The iconic Austin name has been officially resurected by a small, Rayne, Essex-based company run by John Stubbs, a vehicle dynamics and suspension expert, known for his Black Art Designs company is bringing back the brand with a electric-powered Austin Seven (more like ‘Chummy, really, I think) that will cost from around £31,000.
The Arrow, as it is known, uses an all-new steel chassis and composite body andhas original-style leaf spring suspension and drum brakes behind skinny 5in wide wire wheels.
John told me: “Austin Sevens were simple cars. They were lightweight and easy to modify – so they were used for everything – from family cars to racers. So I wanted to try and inject the same feeling and emotion into the new car – to capture the simplicity and spirit of early motoring, but with a modern electric twist,”
Power comes from a 20bhp motor which is enough for the Arrow to crack 60mph in under 8-seconds while a 20kWh battery pack endows the car with a range of 119 miles. A full recharge takes three hours.
John decided to press ahead with the project when he discovered that the rights and to the Austin Motor Company name and trademarks were available to buy from the then rights holder’s Chinese manufacturer, SAIC for just £170.
The first batch of Arrows will be sharply built in Rayne, Essex but John plans to move some production to India to allow his team to focus on developing competition versions of the Arrow and other new Austin-based models.
Stubbs would like to mirror what Austin did with the Seven in their first year of production and sell 120 cars. More from www.austinmotorcompany.com ENDS.