The Austin Seven was one of the first British built cars which was available at a price that the majority of Britons could afford. Effectively like the Model T in the United States, it played a key role in establishing the automobile as a means for individual transportation throughout the United Kingdom. First appearing in 1922, it was designed by Herbert Austin, without the support of the board for Austin Motors, who were concerned that the departure from the company’s past models was a big risk given the financial condition of the company at the time. By the end of production in 1939, they had sold 290,000 examples. The car was smaller than a Model T but was available in a range of different body styles, with saloons, open tourers, cabriolets, and sports roadsters. It also became a popular chassis to build custom coachwork, which Swallow Sidecar, that later became Jaguar, did in the early 1930s. Both pre and post-war it became a favourite car to base racing specials on, which is where Colin Chapman, who founded Lotus, got his start. This particular example is a Ruby model, which was the name given to the saloons in 1934, when a significant cosmetic redesign happened, streamlining the appearance and introducing a cosmetic radiator shell at the front, with an enclosed radiator. It was imported into the United States in the early 1970s the car had largely sat with little attention given to it. I’ve cleaned out the fuel system and the car now runs and drives again, but is awaiting further work to repair the electrical system, replace the exhaust, and sort out other minor issues before it is really roadworthy.