Offered from The Tom Scott Collection: The ex-Desmond McCracken, Stanley Woods
1937 Morgan 4/4 Sports

• The first Morgan 4/4 delivered to the Republic of Ireland
• Pre-war competition history
• Present ownership since 2001
• Professionally restored by a respected marque specialist
• Recommissioned by Jim Stokes Workshops

This Morgan 4/4, chassis number '265', is the first Irish-assembled Morgan. The car had been ordered in kit form to avoid import duty, and was brought to Ireland in April 1937 and assembled by Gorman Brothers of Dublin. The original Irish registration was 'ZC 1176'. The Gormans' aim was to gauge demand for this new model, and they ended up importing three more: '329', '330', and '331'. Reasoning that competition successes would promote the Morgan, the Gormans entered talented law student Desmond McCracken in various events over the next couple of years, commencing with the International Leinster Trophy on 17th July 1937, which he won. Further wins were gained at the Phoenix Park Grand Prix on 10th September 1937: the Ballinascorney Hill Climb (1100cc class, 1938); the IMRC Autumn Trial (1938); and the Leinster Night Trial (5th November 1938).

There would be further good results in 1939 when the Morgan was also driven by new owner Stanley Woods, presumably the famous Irish motorcycle racer of that name. These included 1st place at the Ballinascorney Hill Climb (23rd September); 1st place at the Lincoln Cup Trial (30th September); Best Open Car at the Autumn Cup Trial (28th October); and the Premier Award at the IMRC Trial (Boxing Day). A full list of all the Morgan's pre-war competition results is on file.
Laid up during WW2, the Morgan was sold to a new owner and disappeared from view until 1990 when it was rediscovered at a garage in the West Country - minus its engine, gearbox and some smaller components - by the immediately preceding custodian. Efforts were made to establish who had right of ownership, and a gentleman got in touch saying that the car was his father's. Fortunately, ownership was not disputed and the location of the missing original parts was established. Its long periods of inactivity had no doubt contributed to the car's gratifying degree of originality.

Tom Scott Senior purchased the Morgan at a Cheffins auction in the UK in October 2001. At that time the catalogue description stated that the book Morgan Sports Cars - The Early Years by Alderston/Chapman recorded many of the components with the car and the various modifications made to it, including the original gearbox and the Moss 'box fitted by Stanley Woods, who did not like the original Meadows' ratios. When purchased by Scott, the Morgan was in unrestored condition and said to be complete apart from various small components, while the Coventry Climax engine had been run on a stand and was reportedly performing well. Poor health had prevented the then owner from restoring the car.

Restoration commenced in 2008, the task being entrusted to early Morgan guru and marque specialist George Proudfoot with the assistance of Tim Earnshaw of Windrush, including a repaint in its original green livery. There are restoration bills on file totalling over £45,000 together with a CR-ROM of related photographs. The substantial file also contains email and other correspondence; the 2001 auction catalogue; a copy of Morgan Sports Magazine (1977); an original Morgan 4/4 instruction book; five editions of the Morgan Register (1975/1976); and a V5C Registration Certificate.

Kept on static display in the Scott Collection, the Morgan has recently been recommissioned by Jim Stokes Workshops and comes with their detailed report and invoice for £4,450. Works undertaken included changing fluids and fitting new spark plugs, battery, and fuel pump, after which "the vehicle drove well, the clutch, gearbox, suspension and brakes are all operating correctly". JSW's report also lists the further works that may be required to meet full and frequent road use. JSW would be pleased to advise the successful purchaser on such matters.

Morgan introduced its first four-wheeler - the 4/4 - in 1935 and very few surviving pre-war cars have any in-period competition history, though some competed in the post-war era, all of which makes this well documented Irish-delivered example all the more rare and desirable.