Lot number | 157 |
---|---|
Hammer value | £5,800 |
Description | Morris 8 Special Coupe |
Registration | ANO 741 |
Year | 1933 |
Colour | Yellow/Black |
Engine size | 885 cc |
Chassis No. | 31656 |
Engine No. | 32521 |
William Morris was uncharacteristically slow moving into the small-car market, a segment that had been opened up by Herbert Austin with his ground-breaking Seven, a car that was starting to take a large chunk of the overall market.
It wasn’t until 1928 that the new Morris Minor made its debut, with a sweet 847cc overhead-cam two-bearing engine developed from within the Wolseley stable. Aimed squarely at Austin, the four-seater tourer was priced at £125 with conventional springing and decent hydraulic brakes. Available with saloon bodywork at £135, a smart coachbuilt version was available from 1930 for an extra ‘fiver’.
From 1932, a four-door saloon on a longer wheelbase and a pretty Sports Coupe were offered, both using the ohc engine but referred to in the sales brochure as a Morris Eight. Later Minors, like this one here, were to have a simplified side-valve engine fitted, the range being renamed the Morris Eight, falling in line with their Ten and Twelve model denominations.
This charming Eight Special Coupe is believed by the vendor to be one of just 120 made. It was purchased from a deceased estate in 2011, a note in the window stating that it was bought new by the Vicar of Chigwell, the Reverend Matthew Smith.
We have subsequently learned from a feature about the car in the November 1991 edition of The Automobile that it was rescued post-war by the late Bev Hicks, a stalwart of the Morris Register who spotted it in the Exchange and Mart for £10 - delivered. Passing through various hands, it was rebuilt in the late 1970s and used regularly until acquired by the vendor at auction. We are advised that it runs and drives and has been used for summer picnics and local shows.
The registration number ANO 741 is still recognised on the DVLA computer, which shows that it was first registered in July 1933.
The stylish Special Coupe bodywork incorporates a small boot, faux hood-irons and a Pytchley sliding sunroof. This rare and attractive Morris is supported by a huge network of specialists and with a small amount of tidying will make a pretty and rather glamorous addition to any collection.