Flambards Austin 7 to be auctioned at Lodge and Thomas in May

What happens to the cars from a closed theme park? One of Flambards’ best-known exhibits is about to find out.

A 1930 Austin Seven Tourer that sat in the Blitz exhibition at Flambards Theme Park for more than four decades is heading to auction next month, direct from the family that owned it.

The little yellow Austin will go under the hammer at Lodge and Thomas in Truro as part of their Antiques and Fine Art sale on the 28th and 29th of May.

From Kessell’s Volvo to Helston

The car was bought in 1978 by Ivan Kessell of Kessell’s Volvo, who had it restored. During that restoration the colour was changed from its original maroon to the yellow it wears today. Not long after, in the early 1980s, the Austin was loaned to Flambards museum in Helston for display, and it stayed there until the park closed.

What’s on offer

The Austin Seven is being sold with its paperwork intact. That includes an RF60 buff log book, which records the original engine number as M1-10836, an old style V5c, and a Mot Certificate dating back to 1983.

Its current details are:

• Registration number: Z 3544
• Chassis number: 107497
• Engine number: M 85879

Being registered in 1930, the car is eligible for vintage events. The auctioneers describe it as presented in good condition throughout, but flag that it has not been on the road for more than 40 years. Any buyer planning to drive it will need to budget for some sympathetic restoration and the usual safety checks before it can return to the road.

Prospective bidders are advised to satisfy themselves as to the condition and completeness of the lot before bidding.