1947 Singer Nine 4A Tourer

Lot details
Registration No: 984 UXB
Chassis No: A637R
Mot Expiry: None

The Singer Roadster was a two-door, four-seater Convertible version of the Bantam Saloon and was first sold in 1939. The traditional body comprised alloy panels fixed to a wooden frame. Power came from the same 1074cc four-cylinder OHC engine found in the Bantam, but the output was slightly higher (36bhp), courtesy of a superior inlet manifold and downdraught SU carburetter - sufficient for a top speed of around 65mph. The unit was initially mated to a three-speed manual gearbox. Suspension was by leaf springs all round and the drum brakes were mechanically operated. The model re-emerged virtually unchanged after WW2, and remained so until the 4A variant of 1949. This featured a Solex carburetter in place of the SU and benefited from a four-speed gearbox. Production of the Roadster continued until 1955, by which time some 11,063 had been built. Virtually all pre-1953 examples were exported, after which home market cars became available in quantity for the first time. According to the Association of Singer Car Owners (ASOC), some 160 Roadsters were sold into India/Pakistan between 1946 and 1949.

This 1947 Roadster 4A was one of them, and is believed by the ASOC to be the only one to have made the return journey, which it did in 1955. Fifty-one years later it was taken to France, at which point the Singer was stripped, the wood frame refurbished and the chassis cleaned and repainted. The body was taken back to bare metal and remains unpainted, while some of the panels are apparently still only loosely re-assembled. Much of the wiring was replaced and the seats cushioned and re-upholstered in Maroon leather - as were the door cards. Since purchasing the Singer in 2007, the vendor has replaced the starter motor and acquired some hood frames, side screens and a pair of later pattern rear lights. He tells us that the "engine runs well, the clutch is smooth and the gearbox is selecting okay", however the car has not run on the public roads since 2005 and will thus need recommissioning. It is being sold complete with instruction book, Singer and Lucas parts catalogues, an upholstery renovation book and a variety of ASOC and Singer Owners' magazines.