What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[David Stepney]

I had an RN for 4 years and drove it 60000 miles in that time, not yet owned an RP so I can’t comment or compare it to the Pearl.

What type of Pearl do you have David and do you miss not having a roof that comes right down any more?

Ruairidh, I have never owned a Pearl, just 2 RP's and a long wheelbase special, the first RP in the late sixties and the special in the early eighties. However, when I moved to Birmingham in the seventies, I made friends with an elderly gentleman who had owned his '35 Ruby since new. That particular car was a very good and original example, having only covered 60K miles from new and one could appreciate from driving it what they must have been like when current.

However, splendid little car as it was, I never liked it as much as the earlier Long wheelbase saloons, despite it being more civilised in about every department. I think it was Dick Butzi's styling that put me off.

To my way of thinking, the RP combines all the qualities of the early Ruby with the charm and prettiness of the chrome radiator cars.