Lot Ended
Description
Super little Singer restored to show-winning condition about 20 years
ago and lightly used since; full set of weather gear; driven 45 miles to the
sale
Singer made its
first car in 1905 and was soon a force to be reckoned with, becoming the UK’s
third largest manufacturer by the late-1920s with over 40 models on offer. The
Singer Nine Roadster was introduced in 1939 and formed the basis of the post-war
models, keeping its cute pre-war styling throughout its 19-year production life.
An open version of Singer’s Bantam saloon, the
Roadster used a tuned version of the Bantam’s 1,074cc OHC engine with a revised
manifold, downdraught SU carburettor and raised compression. Producing 36bhp and
driving through a 3-speed gearbox, it gave the car a top speed of
65mph.
In 1950 it evolved into the 4A Roadster,
so called because it had a 4-speed gearbox from the Singer Hunter while a Solex
carb brought the power up to 37bhp. The 4AB model was quick to follow with a
stronger chassis, independent front suspension, hydro-mechanical brakes, cutaway
wings, shorter radiator grille and slotted road wheels. It remained in
production until January 1953 by which time 1,000 had been sold, half of them in
RHD for the UK market.
This super 4AB was first
registered in London in early 1951 with the registration number WMF 998. Sadly
there is very little history with the car but by 2004 it was owned by a Mr B
Grundy of Cambs who appears to have treated it to a sympathetic
restoration.
He tried to recover the original
registration but was unable to do so because it was no longer recognised on the
DVLA system which had been computerised in the mid-1980s so it must have been
off the road for many years prior to his ownership.
A 2006 letter from the Singer owner’s club confirms that the car left
the factory in January 1951 and had indeed been restored to an authentic
standard with its original components still intact.
It sailed through the MOT in 2006 and again in 2008 with no
advisories recorded, and it has only covered around 1,600 miles since, the
odometer currently showing 4,527 miles. Testament to how good the restoration
was, it won ‘Car of the Show’ at the Clumber Park Classic Car Show in July
2018.
Our vendor acquired the Singer in June last year, sight unseen, for
considerably more than the guide price suggested here. He was relieved to find
that it was every bit as good as he had been led to believe, although he did
find a few things to improve upon.
This included
overhauling the braking system and fitting four new brake cylinders to the front
wheels; cleaning out the fuel system and overhauling the mechanical fuel pump
(it also has an electric fuel pump at the rear); changing the gearbox and rear
axle oils and getting the fuel gauge working correctly. He also had the
carburettor stripped, cleaned and professionally tuned, the garage doing the
work praising the cleanliness of the exhaust emissions – better than many of the
more modern cars they worked on.
Our vendor is
pretty certain the engine has been rebuilt and he says it runs fine on E5
unleaded fuel although he does use an additive too. There is a battery isolator
switch concealed under the left side of the dash for added security. A full set
of weather gear is present (hood; side screens; tonneau cover) all in excellent
condition.
Driven
some 45 miles to the sale, we are told that the car drives as well as it looks
and it has certainly been starting promptly and running sweetly as we have moved
it around on site, with good 45psi oil pressure. These delightful 4AB Roadsters
are pretty rare these days and you would be hard pressed to find a better
example at the sensible guide price suggested.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com