It can be said that the Austin 7 was Britain's equivalent of the Ford Model T. Of course, the little 7 came along a bit later than the Ford, in 1922 to be exact, but nonetheless it put Britain on wheels like no other motorcar before it. In essence, the 7 replaced virtually all other competitors offering compacts and cyclecars. The 7 was tiny at just 6 foot, 3 inch in wheelbase, 40 inches wide and weighing in at a paltry 794 pounds. Comparatively, it was about half the size of a model T but it was perfectly suited for navigating the city streets and narrow country lanes of the British Isles. Sir Herbert Austin performed much of the design work himself, and patented many of the designs he used in the car. The engine was a 696 cc side-valve unit with detachable head, cast cylinder block and alloy crankcase. The plucky little unit was rated at 7.2 horsepower, giving the Austin plenty of power considering the light weight. Much like the Model T in America, the Austin 7 inspired a great number of aftermarket parts suppliers - from tuning parts to coachbuilders and racers. The 7 can even be credited with seeding other manufacturers. Bruce McLaren of McLaren Cars and Colin Chapman of Lotus both got their starts tinkering with the Austin 7.