MG 14/40 Four-Seater Tourer

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 In the early 1920s, Cecil Kimber, General Manager of Morris Garages, the Oxford-based distributors for Morris Motors, began to realise there was a call for non-standard cars from customers who wanted something more than the 'run of the mill' item.

At the time, it was quite usual for some of the larger garages to offer this kind of service with assistance from outside coachbuilders. Within a very short time, Kimber had turned his attentions to developing special bodies built on the standard Morris Cowley chassis. Keen to exploit the market for cars with a more sporting appeal, in 1924 he started to advertise "our popular MG Saloon" based on the Morris Oxford Bullnose.

At a time when all automobiles were hand-built, his endeavour was not out of the ordinary. Morris itself proudly proclaimed that its cars were assembled from locally made components. The ‘Bullnose’ Morris had its roots in the Edwardian era; a stamped metal chassis, elliptical springs and artillery wheels. While the ‘bull nose’ radiator had changed little since the cars of 1913/14, the engines had changed quite substantially.

In 1919, Morris had switched from a 9hp 1018cc White and Poppe motor to an 11.9hp 1495cc unit made under licence from Continental Motors of Detroit by a Coventry-based branch of French manufacturer Hotchkiss. A larger (1,802cc) 13.9hp version became available in 1923. This was the 14/28 engine Kimber chose to employ in his first machines.

To create the 14/28 Super Sports, Kimber used the standard Morris Oxford chassis as collected from the nearby Cowley factory, modified it slightly and mildly tuned the engine. The chassis was fitted with an attractive aluminium panelled body, painted in one of two colours and with bolt-on artillery wheels. Wire-spoked wheels followed in 1925/6. Also in 1925, to differentiate it further from the Cowley cars, the MG was given a longer wheelbase and four-wheel brakes (quite something at the time).

For the 1927 model year, Morris adopted new production techniques. As a result the traditional ‘bull nose’ radiator was replaced with a ‘flat front’ type and a wider heavier chassis was adopted to allow more room for passengers. Kimber and MG had no option but to follow suit, though the extra weight would potentially hinder performance. However, the MG engineers were able to finely tune the engines, considerably uprating them to 35hp. There were suspension modifications too, with flattened springs and Hartford shock absorbers

First registered in July 1929, UV 2961 is one of only 22 examples of the MG 14/40 known to survive worldwide from a total production of just 486 such cars. Well known to The Early MG Society, MG Car Club Vintage Register and The Bullnose Morris Club it comes with impeccable provenance that is fully detailed in the large history file that accompanies the vehicle.

The history of the car is well documented back to April 1957 when it was owned by a G Latham of Bolton, Lancs (as shown in a buff log book from that period), and it has spent the majority of its life since then in the North West region of England, although the UV number plate would indicate that it was initially registered in London.

In the current ownership since 2005, it was owned for the previous 11 years by the respected early MG and Bullnose Morris historian, Robin Barraclough. As the vendor is himself a leading light in The Early MG Society, it has therefore benefited from expert and sympathetic ownership for a long period. Always in regular use, it has been maintained in excellent condition whilst preserving many of its original features.

Most unusually for a car of this period, it even retains its original CE-type engine (number 266495) and also has the later original factory-fitted wire wheels. To add to its rarity, it is also one of only eleven 14/40 four-seat tourers remaining worldwide. These are important aspects in valuing any early MG. UV 2961 is currently valued for insurance purposes at £60,000 (certificate on file).

Rare, historically important, matching numbers and with cast iron provenance, it ticks all the right boxes and is sure to be of interest to any serious collector. Supplied with the aforementioned history file and much useful literature relating to the model, it also comes with a VSCC buff form and will be a welcome entrant to many vintage events.

Very seldom offered on the open market, this wonderfully correct and fully operational 14/40 is an opportunity not to be missed. You could wait a long time for another to come on the radar, so highly prized are they by their owners. UV 2961 is only being offered for sale because the vendor is fortunate enough to own a pair of these machines and thinks it only fair that someone else should now have the opportunity to join this highly exclusive club.

PS: This car also comes with a useful spares package for continental touring.