To mark 100 years since the 1922 launch of the Austin Seven motor car, the Austin Seven Clubs’ Association held a week of festivities centered on the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.
Austin Seven enthusiasts came from all over the world and the culmination of the celebration was the Saturday rally day with some 1,000 Austin Sevens believed to have attended.
If you would like to download the Centenary video (perhaps to burn to DVD), visit https://vimeo.com/824365509?share=copy You do not have to sign up or log in to Vimeo in order to obtain the download.
Thank you to all our attendees for travelling across the globe to attend a ‘once in a lifetime’ event at Moreton in Marsh in July.
A short paragraph cannot summarise the week of events and celebrations that took place at the Fire Service College, Prescott Hill Climb, around the Cotswolds during that week in July. Not forgetting a full year of events to celebrate the Austin 7 from Goodwood, The British Grand Prix, Circuit Des Remparts Angouleme, local gatherings and celebrations all around the world.
We are in the process of gathering photos and video footage for a final video of the Moreton in Marsh events – please contribute by dropping them here – over 10,000 files have been received so far!
To recognise the events to celebrate 100 years of the Austin 7 we are working a special collection on the A7CA Online Archive to house memories from this special year.
We received hundreds of kind messages of thanks from people who took part in the celebrations. You can see some of them here…
The Austin Seven Centenary Event was 'Event of the Year' in the National Car Club Awards at the NEC in March 2023. Sponsored by Lancaster Insurance and supported by Practical Classics and Classic Car Weekly, and endorsed by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, this is the fourth major award recognising the scale of the achievement last July. Hugh Barnes, the Archivist of the Austin Seven Clubs' Association, which led the organising of the Centenary Event, attended the NEC to receive the award from TV motoring personality, Mike Brewer. Hugh said: "I was delighted to accept the award on behalf of the Association and all the people that made the event such a success."
Against stiff competition The Centenary Event won this prestigious award in November with the judges saying: "Separating our top three proved incredibly difficult for the judges, but in the final reckoning it was the truly remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime gathering of 1000 Austin Sevens that got the nod. As spectacular to look at as it was fascinating, the week-long gathering was a collaboration between the Austin Seven clubs and included road runs, a sprint event at Prescott, a pop-up museum and more. A worthy tribute to an iconic car."
On the 11th November, it was announced our Centenary Celebrations won the Classic and Sports Car Best Club Event. "the Austin Seven Clubs’ Association’s week-long celebration of the model’s centenary is our winner, not just because of its size, but thanks to the diversity and imagination of the event. It featured the displays, trade stands and technical demonstrations you’d usually expect, but there was also a pop-up museum, a picnic with period dress, a drawing masterclass, a hillclimb and more. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime event."
For its work in putting on the Austin Seven Cententary Event last July, the Austin Seven Club's Association won the 'Club of the Year' award at Octane Magazine's 'Historic Motoring Awards 2022'. The star-studded judging panel included: Derek Bell, Dominic Chinea, Jay Blades, Stephen Bayley, Jay Leno, and many others. The Association was a finalist alongside the BMW Car Club GB, the Bugatti Owners' Club, Peugeot Sport Club UK, and the VSCC. This is another brilliant recognition of the vision and hard work that was put in to creating the Centenary Event, all drawn together by the leadership of the A7CA. Yet, even with all that effort, none of these awards would come our way if Austin Seven owners and enthusiasts had not so totally supported the event and the clubs of the Assocation had not got behind the idea with practical and financial assistance. In that sense, this award is as much for all those people as it is for the organising team and the A7CA.
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Many of the attendees got to see the pop up museum in July 2022, showcasing some of the best artefacts we hold in the Austin 7 Archive.
In 2016, a small number of volunteers started to digitise the existing archive creating an online presence for Austin 7 owners all over the world to view. Over the last 6 years this resource has grown significantly with more content being made available online and more donations made to the archive.
Visit archive.a7ca.org to find out more...
The Austin Seven Clubs Association ( A7CA ) exists to promote the pre-war Austin Seven car through its umbrella of Austin Seven Clubs. The Association was formed in 1969, with the view of bringing together the various Austin 7 clubs that then existed. Now just about every Austin Seven club worldwide is a member or associate member.
The Association produces a high quality quarterly magazine, in the style of the Austin Seven handbooks, which are available through the member clubs of the Association. These are now known as the ‘Grey Books’ amongst the Seven enthusiasts.
The Association is run by a committee which is made up of members from the various clubs who meet on a quarterly basis.
Please note: All logos/images/texts on this site are copyright of the Austin Seven Clubs’ Association. If you wish to use any of the material for commercial purposes you must seek the prior written approval of the A7CA.
