Lot Ended
Description
Ex-South Africa; just one owner from 1995 - 2025; restored in the late
1990s including new galvanised chassis; Moss gearbox rebuilt in 2008;
always in light regular use
An island of
constancy in an automotive sea of change, the Morgan Motor Company looks set to
continue building its unique Vintage-style cars well into the 21st
Century.
Morgan’s first four-wheeler, the two-seater 4/4, appeared in
1936 and was initially fitted with a relatively long-stroke Coventry Climax
1,122cc inlet-over-exhaust engine developing 34bhp and mated to a four-speed
Meadows gearbox. In 1937 a four-seater was introduced and from 1939 a more
powerful 39bhp Standard Special 1,267cc overhead-valve engine was adopted, mated
to a four-speed Moss gearbox.
The 4/4 gained an
excellent reputation for its spirited performance with notable success on the
track. Around 800 were made before war broke out in 1939, with a further 250
Series 1 'Flat Rad' cars finding customers post-war before production came to a
halt in 1950 while Morgan focused on developing the Ford-engined Series 2
which came out in 1955.
Dating from 1948, this
Series 1 Two-Seater has the 1.3 Standard Special engine and Moss
gearbox. While there is no early history with the car, it appears to
have found its way to South Africa at some point, documents on file showing that
by 1978 it was owned by a Mr C Eden of Boksburg who bought it back to his
address in Solihull when he returned to the UK in 1993.
In August 1995 he sold it to a Mr D Walker of Solihull who was to
keep it for the next 30 years. There are a fair few invoices which imply that he
carried out a fair amount of work on the car in the late-1990s, including having
much of the brightwork replated, replacing many electrical components, fitting a
new toughened glass windscreen, having the SU carbs rebuilt and fitting a new
cylinder head from a batch that were specially made by the Morgan Sports Car
Club which cost £1,215.
In December 2008 he also
had the Moss gearbox rebuilt by early Morgan specialist TG Proudfoot of Hants at
a cost of £1,140. No doubt much other work was also carried out for which there
are no invoices. We are told that the car has a galvanised chassis which was
presumably also fitted during Mr Walker’s long ownership.
In 2002 he also had some of the dash gauges rebuilt by Melvyn Rutter
of Herts, including the speedo which was re-set to zero. There are 17 old MOTs
from 1993 – 2012 showing that the car was in regular use over this period,
clocking up 1,559 miles between 2002 and July 2012 when it passed the MOT with
no advisories recorded. It has only covered 137 miles since, the odometer
currently showing 1,696 miles.
Our vendor
acquired the Morgan in April this year to join his collection of classic cars.
He tells us that it runs and drives well and he would love to keep it but he
finds the cockpit is just too cramped for him to fit in comfortably, hence the
reason for sale.
Supplied with a full set of
weather gear (hood; side screens; tonneau cover; luggage cover) all in good
condition, it also comes with a good file of documentation including invoices;
correspondence; technical literature; period road testes; copy
handbook; Autobooks workshop manual; wiring diagrams; Club literature;
insurance valuation certificates and photos; South African documents and import
papers plus sundry useful spares. The Greenock-issue number plate NVS 579
comes with the car and is transferable, according to the
V5C.
As you can see in the photos, this Morgan
looks to be in generally very good shape for a 78-year-old, with just a few
minor paintwork blemishes here and there. It has been starting promptly and
running well as we have moved it around on site, although we did note that the
oil pressure gauge is not currently working.
Consigned by James
Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com