1935 Morris Eight Series 1 4-Seat Tourer

Offered on behalf of the owner’s estate, little is known about the Morris Eight’s history. Believed to be enthusiast maintained at home since he bought it in 2015, we’re told recent work includes a brake overhaul, five new tyres, and a recent battery.

It starts and runs as it should and is said to drive “very well”. A charming introduction to pre-war motoring, this four-seater convertible is being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

The coachwork is pleasingly patinated, wearing its nine decades on this planet with pride. It’s a lovely little thing to behold, reeking of a gentler, quieter time, a time of Agatha Christie, tea on the lawn, and church bells peeling.

Wonderfully upright in design, it is finished in green with black mudguards and has the most delightful honeycomb grille. The bodywork is pretty straight and seems to be in good order overall. Even the chromework is decent, maturing slowly and still very presentable.

Yes, there’s some peeling and cracking paint here and there, and the bumpers have definitely seen better days, but we love its honesty and home-spun charm. This is a car you can use without fear, and one that still draws an appreciative crowd whenever you stop.

The black hood and four side screens are in a decent condition and fit quite well. The new owner might like to tidy the hood up a little inside and fit a new plastic window, but it’s otherwise all in good order and still fit for its purpose of providing emergency cover if you’re caught out in a shower.

The painted wire wheels also look pretty good, and the Morris has obviously been well loved because it’s sporting a full set of five new Waymaster 4.50-17 tyres

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The black vinyl seats are in good shape, still plump and undamaged. They give a surprising amount of lateral support too, and access to the rear bench is easy.

The steering wheel is large of diameter and chunky in the hand. Modest and unadorned, it’s simply there to do its job as unobtrusively as possible. However, it, like the rest of the interior, has suffered a little as a result of exposure to the elements and it has some splits to the plastic covering.

The instruments work but are a little rusty, and some of the trim in the cabin has warped.

None of it is terrible but we can see the new owner will almost certainly want to tidy things up a little, although conservation rather than restoration would see it preserved and stabilised if maintaining the Eight’s history is a priority.

As you can see, it starts readily enough and revs well. There’s good oil pressure too, even if the electrical charging system seems to be a little slow. The exhaust probably doesn’t have long left in it either, but we can’t imagine a new one would be terribly expensive.

The engine bay could do with cleaning and tidying, and while the underside looks pretty solid, it could do with wire-brushing and undersealing.

The Morris doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

It comes with a current V5 registration document and some Morris Eight literature. The recent Vehicle History Check shows nothing of note.

Utterly charming, this must be one of the nicest and most cost-effective ways to get yourself behind the wheel of a pre-war convertible. Running and driving well, it could be left as it is or restored back to its former glory as time and funds allow.

And there may well be plenty of funds in the kitty after you’ve bought it because we estimate it’s only going to fetch somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000.

But because it’s being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

Why not have a little flutter then? After all, the very worst thing that could happen is you could find yourself the latest custodian of an 87-year-old example of Britain’s motoring heritage.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with the vendor in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.