Austin 7 Swallow.
Photographs of Austin 7 saloons and Chummy tourers turn up reasonably often, but few feature the Austin 7 Swallow due to their relative scarcity, even back in the day. Unforunately this Swallow saloon's registration plate isn't visible, so the car's identity will remain a mystery, as will that of the lady sat inside. Evidently it was a hot day, the Austin's windscreen is open and the roof vent raised.
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Many coachbuilt versions of the Austin 7 were produced during the car's long production run. Some looked a little awkward, while those such as the Swallow (built by the Swallow Sidecar Company) drew great praise from owners and journalists alike, especially when they were parked alongside the somewhat boxy-looking factory versions. The first Swallow-bodied Austin 7s were put on sale, in tourer form only, in 1927 as the Austin Seven Swallow. In 1928 this model was joined by the Austin Seven Swallow Saloon, which is the car shown here. Production of the Seven Swallow in both closed and open forms continued until 1932, by which time approximately 3,500 had been built in all. Sporting models aside, the Swallow-bodied Austin 7s are probably the most desirable of all variants today.
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Austin 7 Swallow tourer.
Seven years after first publishing this page, a period photo of an Austin 7 Swallow tourer turned up. My thanks to Owen for this old photograph, in it his father is shown with his open-top Swallow. The curvaceous bodywork and radiator surround, plus the fitment of full-width wheel covers, really look the part and disguise well the car's humble (mass-produced) underpinnings.
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I was particularly interested to see this photograph as some years ago, I bought a car from a lady who - she mentioned in passing - has, or had, a Swallow tourer tucked away in a warehouse unit. She purchased the car years ago with a relative, but neither had used it, the car simply going into storage where it remained. I never saw the Austin, but for all I know it might still be there. However she did say that should they decide to part with it, I'd hear about it. Fingers crossed!
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Return to Old Car Photos - Page 13.
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In a similar vein, this page features what's believed to be a Swallow-bodied Standard.
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