Austin Seven Type 65

History

The "65" is a very rare breed of Austin Seven.  Easily confused with its successor, the Nippy, it is a low-slung two seater sports tourer which was made from June 1933 for about a year, during which time 275 Type 65s rolled off the production line.  The Type 65 was not intended for racing but for those who just wanted the sports two seater look.  Costing a mere £148 in 1933, these examples from the heyday of British Motoring can now fetch considerably more!

The body is made from aluminium on an ash-wood frame, and the cycle wings are made of steel.  In 1933, the "65" could develop 23 bhp at 4800 rpm~ this is about twice the power of a standard Austin Seven.

In 1934, Austin made a few design modifications and renamed the car, the Nippy.  There were now separate side lights and the body was manufactured from steel.  Production of the Austin Seven Nippy ceased in 1937.

Modifications

Many surviving examples of the "65" have been modified to improve reliability and performance.  For example, a pressure-fed oil system or the Bowdenex braking system.  Unfortunately, the standard two-bearing crank of the original design, with it's splash-fed lubrication system could not withstand the high speed of the engine, and sadly many crankcases met their graves early on.

A solution to the problem of crankshaft shear, is to fit a modern replacement crank into a Ruby three~bearing case. The Phoenix crank is a well known sports replacement.  There are many other modifications that can improve performance of the Type 65 (eg 17" wheels, side lights, 12 volt ignition etc.) but it all depends on whether you're an originalist or more of a special builder.

Specifications

The main characteristics of the Austin Seven Type 65 that are different to those of the standard A7 are~

• bowed sports front axle
• curved front leaf spring
• close ratio gear box
• downdraught Zenith 30 VEI carburettor
• cylinder-head and block cast from Chromidium
• special inlet manifold

• plugs positioned over the valves
• extra-large sump with cooling ribs
• sprung 4-spoke steering wheel made by Bluemel
• square radiator with chrome stone-guard
• leather seats

Dimensions

Useful measurements and their metric equivalents:~

Zenith downdraught carburettor

The carburettor fitted to the Type 65, Nippy and Speedy Sports models of Austin Seven was the downdraught Zenith 30 VEI (pictured here).  On my Type 65 the standard model has been replaced with a downdraught Zenith 30 VM-5.  The VM-5 was designed for 8 h.p. Austins manufactured 1939-46.  It works just as well as, if not better than, the standard 30 VEI.  However, if anyone out there has a spare Zenith 30 VEI kicking around, please

London to Brighton Centenary Run

Crystal Palace to Madeira Drive, 10 April 2005

More pictures of the London to Brighton Run, 2005 courtesy of Internet Photo Library.

Good books for Austin Seven owners

BRADSHAW, C., et al., eds., 1980. Austin Seven companion. [s.l.] : 750 Motor Club Ltd.

GOULD, C. S. W., 2004. A guide to the Austin "65" and Nippy. [s.l.] : [s.n.]

JELLEY, H., ed., 1944. The book of the Austin Seven. 2nd ed. London : Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd.

MILLS, R., 1996. Original Austin Seven. Bideford : Bay View Books Ltd.

PURVES, B., 1989. The Austin Seven source book. Sparkford : G. T. Foulis & Co.

RIDEN, P., 1998. How to trace the history of your car: a guide to motor vehicle registration records in the British Isles. 2nd ed. Whitchurch : Merton Priory Press Ltd.

WILLIAMS, L. M., 1994. Austin Seven specials: building, maintenance and tuning. Sparkford : G. T. Foulis & Company

WOODROW, D., 1987. The Austin Seven manual. Otley : Mercury Publication Service Ltd.

WYATT, R. J., 1982. The Austin Seven: the motor for the million 1922-1939. 3rd ed. Newton Abbot : David & Charles