Primary school, Grade 7, age 12, was definitely the awakening to the car and the beginning of a new, growing interest. One day casually I told the local lads we had a racing car in the shed at home “yeah sure,” was their reply.
Well, the gang gathered at the shed door, as I slide the door open.
All I could hear were gasps of air and muffled explanations “wow!”
There in the shed was a racing car in all its glory. Wow! A Racing Car!
It was my brother Donald’s Austin 7 Meteor. It was white in colour, with motorcycle front mudguards, spoke wheels and a chrome radiator grill. It was a 2 seater, with an open top with a bullet-shaped rear end. The coolest-looking “race car” ever seen by this group of emerging car enthusiasts.
WOW!
There was no more argument, it was a racing car there in the back shed.
The 7 has a pointy back body with wire-spoke wheels, a two-seater body that really looked every bit the track racer.
That little sports car won the day.
Donald said it would go like the clappers when running on methanol, but the brakes (only rear brakes) were woefully bad. Furthermore, I don’t remember a hood for what if it rains,
But a car, a racing car, that looks like this one; who needs a hood or brakes?
