In the winter of 1907/8, Austin built four cars for the French Grand Prix. The car on display is a fifth built from the remains of two of them which crashed during practice.

Three Austins started and two finished in 18^th and 19^th places. This car, the only survivor from the team, is the 18^th place finisher driven by J T C Moore-Brabazon (later Lord Brabazon of Tara). Austin's only Grand Prix appearance, the cars were sold shortly afterwards.

Owned by Sir Hickman Bacon in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, he had a touring body made which could be detached to leave a two-seater. He presented the car back to Austin in the 1950s.