A BRIEF
HISTORY OF THE CLUB Click
here to comment on this article "On 19th January 1950,
those interested in the formation of the Austin 7 Club met
to discuss details of its formation." Thus read the first
minutes, when eleven Austin Seven enthusiasts met and formed
an interim committee. Immediately the club embarked on an
active and varied motor sport career with a series of club
runs, treasure hunts, hill climbs, border runs and observed
section trials. Before the middle of 1950 a club badge was
designed, and in July the constitution was adopted and a
committee elected. In the early days many of
the competitors drove their Austins as everyday transport
and quite often "improved" them to suit their requirements,
as the Austin Seven was very adaptable to the "Special"
builder. The various sections of the sport developed and
competition rules and trophies evolved, together with
formulae devised to regulate the construction of vehicles
used in circuit racing and observed section trials. These
formulae were later modified to obviate the necessity of
using many Austin components, as their increasing scarcity
put them at a premium for those wishing to restore Austins
for the road. The 750 formula withered to a sprinkling of
cars, but thankfully the genesis of the historic racing
movement in the 1970s regenerated interest. Nowadays we see
regular appearances by many original cars, augmented by more
recently created examples. The observed section cars,
whilst no longer of Austin origin, continue to be competed
under the aegis of the club, with occasional international
competitions being fostered by our group, along with New
Zealand and English interest. The club's credentials in
motor race officiating and organisation were established
from the mid 50's, when we were seconded at short notice to
provide trackside communications at the memorable Albert
Park races. Thence followed similar appointments at Phillip
Island, Sandown Park and Calder. Notably, Fred Darling
continued his involvement as chief comms. official through
all the Australian Grands Prix until his retirement after
the 1999 event. We cut our teeth as race
promoters with the introduction to this country of the Six
Hour Relay. Run initially at Fisherman's Bend, the meeting
then moved to Calder and later to Winton over a period of
about ten years through the 60's. Then after a few years'
respite, we were back into it again with Historic Winton.
Also in 1968, CAMS called upon us to conduct an open
motorkhana at our Mickleham venue, which was the progenitor
of the Victorian Motorkhana Championships. A growing need for
replacement parts for the Austins was recognised with the
establishment of the Spares Garage. This has grown in range
and quality to the stage where an Austin can now be
refettled and maintained better than at any time since
production ceased, and usually with better than original
parts. Our club took a really
deep breath in the early 1990s, and purchased the property
that, with substantial modifications, became the clubrooms
that we enjoy today. Opened in early 1995,this gave us a
purpose-built auditorium, a properly set up spare parts
department, committee room and library - something of which
we can be justifiably proud. The club is still as
diversified as ever and, while the types of events conducted
may have varied over the decades, we now have border runs,
other extended runs, day outings and concours for the road
cars. There is also a full calendar of racing, sprints and
hillclimbs for the racers, a season of twelve trials for the
O.S.T. cars, and the organisation of the prestigious Winton
historic races and, until 2000, Arthur's Seat historic
Hillclimb.