Austin 7 Top Hat - 1963 to 1964

I bought the 1927 Austin 7 Top Hat for only £100. But in the end was unable to sell it, and so had to give it away. It was a restoration project that never got started.

The motorcar was very tall and thin, and all of the glass (the window panes and the opening windscreen) would vibrate. No door locks, no ignition key, and the temperature gauge was outside on top of the radiator at the front of the bonnet.

The Austin was so underpowered, the engine couldn't drive up a hill and turn the fan belt at the same time. So if you wanted to get up the hill, you had to stop and disconnect the fan first.

Coming down a hill was also a problem. The brake pedal only worked the rear brakes, which couldn't slow the motorcar down, let alone stop it. Whereas the hand brake only worked the front brakes, so you used both foot and hand. But this combination wasn't enough either, so you had to double-declutch and get into a lower gear so that the engine could help to slow you down.

All in all driving it was a motoring experience best left in 1927.