1934 Raleigh Safety Seven Tourer 742cc V-Twin
95% Restored. Starts Easily and Runs Well.
DVLA Registered (V5C). Ready for MOT
This fabulous old Raleigh V-Twin Three-Wheel Tourer is a rare machine. As far as I know, there are now only seven ‘Safety Sevens’ still on the road.
It belongs to my friend Peter in Yorkshire. The engine has been rebuilt, it has been mechanically serviced, and was also recently repainted.
It retains its original registration number, which was issued in 1934 by the County Borough Council office in Nottingham (close to Raleigh’s factory).
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RALEIGH SAFETY SEVEN
Though one of the world’s most successful bicycle manufacturers, Raleigh also manufactured motorcycles after WW1 and, in 1931, entered the vehicle market with a 598cc three-wheel Light Delivery Girder-Fork Van (LDV). It had a motorcycle front end, similar to modern day autorickshaws and tuk-tuks. Three-wheelers enjoyed considerable concessions: such a vehicle could be driven by a sixteen-year-old with only £4 road fund license. With the added advantage of an increased payload and 50mph, many small businesses dumped their delivery trikes and sent their delivery boys out in a Raleigh LDV or similar. Below, you can see the 1933 Raleigh Motor Rickshaw, a passenger variant of the LDV van.
Within two years, Raleigh had added a passenger version, with the motorcycle handlebars replaced by a steering-wheel. So I suppose a new ‘sportscar’ version such as the Safety Seven was a logical progression. Nevertheless, Morgan and BSA already dominated that market. So Raleigh took a ‘middle course’ and made their new V-Twin tourer a four-seater family three-wheeler. It was designed to compete with the Austin Seven.
The engine was a 742cc Sturmey Archer V-Twin, with electric start, three speeds and reverse. Sturmey Archer was a Raleigh-owned company; they also supplied engines for Brough Superior. Raleigh produced a saloon version of the Safety Seven in 1934. The example seen below appeared at the 1934 Motorcycle Show. Unfortunately, in 1935, the Chancellor scrapped the concessions previously granted to three-wheelers, which effectively killed the market.
The Safety Seven was a successful model. But Raleigh were very busy expanding their even more successful cycle business, and they decided to drop their motorized department completely. So the Safety Seven was only produced for one year; approximately 3000 were made. The staff of Raleigh’s Motor Department formed a new company, Reliant, and continued producing girder-fork vans, the first Reliant being delivered in 1935.
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You no doubt noticed that I described it as 95% restored. The 5% unrestored is the interior. The interior, like all tourers of the timer, was rather spartan from new. Restoring the interior is not a big job and the car can obviously be used as is.
Trim panels will be included for fitting onto the doors.
If you want the rear are to be a seat, it will require a seat squab.
It also needs some carpet; again, an easy job.
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ORIGINAL TAX DISCS: 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1951
Some historic tax discs from this car are included in the sale. It’s interesting to note that they were issued during WW2 – it’s very rare to find tax discs from this period, and these tax discs are worth quite lot of money in their own right.
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SUMMARY
Rear wings are steel; the rest of the car is aluminium. The whole car has been stripped down to bare metal and professionally resprayed 5 months ago.
The engine has been stripped down and cleaned. New oil filter, plugs, points, petrol pump, regulator, etc.
New tyres.
Petrol tank removed and reconditioned.
Chassis totally sound, cleaned and repainted.
New wooden floor.
It starts easily and runs well.
It will need some re-wiring to the lights for MOT.
This is the sports model, without a hood. A hood would not fit onto the aero screens.
There is a screen frame and hood frame with the car, in case the new owner wants it.
Also supplied with it is a (good) spare engine.
2nd BuyVintage Online Auction: 2015 Onwards 
