Description

Designed in Great Britain as the Austin Seven and built stateside in Butler, Pennsylvania, as a pioneering American compact car, this 1938 American Bantam Model 60 Roadster underwent a ground-up restoration in Arizona 12 years ago.

POWERTRAIN As originally designed, the American Bantam used the Austin-sourced 747-cc L-head inline four-cylinder engine. Supplied with fuel by a single downdraft carburetor, the engine was rated by the manufacturer at 22 horsepower when new. The engine in this Bantam is believed to be original to the car. There is no smoke on startup, no functional issues with the three-speed manual transmission, and no powertrain leaks. The engine bay presents as stock and strongly clean.

The finish of this Bantam is in excellent condition, with no noted body blemishes. The trim is in excellent, undamaged condition. The glass contains no flaws, and all lighting, including auxiliary driving lights, is functional. The underside is clean, with no visible surface corrosion. The leather seating surfaces are free of cracks and are in very good, undamaged condition. The carpet condition is excellent. The Bantam is equipped with wind wings. The dashboard mounts instrumentation has been restored and is fully functional.

CHASSIS The Bantam’s most recent chassis service dates to its restoration. There are no functional issues or component damage, and the Bantam’s manual drum brakes will stop the car in a straight line. The tires are 15 years old.