Sevens in the Sixties: down memory lane to an early Beaulieu rally

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Though they are much-loved today, Austin Sevens were once looked down upon as the poor relations of the vintage car movement. The reasons are obvious—they do not meet the high standards of engineering or construction set by the likes of Bentley or Bugatti, and there was a time in the 1950s when second-hand Sevens were so commonplace that it was not unusual for them to be given away. Eventually, though, as Sevens started to become more scarce, impecunious but discerning motorists started to realise just what joyful little contraptions they are, and perfectly serviceable as regular transport, too.

This nascent appreciation resulted in the creation of the Pre-War Austin Seven Club in 1962, and the Beaulieu Austin Seven Rally in 1963, both of which are still going strong, and we reported on the Beaulieu rally last year. Very recently, we stumbled upon these photos which were also taken at the Beaulieu rally, but in its very early years, and it seems to have grown considerably since then. Just as today, we see the full spectrum of Sevens, from the earliest "scoop scuttles" to the 1934-38 Ruby variant, with several specials thrown into the mix. We especially like the rather souped-up-looking, cycle-winged saloon visible in the shot of the "scoop scuttle."

Sadly, the lack of visible registration numbers makes it difficult to identify most of the cars photographed, but we've looked up a few of them. The 1938 Seven (YJ 5825) seems to have dropped off the map since 1995, but the presence of a 1927 Jowett Long Four and 1927 Morgan Aero Sports can be explained by the fact that both were exhibits in the Montagu Motor Museum at Beaulieu. The Morgan (then painted red but now green) remains an exhibit in what is now the National Motor Museum while, surprisingly, the Jowett has been in Bulgaria since 2008, where it continues to look extremely smart. According to a Bulgarian magazine, it was used until 1956 when it was scrapped in Chippenham, Wiltshire, but an enthusiast paid £10 in 1959 to save it.

We wonder if any of our readers have any memories of Austin Sevens or Beaulieu rallies in the 1960s?

The next Beaulieu Austin Seven Rally is on June 29th, 2025.

Words: Zack Stiling
Photographs: Stiling Collection

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