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1938 Morgan Super Sports
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Registration No. FAE 107
(The Morgan prior to dismantling)
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Motor Cars
1938 Morgan Super Sports
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Registration No. FAE 107
Car No. D 1810
Engine No. MX2/534
Estimate £18,000 - £20,000
By 1938 when this Super Sports was completed, the Morgan three-wheeler had reached its final and most sophisticated form, and indeed the years of the big-vee -twin cars were drawing to a close, leaving only the relatively tame Ford engined three wheelers in the market; the factory was by now in any case increasingly concerned with 4-wheel sports cars.
The Super Sports model answered most of the criticisms of the earlier Aero and Grand Prix models. The two-speed gearbox was replaced by a three-speed box with a reverse gear, the road wheels were detachable and a spare was now carried. This made the cars much easier to use, and the introduction of the very high quality and beautifully finished Matchless range of engines completed the process, these units being readily started by an electric starter, and also being generally more user friendly than their earlier counterparts. The JAP engine is undoubtedly still the choice for the out-and-out performance enthusiast, being capable of
considerable tuning, but an air cooled o.h.v. MX 2 as fitted to FAE 107 is perfect for use on the road and gives superb reliable performance.
Car No. D 1810, one of the final series of cars produced before the outbreak of war was registered on 25 May 1938, and is a Super Sports model with the very attractive ‘barrel back’ body providing a spare wheel on the tail, and with a small luggage grid on top.
During the 1940s the car was modified to take twin rear wheels on a wider rear fork by its then owner Wally Wannacot, who trialed the car successfully in this form for several years. The car is now returned to standard, but the conversion is known to exist still. A photograph of Wannacot climbing Beggars Roost in the 1949 Lands End trial with a description of the ‘trials mods’ is found in ‘Morgan Sweeps the Board’ by Alderson and Rushton, pub Gentry Books 1978.
FAE 107 was extensively restored and then spent some 34 years in a Cornish motor museum, before
moving to Wiltshire in 2003. The car was then purchased by an enthusiast from South Wales, who embarked on some remedial work and general recommissioning following its long hibernation in Cornwall. The car was entrusted to a well known Morgan Three Wheeler restoration specialist, who after totally dismantling for inspection into major units (as shown in photographs) commenced work and replaced the chassis main tubes. At this stage the owner changed his plans, and emigrated to New Zealand leaving the restoration in its present state, so nearly complete but needing a final push. The log book shows that FAE 107 was first
registered on 28 May 1938, in Bristol, and Morgan factory records show that the car was dispatched to Frank Roper, the Sheffield agents on 30 November 1937, suggesting that it took some 6 months to find an owner.
The body tub is very sound, with a strong ash frame and good straight panels. The windscreen, electrical
fittings (now converted to 12 volts) upholstery, dashboard and instruments etc are all correct, and a new steering wheel of the proper pattern is included. Four new tyres are fitted. Although the car is now
dismantled into major units, everything is present for inspection and this represents a simple restoration
project. All parts for these cars are readily available.
A most desirable example of a late series Super Sports, with an interesting competition history and
combining the best specification available for these cars, especially the superb Matchless engine, and
requiring only a simple restoration and reassembly. A V5c registration document and an interesting history file are included in the lot.
(The Morgan prior to dismantling)