LAKE Boga took a step back in time on September 15 as car enthusiasts from the Austin 7 Club enjoyed a stop at the Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum and community garden as part of the Border Rally that toured the region.
Members of the Victorian and South Australian branches of the club took to the roads to enjoy the scenery and their lovingly restored vehicles.
About 290,000 Austin 7s were produced in England between 1922 and 1939.
The car is commonly nicknamed a “Chummy” due to its small size and the need for passengers to sit close to each other.
The number 7 in its name derives from the 7hp engine that drives it.
The Austin 7 Club is one of the oldest one-make car clubs in the country, having started 70 years ago in Melbourne.
Each year, the Victorian and South Australian branches alternate to host the Border Rally, choosing a location close to the border so they can meet “halfway”.
Harry Crawford joined the rally this year and drove his vehicle from Canberra over a three-day period.
His car, which he has owned for 60 years, is often referred to as “the Noddy car” due to its bright-yellow paint with red trim.
Children from the 1990s may also see the similarity with Brum, a children’s television show focused on a yellow Chummy with red wheels.
Such is the character of the Austin 7, Brum’s front end took on a face-like persona, with headlights acting as big friendly eyes and his front grill often being viewed as a smiling mouth.
While Noddy’s car was a 1969 Fiat 500 Gamine, Mr Crawford often stops traffic when people fondly ask if it is a Noddy replica.
Event organiser Brian Gibbons has spent time restoring Austin 7s and his wife showcased their vehicle over the event.
“The Austin 7 came in all sorts of colours and evolved into different shapes, some with rear seats and some without the canopy,” Mr Gibbons said.
“The Austin 7 Chummy tourer was so popular in 1922, Austin Motor Company marketed an Austin 7 Factory Sports Car in 1924.
“Austin Distributors of Melbourne Australia followed this in 1929 with a local sports version, which they called the Austin 7 Standard Sports.
“The Standard Sports sold for 245 Australian pounds, either in aluminum finish or painted, with steel cycle guards.
“There are several Austin 7 Standard Sports in the Melbourne Austin 7 Club, mostly in aluminum finish.
“Ted and Jeanette Van Der Veer trailered their replica 1929 sports car from Melbourne to take part in the rally.
“This is a replica of the car that won the first grand prix in Australia in 1929,” Mr Van Der Veer said.
Robert and Janne Humphrey also made the trip from Melbourne with their bright-blue Chummy and said they enjoyed all the sights the region had to offer.
While the rally is a chance for Austin 7 lovers to catch up each year, it is also a showcase of lovingly restored motor car history.
Mr Gibbons said the vehicle would have taken its place in the streets of Melbourne alongside horses and carts and would have been considered quite a luxury in those days.
“It was still expensive back in those days but it was an ideal family car with room in the back for children,” he said.
“Later, in the ’60s, you could pick a used one up for as little as 10 pounds.
“The small body was replaced with a larger chassis and cabin as horsepower increased, allowing for a faster vehicle, and the Chummy took its place in history for what it offered at the time.”
