1931 Singer Junior

This charming 95-year-old has only been with us at our Oxfordshire HQ for a couple of days, but already we’ve grown inordinately fond of ‘Blossom’ as she is affectionately known to her owner, the vendor.

We know from the car’s continuation log book that it spent most of the late ‘50s and a fair portion of the ‘60s in and around Chester, where it was lucky enough to find favour with a succession of owners.

From the mid ’60s onwards, the car appears to have relocated to the Greater London area and was at one point a resident of Teddington and environs.

It joined the modern world in 1990 when it was recognised and registered with a V5 by the DVLA.

We know that it was recorded as being brown over cream in 1990, which is the livery it wears today, but on its continuation log book (which picks up the story from 1956 onwards) it is recorded initially as ‘Black & Red’, with ‘Red’ amended to ‘Silver’ by an unknown hand at some later date.

The car is in very good order, from what we can see, although we’re not currently able to report on its dynamic and mechanical abilities because its 6-volt battery has taken permanent early retirement.

That said, none of us here is in any doubt as to its physical integrity and we’ve all been mightily impressed by the weight and certainty with which all four doors close firmly home.

Most cars that left the factory last week are considerably flimsier than this well-screwed together piece of automotive engineering – and it’s nearly 100 years old.

It is really very solidly built and we can quite understand how the model earned its ‘Poor man’s Rolls-Royce’ sobriquet.

We have spoken to the long-term owner’s granddaughter, who told us that her grandmother owned ‘Blossom’ for as long as she could remember and would take the car to events and shows near to her house and grounds in Sissinghurst.

The grandmother was a serial collector of all things curious, interesting, rare or valuable, and that passion very much extended to cars.

One of the other cars was the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit we are also auctioning. Her husband preferred a Bentley, we are told.

The car really does present very handsomely from every angle, and its miniscule (by modern standards) dimensions only add to its impossibly cute aesthetic.

The brown-over-cream livery is warmly inviting and, for the most part, the car’s bodywork is free of any dinks, dents or creases of significance.

The painted wire wheels look good and are shod in charmingly narrow rubber. We think the n/s/r tyre has developed a puncture.

The brown, vinyl-covered roof has a sliding sunroof element built in to it and we can confirm that this works as intended and does so with a minimum of fuss or resistance.

The car is 95-years-old, so we really shouldn’t be too surprised that it has the odd scuff or stone chip here or there.

Such flaws, however, are pretty few and far between on this car, and the following deviations from perfection really don’t add up to anything worth worrying about.

We found, in no particular order: a paint chip or two on the edges of the bonnet, the front wing and the front door on the offside; some chips and a small dent to the o/s/r door; chips to the paint on the driver’s side at the rear of the car and a couple of dents just above the rear window; a shallow dent to the centre of the n/s/r door; and some cracked paint adjacent to the door hinges on the nearside.

The car’s shut-lines and panel gaps are remarkably even and consistent, given the age of the vehicle and, as we stated earlier, the doors close with the heft of bank vault doors.

From what we can see, the badging, lights, lenses, and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in very good order.

The interior of this fine survivor is every bit as charming and likeable as its exterior counterpart.

The brown and beige trim gives the interior a comfortable, warm ambience.

The front seats are very decent and are as comfortable as they are supportive.

The rear bench seat has a hole in the upholstery at the nearside end of the seat squab.

We don’t know, but if we had to point a finger at a likely culprit, we’d probably aim it at a mouse.

The beige door cards are good, and the wood on the dashboard, ‘B’ pillars and door cappings is sound, solid, secure and free of any significant damage.

The carpets are perfectly reasonable, as is the headlining, and the car’s spartan array of controls, dials and switches looks to be in good order, although we haven’t been able to put them through their paces on the open road due to the absence of a working battery.

A period-looking replica fire extinguisher is affixed to the floor between the front seats.

The engine bay is reassuringly clean and tidy, with everything in its right and proper place.

The engine itself is sufficiently diminutive that it could almost have been made by Singer’s namesake firm of sewing machine manufacturers.

Everything on and ancillary to the engine looks good to us.

The undersides of the car look, sound, solid and possessed of plenty of structural integrity.

Absolutely nothing we’ve seen has prompted us to frown, tut or otherwise question the car’s honesty or character.

This car is rather short on written history at present.

At the time of writing, we are waiting for all and any additional history to come our way.

We know that the lady who owned the car was ever-diligent in the maintenance, upkeep and repair of her cars and the self-evident good condition of this car entirely supports that understanding.

The car’s last MoT (obviously, an MoT is not mandatory on a car of this age) expired four years ago: you’ll be pleased to know that it came with no advisories whatsoever.

The car comes with a V5C, a recent HPI report, and its original buff continuation log book.

We like this Singer Junior and we have every confidence in its ability to drive just as well as it looks (and it looks fabulous) once it is equipped with a working 6-volt battery and given a chance to metaphorically clear its throat.

It has evidently been cared-for and curated to a high standard for many, many decades.

This car was born in the year Thomas Edison died, the Empire State building opened and Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights hit the silver screen.

There’s every reason to believe that it will continue to win admiring glances and charm fresh owners for many more years to come.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £7,000 - £10,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.