Richard Stafford
Senior Specialist, Head of Research
LOT 672
Property of a deceased's estate 1935 Morgan Super Sports Registration no. BLP 831 Chassis no. D1327
Sold for £28,750 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 672
Property of a deceased's estate 1935 Morgan Super Sports Registration no. BLP 831 Chassis no. D1327
The Beaulieu Sale: Collectors' Motor Cars & Motorcycles and Automobilia|7 September 2019, 16:00 BST|Beaulieu, National Motor Museum
Property of a deceased's estate
1935 Morgan Super Sports
Registration no. BLP 831
Chassis no. D1327
1935 Morgan Super Sports
Registration no. BLP 831
Chassis no. D1327
*Desirable Super Sports model
*High-performance JAP engine
*Apparently good condition
*Offered for re-commissioning
*High-performance JAP engine
*Apparently good condition
*Offered for re-commissioning
Footnotes
Its superior power-to-weight ratio enabled H F S Morgan's humble, three-wheeled cyclecar to outperform many a larger engined four-wheeler, and its maker was not slow to capitalise on his creation's competition potential. A Gold Medal in the 1911 London-Exeter-London Reliability Trial with Morgan himself driving was followed by victory in the inaugural cyclecar race at Brooklands the following year, Harry Martin taking the chequered flag three minutes ahead of the field. Racetrack successes led directly to road-going spin-off in the form of the Grand Prix model, introduced for 1914. The first Aero sports model, inspired by the Grand Prix, followed immediately after WWI. Subsequent technological developments included the fitting of front brakes, operated by hand lever, from 1924 and the adoption of a new chassis - the M-type - on the new Super Sports model in 1928. This new chassis was some 2½" lower than its predecessor and undoubtedly helped Morgans trounce the opposition at the New Cyclecar Club's meeting at Brooklands later that year. In 1931 a conventional three-speeds-plus-reverse gearbox was introduced and the model name abbreviated to simply 'Super Sports', the old two-speed transmission disappearing soon after. Morgan used a variety of proprietary engines over the years, though its favoured supplier was usually J A Prestwich (JAP) of Tottenham, North London. From the mid-1930s onwards, though, Morgan three-wheelers, like George Brough's superlative motorcycles, were fitted with Matchless v-twin engines in preference to those from JAP.
Sadly, its owner having died, there was very little information available regarding this JAP-powered Morgan Super Sports. The only documentation consists of an old-style V5 and an old-style continuation logbook, the latter recording that the late owner acquired the Morgan in 1973. The engine number recorded is 'MX4 739', indicating that a Matchless engine was fitted originally. Nothing is known of the mechanical condition of this car, which accordingly is sold strictly as viewed.
Saleroom notices
Please note the correct registration number is 'BLP 631'.
Additional information
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