Wilkinson, the best a man can get

[Greybeard]

A machine manufactured by the Wilkinson Sword Co.

That rear end must have given terrible stability problems without a torque limiting member.

[Topdad]

GB your getting as bad a frankie Howard    with your

"  torque limiting member."   ???

[Topdad]

Sorry Neil, posted before I'd read about the bloody auction fiasco/sham please ignore my attempt at humour

[Greybeard]

GB your getting as bad a frankie Howard    with your

"  torque limiting member."   ???

Oh! No! Ooerr missus!
https://youtu.be/wQqRuRBPVfQ

FH stayed at our house once, (I don't remember it, I was very young) . My father was a member of a local Am-dram group, (The Questors, in Ealing). Seems Mr Howerd did a show in the theatre and my dad offered to put him up for the night.

[Greybeard]

Sorry Neil, posted before I'd read about the bloody auction fiasco/sham please ignore my attempt at humour

😁

[Greybeard]

The back end of the Austin Seven uses quarter elliptic springs like those on the Wilkinson bike, except only one per side. Even though the Austin has a torque tube, under power the twist to the back axle would hump one spring up and flatten the other one down. This had the effect of slightly turning the back axle into the turn, hence the car would oversteer. Once you got used to it you could compensate by a series of steering wheel adjustments.

[RDfella]

The back end of the Austin Seven uses quarter elliptic springs like those on the Wilkinson bike, except only one per side. Even though the Austin has a torque tube, under power the twist to the back axle would hump one spring up and flatten the other one down.

Summat amiss there - most cars are designed that way. For example, the MK2 Jag with quarter elliptical leaf rear springs and 220bhp does not suffer that effect. They have a short Panhard rod, but that would not counter the body roll described.
Having said that, the Wilkinson certainly might have some strange happenings aft.

[Greybeard]

The back end of the Austin Seven uses quarter elliptic springs like those on the Wilkinson bike, except only one per side. Even though the Austin has a torque tube, under power the twist to the back axle would hump one spring up and flatten the other one down.

Summat amiss there

Strange, but true.

Herbert Austin had been building good quality cars for some time before the A7 came out in 1923. His idea with the Baby Austin, like other makers, was to offer something that was a bit better than the motorcycle combination that was a very common form of family transport at that time. The Seven was built to a size and price that would attract buyers away from their BSA combination. Morris and Peugeot also produced small cars. The small Morris was named the Morris 8. The Peugeot was named the Bébé. The Bébé was designed by Bugatti!

[Topdad]

If you tried hard enough with a mark 2, 3.4 (live axle )  you could certainly get some extremly hard tramping , also good fun was the old old bump bbar for traffic lights ,usually polished well you could get the rear wheels spinning like a dradster, but I liked the handling . Had 14 mk 2 and S types during the '70s 2 3.8 with LSD ( not the drug you lot !! ) rest 3.4's   great times particularly when your firm is paying for the juice !!

[Topdad]

Oh and I did snap a couple of the panhards rods .