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| Lot number | 29 |
|---|---|
| Hammer value | £18,150 |
| Description | Morgan Super Sports |
| Registration | AAO 981 |
| Year | 1934 |
| Colour | Red |
| Engine size | 990 cc |
| Chassis No. | D1286 |
| Documents | V5C; old style V5; buff logbook dating back to 1949; six old MOTs; photocopy of Morgan book |
The Morgan Motor Company had a typically flexible buying policy during the ‘20s and ‘30s, HFS Morgan, the firm’s founder and inventor of the Morgan 3-wheeler, always being happy to use alternative suppliers for his bought-in components if it saved a few shillings.
Regular trips to the numerous Birmingham-based suppliers to bargain and place orders meant that quite often, fixtures and fittings would vary from one car to the next, although quality was never sacrificed for a short-term profit. It was much the same with engines and during its lifespan, a total of six different varieties were used in the range of 3-wheeler models.
Most common were those from JAP, but Matchless, the Swiss firm MAG, Anzani, Blackburne and latterly Ford were all successful alternatives. With the reintroduction of the 3-wheeler in 2012, S&S (part of Harley-Davidson) must be added to the list.
According to Morgan factory records, chassis D1286 was originally a Super Sports, painted red and cream, with a water-cooled overhead-valve 990cc Matchless engine, serial number MX4/725. The gearbox was a 3-speed and reverse Burman, serial number 1795, and the body number was 955. The car was despatched on 14th November 1934 to first owner Gilbert Parkinson of Cumberland. At some time in the 1960s the engine was swapped for a JAP unit which remains in the car to this day.
An old buff logbook from 1949, a V5 and a V5C detail five further owners up to 1998. Six old MOTs show that it was in use between 1995 and 2012 when it was put into storage due to illness.
We were soon able to get the car running when it arrived at Brightwells but it will doubtless benefit from some precautionary recommissioning before returning to the road once more. To assist in this process, a photocopy of the 62-page 'Book of the Morgan' by John Dowdeswell is also included in the otherwise sparse history file.
Bidders are advised that this car was subject to a Category C insurance claim in May 2001 but we are advised that the damage was only slight and was confined to the front nearside wheel/suspension area.
