Herbie, nicknamed after Herbert Austin, is an Austin 7 Works Racer which started life as a Nippy before a conversion took place over 30 years ago. Now owned by Nick Hayward Cook, Herbie is now established as one of the fastest Austin 7 racing cars in the UK.

Herbie has been developed after many years of trial and error - there are other words we could use, but not here!

Converted was to a Austin Works type car in the early 1970s by a group of enthusiasts led by Don Rawson.

Don and his team built the rolling chassis and the wonderfully talented Dave Gregson undertook to design Herbie's distinctive body shape. Often quoted as being one of the most 'attractive' cars in the paddock, Dave's eye for proportion and detail is testimony to a true artist!

Campaigned in the 1970's by another complete character Dave Evans, Herbie entered the racing scene as a sprint car. A few wins and some good times and many hours in the the paddock bar was about the extent of Herbie's life at that time. Although the well used bacolite ashtray did raise the odd eyebrow especially by the marshalls at the start line!

By the 1990's Herbie was being run (a lose choice of words) by Nick Hayward Cook. Following a series of track related disasters (over heating, blown ends and misfires to name the most memorable) Nick decided on a radical course of action - "Herbie my son, you are going to hospital for a complete overhaul". Six months later Herbie appeared with a new lease of life and the results since that time speak for themselves.