Looking a proper Charlie

I WAS FASCINATED to read about the late Tony Dron and his marvellous Austin Seven above] in Octane 233.

 When I was an Austin apprentice at Longbridge, I owned a Seven that was the same model and year. Someone had named it Charlie perhaps

I should have found out why before buying it!

One Saturday, with an important date later, I found that my Seven couldn't climb the nearest hill and boiled whilst trying. Off came the head, and I was amazed to be able to see past each valve into the manifolds.

What to do? I caught the bus into Birmingham and bought four valves, grinding paste and a head gasket from a motor factor, and then spent a very wet afternoon putting it all back together. I don’t remember how the evening went!

The driver’s seat was held in place by a wooden orange box jammed in the rear footwell and, on being taken by surprise one day by cars stopping in front, I stood on the brakes and steered towards the kerb. The box broke and I landed in the back seat. When I got out, I found myself parked neatly and on my own.

Fortunately I had a suitcase with me, so that replaced the crushed box, but when I tried to drive off I found that the brake cams had gone over-centre, making the car immovable. Some onlookers who had enjoyed the proceedings kindly volunteered to push the car to and fro until the brakes freed-off.

To my shame, one icy morning when late for clocking in, I turned the car over on its side. Yet more observers pushed it upright, with me still in it, but the bodywork had come adrift and Charlie ended up as an organ donor.

Many years later, when I was at British Motor Heritage, I was able to commission an exact 1:18scale diecast copy of my car as a tribute to a tough and characterful little terrier. I still have the first example on my desk as a reminder of halcyon days. Neil Morrick, Oxfordshire

Plane sailing

Stephen Godber’s letter in Octane 233 made the excellent point that car enthusiasts are often also fans of aviation and yachting.