Happy Birthday to Both of You
Joan Hancock (pictured) is soon to celebrate her 80th birthday and she won’t be alone, as the Austin Seven motor car she is sitting in rolled off the lines within weeks of Joan being born in 1928. In fact, there is more than one co-incidence. Joan’s very first job was at the Austin Motor Company in Longbridge, Birmingham - the home of the Austin Seven. At this time in 1942 however the war was raging and production had switched from little family cars to trucks, ambulances, ammunition and parts for tanks and aircraft.
The Austin Motor Company was something of a family concern. Joan’s father Bill Sullivan worked in the aero works from 1937 throughout the war until well into the 1960’s. Bill was badly injured in 1940 during a daylight raid on Birmingham when a shrapnel impact caused him to crash his motorcycle. Joan’s elder brother Keith joined Austin from school in 1940 and, with the exception of a period in the army, stayed with the company until his retirement in 1991. Joan would type tool sheets relating to the S29 Stirling Bomber in the West Works planning office and occasionally have to deliver these to the South Works – to her mother’s step-brother John.
The Austin Seven sports version pictured (known as a Gordon England Cup model) is owned by Joan’s son Nigel. It was only after the chance acquisition of the car that Nigel started to realise the family links to Austin. Oh and just one more thing, can you guess what type of car brought Nigel home from hospital when he was born? You’ve got it – an Austin Seven. If you would like to see this car, along with more than 600 other vintage and classic vehicles you should get along to AUTOKARNA 2008 to be held in the grounds of Wollaton Hall in Nottingham on Sunday June 1st. You might see Joan there too.
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