The Austin Seven was a hugely important arrival on the British motoring scene in 1922, its low price making car ownership available to a section of the public for whom this had earlier been a cost too far. It was cheap to run thanks to its small engine, and its simplicity did not frighten those new to the mechanics of a car. The Seven heralded the demise of the cheap but flimsy cyclecar, and in the longer term it also attracted buyers away from the motor-cycle-and-sidecar combinations that had been the only way into motorised transport for those of limited means. A century after the Seven’s introduction, the cars have a world-wide following. Part of the attraction is much the same as it always was – simplicity of maintenance and the low cost of ownership. Yet the sheer variety of Sevens produced between 1922 and 1939 as Austin gradually developed the model is also a source of fascination – and of some bewilderment and confusion. This book aims to give easy access to the key features of each variant of Austin Seven. It follows the vehicle’s evolution from its 1922 origins to 1939 when the last Seven was built. Yet the book goes far beyond that, giving details of models built outside Britain, coachbuilt cars, military variants and factory competition and record-breaking cars.

James Taylor has been writing about motoring history since the 1970s; he has written well over 100 books and spent ten years as the editor of Land Rover Enthusiast magazine. He has written very widely for both magazines and books on motoring subjects but has specialized in the history of Rover cars and Land Rovers. He has owned four Range Rovers as well as a variety of other cars and continues to write for the motoring press both at home and abroad. His previous books include Rover V8 - The Story of the Engine, Factory-Original Ford Capri Mk1, Factory-Original Mercedes SL, Factory-Original Aston Martin DB4/5/6 and Factory-Original Mini Mk1 & Mk2. James lives in rural Oxfordshire with his wife and the younger two of his four children, surrounded by books about cars, and usually with something old and interesting in his garage.