About this Morgan Plus Four

DEPOSIT TAKEN

MORGAN PLUS 4 'FLAT RAD' - FULLY RESTORED WITH NEW CHASSIS!

The first four-wheel Morgan, the 4/4 appeared in 1936 with a 1122cc Coventry Climax Engine and after the war it was joined by the more powerful Plus 4 'Flat Rad' as it became commonly known. These charming 1950's Morgan's are widely considered as one of the best all-round Morgan's produced and in the end, a mere 117 'Flat Rad' Plus 4's were dispatched from Morgan's factory in Malvern, Worcestershire.

A true English roadster that's utterly timeless, it was still clearly a 1930s sports car but throughout the post war years it received updates and upgrades from other cars that donated their engines and gearboxes and during its life it went through two Standard Vanguard engine's, a 1798cc followed by a 2080cc before moving on to a Triumph TR2 1991cc engine in 1952 which produced 90 BHP and a top speed of 100 mph.

One of reputedly just 117 Plus 4 Flat Rad two-seaters built, this lovely 1952 'Flat Rad' Morgan Plus 4 - Chassis No: P2307 and Engine No: V230ME is fitted with the Triumph TR3 1991cc Engine and 4 speed Gearbox and was sold new by Morgan dealers Meetens Motor Mecca in New Malden, Surrey to the first owner who was Commander M.S Chambers of the Royal Navy and it was first registered in Surrey on 17th March 1952.

Between 1952 and 1957 the vehicle was returned to Morgan for routine servicing and modifications and a more extensive overhaul - all noted in the Morgan service record and at some point in the late 1950's it was sold and the car was exported to the USA. It spent some time in Savannah, Georgia and North Carolina, USA, but very little is known about the car during its life in the USA until it was purchased by the present English owner from Classic Motorsports in Merrimack, New Hampshire in April 2012 and imported back to the UK and re-registered here with the age related numberplate 606 YUR.

The car had been the subject of a cosmetic restoration in America before being purchased by the current owner but once landed in the UK, he decided that the vehicle required further works and restoration including a new chassis to complete the job properly. He commissioned well known Morgan specialist Tim Ayres of New Elms Classic Morgan’s to undertake the work and during the course of the chassis replacement the vehicle was also subjected to a sympathetic restoration of the remainder of the car and over £10,000 was spent on these works alone.

Everything is comprehensively detailed in the history file along with a photographic record. The car also comes with a spare Triumph TR3 'high port' engine block, the original windscreen and frame + windscreen wipers and windscreen motor and its original hood frame, but it does require a new hood fitting if required. The right-hand bonnet has been modified to allow the fitting of a Speedograph and Richfield Air filters to the uprated SU HS6 Carburettors and carried out by Morgan specialist Chris Era.

This is a beautiful example of the early 'Flat Rad' Morgan with excellent paintwork, interior trim and chromework and with a new chassis and many mechanical upgrades, it really does drive beautifully. It has 66,267 miles recorded on the speedometer which may be correct as it is noted on the USA paperwork at the time of sale and export that the mileage was 65,913, but we are unable to confirm this as being original. It has however only covered less than 300 miles since the restoration was completed in 2017.

There are extracts from the Morgan Motor Company's archives confirming its build record and despatch to Morgan dealer Meetens in New Malden, Surrey in 1952 and its sale to its first owner Lieutenant Commander M S Chambers at HMS Zodiac in Portland, Dorset in England. He was a Lieutenant on submarine HMS Trenchant during WW2 and it is famous for sinking the Japanese cruiser Ashigara which was the largest enemy ship sunk by a British submarine.

Included in the file is a book about HMS Trenchant at war and featuring a photograph of Lieutenant Chambers.

Upon sale we will give the car a new MOT and pre-sales service/checkover and our own 6 Month Mechanical Warranty.

Car on display @ our showrooms in Mortlake

NB: Classic Chrome Ltd make every effort to ensure that the information in this advertisement is accurate and all statements as to provenance and condition are given as opinions only. When describing any car that is more than 20 years old, we sometimes have to rely on the car’s history file and any information provided by the previous owner(s). This information in passed on in good faith and is therefore not purported to be a statement of fact. Any prospective purchaser must satisfy themselves as to the condition and fitness for use of the vehicle. This does not affect your statutory rights.