Man reunited with 1936 Austin 7 Nippy after more than 60 years apart - The Redditch Standard

Man reunited with 1936 Austin 7 Nippy after more than 60 years apart

Redditch Editorial 18th Jan, 2019 Updated: 18th Jan, 2019   0

A PETROL head was reunited with his first love this week after seeing the car he used to own on BBC Midlands Today.

David Clarke, aged 79, couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his old 1936 Austin 7 Nippy on the TV.

The BBC had been in touch with the Redditch Standard after seeing the story we ran on local resident Bob Miller, the car’s current owner, who had recently finished restoring the Austin 7 after 52 years.

The Standard organised a get together for David and Bob so they could swap stories, take some pictures and understand more about the car’s history.




“It was fantastic to meet up with Bob and see the wonderful job he has done on the car,” said David.

“I hadn’t seen it for around 60 years so it was truly surreal to be in its company again.”


David owned the car seven years before Bob, between January 1958 and June 1959, after buying it for £40.

“I sold the car because I decided to join the army. My dad and my old friend sold it for me while I was on duty.

“Unfortunately they have both passed away now so I can’t find out who owned the car before Bob bought it in 1966.”

David says he used to tell his daughter Sarah about the car all the time, and was so happy to take her along for the visit on Tuesday.

“Bob is a really nice chap and made us feel very welcome in his home.

“He told me some bits about the car that I didn’t know and I was able to tell him things he didn’t know.”

The pair have arranged to take it for a spin in spring when the weather picks up.

David, from Kidderminster, also plans to bring his grandson and brother along for the trip.

“I’m planning to write a book on the history of the car,” said Bob, “so if there is any other previous owners out there please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

You can do that by emailing the news desk using [email protected]

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