Ashley 750 (Austin 7)
Registration No. AYB 263
I found this Ashley 750 on a Facebook Group "50's/60's Special Builders"
in January 2021 it had
been Share by Tony S. from another Facebook Group "old british cars"
and had been posted originally by Terry Bond he had asked:
Who remembers the Austin seven/Ford 1172 kit cars of the 50's and 60's?
I was practically given this one back in the early 70's by a fellow A7 club member.
It was on a boxed in Ruby chassis with independent front suspension.
You didn't so much sit in it as on it due to the chassis being higher than the body would suggest.
I scrapped the body, ("Oh no", Ed.), replacing it with a more vintage style pointed tail fabric body all built at home. Picture to follow when I dig it out.
And then this a few hours later:
Forgot to mention this is an Ashley fibreglass body. There was a Falcon of the same design but that was short wheelbase as the founder of Falcon was formerly with Ashley and was allowed to take the moulds with him.
And then a couple of days later this new post from Terry:
Following on from my post a couple of days ago of my Ashley bodied Austin 7 special, here is a photo of what it became with an ash framed, aluminium panelled, fabric covered body.
I was practically given this one back in the early 70's by a fellow A7 club member.
It was on a boxed in Ruby chassis with independent front suspension.
You didn't so much sit in it as on it due to the chassis being higher than the body would suggest.
I scrapped the body, ("Oh no", Ed.), replacing it with a more vintage style pointed tail fabric body all built at home. Picture to follow when I dig it out.
And then this a few hours later:
Forgot to mention this is an Ashley fibreglass body. There was a Falcon of the same design but that was short wheelbase as the founder of Falcon was formerly with Ashley and was allowed to take the moulds with him.
And then a couple of days later this new post from Terry:
Following on from my post a couple of days ago of my Ashley bodied Austin 7 special, here is a photo of what it became with an ash framed, aluminium panelled, fabric covered body.
I never got a decent photo of it fully finished with mudguards etc, as I kept it for such a short time. In fact I can only remember driving it twice, once to its mot ( I got 3 miles down the road before I realised I hadn't fitted a mirror and had to go back for a stick on one) and once on a club run to a show near Basingstoke about 25 miles away.
A club member was keen to buy and as I was soon to have a son it would have had little use. So it soon disappeared to Wales and I lost touch.
Would love to hear of its whereabouts. According to the DVLA it is still taxed. Can anyone trace it?
Looking at it now there is plenty I would change but I was happy with it at the time.
As Terry mentioned that the AYB 263 was still registered
with the DVLA I decided to check it's details.
with the DVLA I decided to check it's details.
Current DVLA information 1/2/2021
The vehicle details for Austin. AYB 263 are:
Date of Liability 01/05/2021
Date of First Registration 01/12/1934
Year of Manufacture 1934 (Original Austin 7)
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 747cc
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker No
Vehicle Status Taxed
Vehicle Colour Green
Vehicle Type Approval Not Available
The vehicle details for Austin. AYB 263 are:
Date of Liability 01/05/2021
Date of First Registration 01/12/1934
Year of Manufacture 1934 (Original Austin 7)
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 747cc
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker No
Vehicle Status Taxed
Vehicle Colour Green
Vehicle Type Approval Not Available
After this I decided to comment back:
Hi Terry,
It was very interesting seeing your Ashley 750 photo the other day, I run a series of Ashley websites and would be interested in adding yours to it although it's no longer with us as an Ashley 750.
Ashley750.weebly.com.
If you approve could you please send more photo’s if there are anymore, also could you supply me with more details about the car.
Look forward to hearing from you, Ivor.
To which he replied:
Oooo, yes please Ivor
I found these messages from Terry about 3 weeks later towards
the end of February that I had overlooked as it had been
on Facebook Messenger:
Hello Ivor, Sorry but I can't add much more than I have already posted about AYB 263, I was practically given it by Reg Pickett, a fellow Solent A7 club member who lived deep in the country near Romsey, Hants and had a huge stock of A7 bits and bobs.
Sadly he is no longer with us.
That was about 1972, having stripped it off, as I was building the more vintage style body you will have seen, I am afraid that I cannot remember what I did with it. I don't remember breaking it up but my mind is a blank on its demise.
I know that when I first took a seat in it the position was too high and had to bend down to see out. It was a non runner so never got to drive it in its Ashley form.
I love the old Specials of that era now but at the time wanted something more vintage in style. Many thanks for getting in contact Terry.
Then the next day a further message:
Ivor, having had a day to think about it, I probably returned the body to Reg, as the car came on his trailer, it would have been a case of get the body off quickly and return it to get the trailer off my drive and back to Reg, who wasn't the sort of person to say 'no rush bring it back when you like'.
Even though it wasn't wanted no way would it have been broken up, I think the colour may have been a very pale blue.
Sadly he is no longer with us.
That was about 1972, having stripped it off, as I was building the more vintage style body you will have seen, I am afraid that I cannot remember what I did with it. I don't remember breaking it up but my mind is a blank on its demise.
I know that when I first took a seat in it the position was too high and had to bend down to see out. It was a non runner so never got to drive it in its Ashley form.
I love the old Specials of that era now but at the time wanted something more vintage in style. Many thanks for getting in contact Terry.
Then the next day a further message:
Ivor, having had a day to think about it, I probably returned the body to Reg, as the car came on his trailer, it would have been a case of get the body off quickly and return it to get the trailer off my drive and back to Reg, who wasn't the sort of person to say 'no rush bring it back when you like'.
Even though it wasn't wanted no way would it have been broken up, I think the colour may have been a very pale blue.
Then after some research by Joseph Faulkner, the Austin 7 Special
was found
he also found that at sometime the Austin has been owned by
a member of the Solent Austin 7 Club.
Joseph then found a connection to Alec Bull, with photo's showing the
Austin being checked out after a period of storage
in September 2015 and
later picked up and taken home.
All the following photo's Courtesy of Alec Bull,
also see http://slatford.co.uk/Alec%20Bull%207%20special.html
Then in June 2016 the
finished restoration.
finished restoration.
Many thanks to Joseph Faulkner for the use of his information and
Alec Bull for the use of his photo's.
Maybe Terry and both of you can all get together sometime after the Covid lockdowns.
Alec Bull for the use of his photo's.
Maybe Terry and both of you can all get together sometime after the Covid lockdowns.
So if you built and/or owned or have any other information about this
Ashley 750 car
Registration No.
AYB 263
(Donor car originally registered by Somerset C.C.
in Nov/Dec 1934)
please email me on
[email protected]
or
use the contact page on this site to contact me
So if you built and/or owned or have any other information about this
Ashley 750 car
Registration No.
AYB 263
(Donor car originally registered by Somerset C.C.
in Nov/Dec 1934)
please email me on
[email protected]
or
use the contact page on this site to contact me