The Austin "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 about 275 rolled off the production line.  The Austin "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 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 such as that designed for the later Nippy and Speedy models or the Bowdenex braking system or modifications to carburation.  The 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.

The Phoenix crank is a well known sports replacement.  There are many other modifications that can improve performance of the "65" (eg 17" wheels, side lights, 12 volt ignition etc.) but these take the car away from it's original character.

Specifications

The main characteristics of the Austin "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 "65", Nippy and Speedy models was the downdraught Zenith 30 VEI (pictured here).  On my "65", the VEI had to be replaced as the original was missing. The downdraught Zenith 30 VM-5, which was designed for 8 h.p. Austins manufactured 1939-46, is a good alternative.  However, if anyone out there has a spare Zenith 30 VEI, 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