Within half an hour of unloading this rip-roaring little gem from the transporter, three of the team had taken it out for a test drive. All three came back with a grin on their faces! The last owner has had the car for 34 years and it has the most interesting history. By 1996 the then 19 year old Morgan was getting a little tired and it was sent to Allon White & Son, Morgan agents since 1950 for a major restoration. We are told that Pete Self was the team leader on this project, possibly his last chassis up restoration before the retirement of this old school craftsman. During the restoration the chassis was replaced, as were all four wings, the bulkhead and most of the timber frame. There are several invoices in the file with one dating from July 1996 totalling £13,962. It seems that the rear panel, Super Sports bonnet and radiator cowl were amongst the few original body parts retained. The gearbox and differential were also rebuilt. It was built very much as a one-off, which could be described as a 4/4 Super Sports ‘Tribute’. One of the most distinctive features is the factory built Super Sports Bonnet as per the Plus Four Super Sports of the early 1960s. This was designed with a lower section in the bonnet to accommodate the twin weber DCOE 40 carburettors.
Leather bucket seats were sourced and again fitted by Alan Whites. The finished shell was repainted in Deep Brunswick Green. There are some invoices and a handwritten note from the owner describing some of the work carried out over the past ten years. The most significant work is a superb engine rebuild which was done between September 2012 and the spring of 2014. It is a very carefully rebuilt, uprated replacement crossflow engine with Mahle pistons bored out to 1700cc and with a fast road camshaft. This replacement was required because the original engine had been wrecked by a total oil loss.
The mileage is just over 39,000 since the total rebuild 26 years ago. The engine itself has done less than 8000. None of us have ever driven a quicker crossflow-engined 4/4 than this one. It is simply gorgeous to drive! Twenty-six years on there are a few blemishes and marks on the bodywork but it still presents really well. It is the quintessential ‘user' and will suit a real enthusiast, perhaps someone would like to hill climb such a car. We are told that the roll bar may have been factory fitted, an indication of its early use. The attractive 44 registration number comes with the car. This is a Morgan we'll all remember and it is absolutely outstanding value.