1959 Morgan 4/4 Roadster

The Morgan 4/4 first appeared in 1936 and was given the designation '4-4' (later 4/4). The '4/4' represented four wheels and a four-cylinder engine. The Morgan 4/4 was the Morgan Motor Company's first car with four wheels. The early Morgans had three wheels and were often powered by V-twin engines.

The Morgan 4/4 has been in continuous production (apart from World War II and the period March 1951 to September 1955) from its debut to the present day. Engine capacity rose from a 1122cc Coventry Climax engine in 1936 to a 1.8-liter Ford engine in 2004.

In 1955, the series II was introduced and remained in production until October of 1960 with 386 examples produced. They had a similar appearance to the old 4-4, but were virtually a new car with a chassis based on the Morgan Plus 4. Disc wheels were added as standard items. The traditional independent front suspension using sliding pillars and coil springs was fitted with a rigid axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear. Power was from a side-valve 1172cc Ford 100E engine offering 36 horsepower. They also had a Ford three-speed manual gearbox.

A heater was available as optional equipment, as were a rev counter and direction indicators. They came with a bench seat back and individual squabs covered in PVC.

This example is finished in Dark Blue with Cream coachwork and a black interior. It was given a restoration from 2008 to 2011 and is in excellent condition.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at Coys 'Legende et Passion' Monaco sale where it was estimated to sell for €17,000 - €22,500.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2012