1937 Austin Seven Grasshopper - the only one built by the factory in 1937, probably as a Works reserve car for the TT that year.
Original registration number UI 3345
Please enquire. These cars rarely come onto the market and when they do, those that have lusted after a Grasshopper are alerted
Description in preparation
THE KNOWN HISTORY - reproduced from the Comprehensive History of the Austin Seven Grasshopper by Peter Hornby and Michael Hanna - 2014 - ISBN 978 0 9572426 3 0
UI3345 is the only Grasshopper which was constructed in 1937. It appears to have been unused by the Works prior to being registered to Mrs Gladys Watt of Culmore Road, Londonderry in December 1937. The mono photograph shows the car during the War when it was owned by someone serving in the RAF. From the photographs of the car taken at this time, its specification is that of an early low chassis, pre-supercharged car with body details as the first and second production batches, with swept wings. It has a large fuel tank, a single spare wheel and 16 inch rear wheels. Whilst the Grasshopper instruments are there in this first photo, including 80mph Speedometer and 5500 RPM rev counter, they are not in the usual positions, the speedo and Rev counter being mounted in the centre of the dashboard with no cubby hole. It is fitted with a large winged Austin radiator cap as seen in the early publicity photos and a flat Blumels steering wheel. A Grasshopper gear lever extension is also fitted. The Grasshopper engine and chassis numbers indicate that it was manufactured shortly before it was sold to Mrs Watt. Whilst there is no record of a Works competition history, intriguingly there is an RAC stamp on the top face of the then three bearing crank case beside the engine number. There is evidence of blue, mid green (also evident on parts of BOA 59) red and finally cream paint in its later years. By 1951 the car had been fitted with a Ford engine and swing axle LMB front suspension with its distinctive low chassis, late Grasshopper swan necked Girling radius arms being retained. A Motor Sport article dated April 1947, titled “A visit to the North Downs Engineering Company” yields the following: “We saw a Grasshopper Austin Seven with LMB suspension, new gearbox and a brand-new Nippy engine sprayed with a new blue colour scheme devised by North Downs”. It seems probable that this was this car offered today - UI3345 - a view given greater evidence by a letter published in Motor Sport in September 1964 quoting “I owned UI 3345 in 1951-52 at which time it had a Ford 10 engine and LMB independent front suspension. The two air scoops…… were fitted by myself in an attempt to improve the cooling at speed”. P W Widdowson, Princes Risborough. This car, now painted green once more, passed to John Hodges in 1953 who also experienced problems with overheating and with the modified drive train. The trail now goes cold until the car emerges having been re-registered 8046WW with a standard Austin Seven engine and gearbox on 14th of July 1960. Four years later it was purchased for £30 by the current owner. At that stage it was painted mostly cream and in a generally complete and towable state. The car was rebuilt between 1964 and 1966 and a number of changes were made. The engine was changed for a two bearing pressure fed Nippy unit modified by Bill Boult, and a Nippy gearbox was fitted. With twin 1 1/8” SU carbs and a four branch manifold it developed about 23 BHP at the wheels. One small issue was the fitting of the twin SU carburettors which required minor modification on the nearside bodywork and bonnet side to accommodate them. (See photo of old bonnet side with carb scoop). These changes were reversed when the current engine, now supercharged, was fitted in 2010. In addition, a Grasshopper style remote gear lever based on a Singer Le Mans gear change lever was fitted. The LMB from suspension was replaced by a Girling type dropped axle, retaining the original Grasshopper radius arms, a new mounting was fabricated to take twin spare wheels and the original mudguards were substituted for cycle type. Finally, hydraulic brakes were fitted and a very effective hood frame mechanism was modified to accept a three plane hood. The original registration number UI3345 was recovered in 1982. In this form the car covered 10,000 miles in the year 1966-67, much of it travelling between Leeds and Edinburgh, and was good for an indicated 75 mph. In that time there were no engine failures despite harsh treatment, but having broken two half shafts and a front axle, the decision was made to retire it from daily use. It subsequently raced in VSCC events in 1968 and 1969, and competed in the VSCC Lakeland trial in 1983. It was exhibited at the motor museum at Bentley from 1983 to 1990, and came out of semi retirement for the MG Cream Cracker reunion at Rodborough in 1995.. This car has taken part in the MCC Centenary Lands End Trial in May 2008 and the MCC Centenary Exeter Trial in 2010, plus other events including the 2013 MCC Welsh Trial and a number of MG Kimber trials in the hands of John Bennett who has also taken it on a number of occasions to the Kop Hill climb. It was finally reunited with its original engine fitted with the SU carburettors from 1966 and a Grasshopper gear lever extension in 2001, and in 2010 the carburettors and manifolds were removed to be replaced by a Centric 125 supercharger and crossover manifold, mounting the 1 3/8” horizontal SU on the offside of the engine, so avoiding the cottage loaf bulge in the bonnet. COPIES OF GRASSHOPPERS The challenge of producing a convincing copy of a Grasshopper is much more complicated than producing a replica Ulster Austin Seven together with an engine with many unique components. There are however a very small number who come close to producing convincing copies and these have generally been based on bodywork constructed by Keith and Stuart Roach.
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Although we attempt to ensure accuracy of any statement or detail, the customer must make his or her own judgement in purchasing this car. The purchaser of the above car understands that he or she is purchasing a historic motor car with components that are up to 89 years old and sold as a collector item. There is no warranty given or implied due to the age of the car
Call 07973 731508
