As a car manufacturer, Morgan stood out among the crowd because they used wood in the construction of their vehicles. One of the best cars they produced was the Morgan 4/4, which marked a shift in the company because they had previously created three-wheeled vehicles. The 4/4 was new territory for Morgan, but they ran with it and made it work. We’re looking into the history of the Morgan 4/4 and examining how it developed over time.
From three wheels to four
By the 1930s, Morgan had established itself as a reliable car manufacturer. With successful models like the 1921 Popular, it was time for something new. The 4/4 was introduced in 1936 and got its name from having four wheels and a four-cylinder engine. Originally, it was called the 4-4. It was powered by a 34 hp, 1122 cc Coventry Climax engine. The 4/4 proved to be more popular than its three-wheeled counterparts
In 1938, a 4/4 was entered at Le Mans, and this led to factory replicas being produced. They featured a fold-down windscreen, cycle fenders and a smaller engine. A Standard Special was introduced in 1939 and it came with a 1267 cc overhead valve engine.
Evolution
During WW2, production of the 4/4 was stopped, but the car wouldn’t be gone forever. The Series II came out in 1955 with an updated look and design. The Series II featured a sidevalve 1172 cc Ford 100E engine, Ford three-speed gearbox and Morgan Plus 4 chassis. It reached a top speed of 75.3 mph, with a 0-60 of 26.9 seconds.
The Series III arrived in 1960, featuring a 39 bhp overhead valve 997 cc Ford Anglia 105E engine. It wasn’t long before the Series IV followed in 1961. The top speed of the fourth generation came out at 80.3 mph.
Today, the Morgan 4/4 is still sold, making it one of the longest running production cars in history. The car has come a long way since the early days, with modern versions having an lightweight aluminium body that helps with speed and performance.
Mick / CC-BY-SA-3.0
