Austin 7 circles. Output of this engine was estimated at 60bhp partly thanks to a stainless steel induction system for SU carbs by Haywood & Scott of Basildon. They were also responsible for the eye-catching stainless zorst system. I especially like the way the ally body has been left unpain...

The Austin 10 Ripley. That radiator reminds me of an Austin 7 Grasshopper but chromed or nickel plated This rare survivor of an Austin Ten Ripley Sports appears at shows around the west country following a comprehensive restoration. I had a close look at it at Boconnoc last summer and it especially intrigued me because, years ago, I read about how the great rivals in the UK motoring market place – Austin and Morris – faced each other off with cheap sporty cars. In simplest terms, Austin had the Austin 7 and Morris had Morris Garages. The MG brand included larger sports cars and even saloons but Austin remained happy to let the Austin 7 represent them in the “scurrying kindergarten” the Bentley Boys had to contend with. However, there were little glimmers of sportiness in other parts of the Austin range as represented by the Austin 10 Ripley Sports. The present owner of this particular restored it over a seven-year period after it was recovered from a scrapyard in Callington in the ...