austinbantamclub

Herbert Austin's original Austin Seven, including its engine, was
designed by eighteen-year-old Stanley Edge. The 7-horsepower
water-cooled engine was loosely based on a 4-cylinder Belgian
FN air-cooled overhead valve motorcycle engine.

The Austin featured splash lubrication in an aluminum crankcase
with side valves mounted in a cast iron cylinder block. Output
was estimated to be 10 horsepower at 2,400 rpm, but taxable
horsepower was only 7.2. That was important to overtaxed
motorists in England, so the official model name for Herbert and
Stanley's little wonder become "Seven".

Almost immediately, Austin Sevens began to make their mark in
competition. A Seven finished first in the Swiss Automobile Club
Touring Race, the Egyptian Royal Automobile Club Race,
Mulders Drift Hill Climb in South Africa, and other important
events. By 1930, Sevens had won more than 500 trophies and
medals the world over. It was upon that reputation that Austin
hoped to build a future in America.

The 1930 American Austin engine was rated at 7.78 taxable
horsepower, or 13.8 actual horsepower at 3,400 rpm. It was a
mirrored version of the Austin Seven--that is, everything on the
left side of the Seven engine was moved to the right on the
American Austin. Therefore, few parts interchanged.

American Austin's electrical components, such as the generator
and distributor, were sourced from Auto-Lite. The generator was
mounted transversely at the front of the engine, and the
distributor was perched on the opposite end of the generator. All
were gear-driven by the camshaft. In 1932, American Austin
modified its engine design so that the generator was mounted
beside the engine in traditional belt-driven fashion.

Styling differences between American Austin and American
Bantam are obvious, but mechanical differences are subtle.
Manifold modifications from racing engineer Harry A. Miller were
put into production in late 1937, as were crankshaft
improvements by former Stutz engineer Harold Crist. The result
was a more powerful engine of 20 horsepower.

In 1939, Bantam introduced its most sophisticated engine, the
22-horsepower Super Four Hillmaster. It featured three main
bearings around the crankshaft instead of the earlier two.
Bantams with three-main bearing engines are highly prized.