Autocar - First for car news and reviews

The ‘Gordon England’ sunshine saloon derivative of the Austin Seven is not, in fact, a true Austin in the sense that it represents the car at its best value for money expended. The extra accessories and more elaborate body cost more, and it is just a question whether the extra cost is worth it. Read the full article

My late Grandfather talked very highly of the Austin Seven (Ruby, specifically IIRC).  Good job this reviews wasn't in the dreaded WhatCar? They would - as they invariably are - have been mortified by the "low rent plastics" (Bakerlite?) used in the lower door trims...

Schwenck:

They would - as they invariably are - have been mortified by the "low rent plastics" (Bakerlite?) used in the lower door trims...

That is true. When did we become so obsessed with the quality of plastics as an indicator of automotive worth? I often think of the Peugeot 205 GT that I owned in my early 20s. I loved it, and it had a dashboard made out of the same plastic that is used for margarine cartons. Made no difference.