Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Pre-war 1939 4-4s ENGINES

I would like to know how many of the Standard Special engines were fitted to the 1939 2 seater 4-4s?

I know a number of the 4-4 Coupes had the Standard engine, but most publicstions are totally vague when it comes to the Standard engines in the 1939 2 seaters. The best I can find is "a few were fitted". Obviously Morgan were pushing the Coventry Climax engines to clear the ordered stock of those engines.

We only have one 1939 4-4 with a Standard Special engine on the NZ Register.

In my researching this topic I obtained from John Merton in Australia the following:
Approximately 40 Standard engines were delivered to Morgan in May 1939 and apparently 33, with possibly 3 more with odd engine numbers, were fitted before WW2. Of these 13 were roadsters, 17 DHCs and 3 four seaters.

The roadsters, by chassis number, were #896, #897, #905, #906, #909, #910, #913, #914, #915, #916, #920, #922, and #924 dispatched from June 1939, plus #930 built before the war but not delivered until 1947.

We are now looking to see how many of the roadsters have survived through to today. Anybody know the whereabouts of any of these 14 cars?

Interestingly I have the very first Series 1 to be fitted with a Standard motor. I was the Avon Coupe DHC prototype (Chassis 600). After the DHC was accepted by the MMC, the car became the factory hack and when the Standard Engine was offered to the MMC, the test engine was fitted to the Avon Coupe. Obviously the test proved successful and the Standard Special became the Series 1 motor, displacing the Coventry Climax.

Cheers,

Hi Mark
Thanks for your reply. I was not, at this stage looking for the DHCs but it would be an interesting project to try and track the 17 cars.

I see in the ex. Morgan factory records that your car chassis #600, left the factory May/June 1938 with Eng: MA 605 and that the current Standard Special engine #Q 680 E. When I checked the records this appears to be an engine number from 1950 as I can find Q 681 E and other numbers on both sides of 680 I guess the original Standard Special engine would have had a works engine number as did Chasis#811 & Chassis #839 which were subsequent experimental cars with the Standard Special Engines in May 1939. Chassis #892 had the first Standard Number of Q 1 E and was dispatched on 12 May 1939. Do you have any notes on the number of the original Standard Special engine?

Anyway you certainly have an exciting car and a real treasure! I have seen it featured in several books. Intersesting how with the updating the flashers and stop/tail lights on you car have been treated - I'm addressing the same question right now!

Regards
Kerry

Kerry, as I understand it the chassis was fitted with a Coventry Climax motor when it was shipped off to Avon and it had that same motor when it returned. Then as the factory hack it was fitted with the test version of the Standard Special Motor. This was evaluated but then removed to allow Standard to do NDI and other tests on the internals. A production CC was fitted. Then when the Standard Special motors were in production, the CC was removed an a production Standard Motor refitted.

FYI the trafficators. They were as designed by Avon. You can see them in the early pics of the car. The stop / tail light is not Avon. Note there were no rear lights on that car.

Cheers,

Kerry, if you have the factory records, what does it say about chassis 500?

Cheers,

I have a 1938 two seater originally fitted with a Coventry Climax engine but returned to the Morgan factory by the original owner in 1939 to be retrofitted with Standard Special engine number Q05E

I think there was a bit of that. Sort of like the owners of Flat Rad Plus 4s going back to the 'new' cowled radiator front end. Seems there was a time when everyone wanted the latest technology.

I am a bit of late adopter. I tend buy things that have been on the market for a while, like a decade or so. Finally bought a blue ray video player just last year . . .

Cheers,

Anything to do with fish?

Hi mark
Chassis Number 500
You had me looking for a while as I did not realise that it was a DHC and a very interesting one!
500 4/4 SIDHC Eng: B 9751 E gbx: ?? BLUE/BLK wings with BLACK Int. Dispatched: 7 DEC 1938 DEST: UK COND: REBODIED AGENT: Direct to H. St. Leger Skinner, Ealing
OPTIONS: RHD, Side Valve Standard Engine.
NOTES: Sold as a used car. Same car as #600
PREVIOUS OWNERS: H. St. Leger Skinner, Ealing.
The engine number identifies it as being experimental and in all my reading I did not realise that Morgan had fitted a side valve Standard engine but given that they had fitted Fords and other odd engines pre-war (and even today – what’s new!)
Kerry