Morris Cowley Saloon

Click Here for Full Screen Image - Click Here to Download Image

The top volume producers of the 1920s were Austin and Morris. Ford at this time were still selling their antiquated Model-T, which was cheap to buy, yet extremely expensive to run, attracting an annual taxation equivalent to the baby Rolls-Royce thanks to its ‘American’ engine dimensions.

By 1926, the famous Bullnose Morris had sold a healthy 154,000 units, but annual sales were heading in the wrong direction and so the firm introduced a new car with a more conventional radiator design – the ‘Flatnose’.

This helped turn the firm’s fortunes and it proved a great success. Sold with effective four-wheel brakes, the same rugged side-valve engine as its predecessor and a wide range of bodystyles, the Flatnose Morris represents the perfect first step into Vintage car ownership today.

This splendidly original ‘Flatnose’ saloon was referred to as ‘the bedsitter’ model, thanks to its front seats which quickly folded into a douoble bed. It proved ideal for the travelling salesmen, or for those with more nefarious ideas in mind!

Its condition is gorgeous, having been in the same ownership for the last 48 years. During this time, it spent three years getting a full and comprehensive restoration and although this was many years ago, has been used for local rallies and events and stored in a heated garage ever since.

Costing £177 10/- when first delivered, it must have provided comfortable motoring at a time when many buyers were still opting for open cars. The upholstery looks very original – or at least beautifully patinated and a smart calorimeter adorns the radiator.

Ready to go, it would class as a VSCC light-car thanks to its modest engine size and for someone with a young family looking to enter such events, would make the ideal mount.