To be sold at the Gooding & Company Amelia Island Auction on March 8, 2013. For further details please visit www.goodingco.com or contact a vehicle specialist at 001.310.899.1960 or specialist@goodingco.com.
Engine Specifications:
Highly Desirable Series V Example
One of Just 639 Series V Cars Produced
Beautifully Restored
Recent Mechanical Inspection Accompanied by Full Weather Gear
Chassis No. TBD
1,498 CC Ford 116E OHV Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
65 BHP at 4,600 RPM
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
Front Disc, Rear Drum Hydraulic Brakes
Sliding-Pillar Front Suspension with Coil Springs
Live Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
About this Car:
Family-owned from its 1910 inception and rooted in the manufacture of affordable, sporting, and tax-friendly three-wheelers, the Morgan Motor Company finally launched its first four-wheeled model in 1936. Clothed in handsomely flowing bodywork, the 4 – 4 was soon renamed 4/4, with both appellations denoting the car’s four wheels and four-cylinder engine. Production of the 4/4 resumed following the end of WWII until the model was discontinued in 1950. Robust market demand, however, eventually brought a revival of 4/4 production in 1955 to meet pent-up demand generated by the demise of MG’s T-Series roadsters.
Light in weight, the rakish 4/4 provided an elemental and highly engaging driving experience with its low center of gravity and startling performance belying its relatively small-displacement engines. Manufacture of the 4/4 continues today by hand and while small in number, Morgan’s 4/4 continues to stand proudly as the world’s longest-running production car.
The delightful 1963 Morgan 4/4 Roadster offered here is an early-production Series V example, one of the batch of only 639 such cars produced between February 1963 and March 1968 with power supplied by a Ford Cortina- sourced 116E four-cylinder engine mated to a Ford four-speed manual gearbox. The current owner acquired it about 10 years ago from vintage-car collector Howard Lee Pardue of High Point, North Carolina, who purchased the intact and unmodified car in 1982 and then later commissioned a complete nut-and-bolt restoration to concours standards.
Remaining stunning in appearance, the 4/4 retains original metal body panels and it is equally attractive underneath. As expected, the cockpit is beautifully trimmed with full Connolly leather seating surfaces and full Wilton wool carpeting. All mechanicals are noted to work as they should, with the car having recently received a compression test of the engine and a change of all vital fluids. Sparingly exercised over just 200 miles since acquisition by the fastidious current owner, the Morgan also benefits from proper storage within a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. Complete weather gear includes a full tonneau cover; and while the soft top remains uninstalled, the top braces are all in place. The side curtains remain as new within their leather storage bag. Stunning throughout, this 1963 Morgan 4/4 Roadster is likely one of the finest examples available, requiring nothing more than an enthusiastic new owner to appreciate and enjoy its delightful driving dynamics.
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