Based at Sherborne in Dorset, professional panel beater Sidney Hamblin built his first aluminium bodyshell in 1956. Launched as the Deluxe the following year, the pretty two-seater sports body was available to fit both Austin Seven wheelbase lengths as well as the smaller Ford chassis. In January 1958 Hamblin’s first glassfibre bodyshell - the Cadet - appeared. The latter continued after 1960 in Mk2 form, with integral rear wings, and subsequently was made available to fit the Ford Ten/Anglia, becoming the Super Two/Super Three.
This superbly well-crafted Cadet-bodied Seven Special was constructed over a 27-month period in the early-to-mid-1990s and exhibits a quite staggering attention to detail. The vehicle comes with a substantial file of receipts and other paperwork relating to its construction, including a full photographic record. Highlights of its specification include a Vince Leek-built engine incorporating a Phoenix crankshaft and high-lift cams and followers, cross-flow radiator, Fiesta water pump, high-pressure lubrication with cartridge filter, four-speed gearbox with straight-cut pinions, 12-volt electrics and hydraulic brakes. The glassfibre body is supported by a tubular-steel spaceframe supplementing the original Seven chassis. Finished in British Racing Green with tan leather seats, this charming historic special is offered with fresh MoT and Swansea V5.