1966 Morgan 4/4 Series V

This beautiful Morgan 4/4 Series V is being brought to the market for the first time since it rolled out of the factory gates sixty years ago.

One of just 639 Series V cars produced, it spent its first years in Austria before moving with the owner and his family to Sicily. His son took over its curation in the mid-noughties, bringing it to the UK where it was issued with the registration number ‘JTR 295D’.

It’s got all the bits you’d want including British Racing Green coachwork, a black leather interior, wire wheels, and even the original 1498cc, 82bhp Ford engine – and its left-hand drive configuration makes it an ideal candidate for a spot of European touring.

Being offered in charming condition, this character-filled Morgan 4.4 is sure to attract an awful lot of attention.

The bodywork is as you’d expect of an unrestored sportscar that’s been used and enjoyed for the past sixty years, even if it has changed colour over the years.

It left Malvern painted Westminster Green before being resprayed (what else?) red when it moved to Italy, and traces of this colour can still be seen beneath the British Racing Green the son chose back in 1991 for his wedding in Sicily.

So, there are a few dents and dinks. Some peeling paint too, plus plenty of stonechips and even the odd crack in the paint finish.

It is utterly glorious and so much more interesting than any 100-point concours car could ever be.

In fact, if you’re thinking of buying it to restore for the show circuit then might we suggest you look elsewhere because to destroy its heritage would be nothing short of criminal.

However, if you have a soul then this is the Morgan you’ve been searching for.

A photo in the history file shows it with the owner and his family in Austria as a brand-new car – and when you run your hand along its panels it’s like you’re reaching out to shake hands him before you sit down for your first lunch together, the Sicilian sun on your back and the wine flowing and plate after plate of home-cooked food being passed around.

We might be romantic old fools, but we can’t help thinking that a car like this welcomes you into its life, rather than the other way around.

This one also reminds us how simple and elegant older Morgans are: The radiator grille is prominent but not overpowering; the slim chromed front bumper is little more than a token effort, while the rear comprises nothing more than a pair of overriders; and the cycle wings are as wide as they need to be but no more.

You can step into it without troubling to open the door, and if age or infirmity demands you do have to open them the fact they open as wide as they do means you step into a Morgan with rare grace, which is priceless when threading your way into a classic sportscar can turn into a reminder of how old you’re getting…

There is a fabric roof and door tops too, but their somewhat rudimentary design mean you wouldn’t want to venture out into a storm in just your shirtsleeves.

Besides, Morgan owners would never lower themselves to using anything as middle-class as a roof. Roofs are for people like Jerry and Margo, not Tom and Barbara; if a thick woolly jumper and a sense of fair play was all it took to conquer Everest, then the tonneau cover bolstered with a well-worn Barbour is protection enough to survive a Waitrose run.

And if you feel that the presence of a windscreen will make you soft, it can be removed with just four bolts and about five minutes of your time.

Further weather protection comes via a neat fabric cover that protects the area behind the driver’s seat where the kids used to nestle.

Its touring chops are enhanced by the luggage rack that sits above a recessed spare wire wheel, and the enamel radiator badges for the OAMTC, RAC, and the Morgan centenary denote an above-average pride in their machine.

In summary, we find its purity of purpose compelling – and the fact this one has been so well-loved over the past sixty years makes it a rare and wonderful thing.

Not that its patina equates to neglect; witness the delicate 155R15 Firestone F-560 tyres mounted to the wire wheels – including the spare – and if they are a little rusty, they’re still airtight so could be left as they are for a while yet.

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.

Leaving aside the patina we admire so much, there are a few jobs you might like to do including arresting the developing rust on the offside front wing and both doors. It’s moderate for the moment and localised repairs could be made without harming the car’s charm; preservation rather than restoration. You may also wish to touch up the emerging red paintwork in order to return all panels back to the lovely green that it was intended to wear from new. 

Oh, and the headlamps are set for left-hand drive, and those tyres are now more than 20 years old, so need changing.

The seats were replaced around ten years ago. They are, therefore, in good condition with firm cushions and barely blemished face material.

The leather on the transmission tunnel is a little worn, as are the carpets but given they’ve seen sixty years of use and 93,000kms, this is hardly surprising.

The full-width wooden dashboard hosts five white-on-black Smiths instruments, with the rev counter taking pole position in front of the driver. The speedometer, which reads in kilometres, sits to its left, with the coolant temperature gauge on the far side. To the right of the tachometer sits a combination ammeter, oil pressure gauge, and fuel gauge. All work as they should, as do the switches that sit in the centre panel.

The steering wheel maintains the Morgan’s minimalist approach to life, and yet even then its wooden rim fits perfectly in your hand. The gear knob is well-worn, but we’ll be around to have a word should you so much as think of replacing it.

However, a modern netting door pocket has been fitted to the driver’s door, and this would hold a mobile phone nicely, and this reminds us the 12-volt power supply in the dashboard is the old-style red and black sockets.

Recent work includes having the clutch rebuilt by ORCA of Portsmouth in March 2022, while Beacon Hill Garage checked the braking system and cleaned the Weber carburettor in May 2024.

Melvyn Rutter supplied a gasket plus clips and hoses in April 2022, and an invoice for Ethomix Ethanol Corrosion Inhibitor Additive from Frost in the same year indicates diligent curation in the face of changing fuel formulations.

There are also receipts from folk like The Morgan Motor Company, Holden Vintage and Classic, MEV Spares, Guildford Radiators, NBA Sportscars, Midhurst Engineering, Richard Thorne, and Demon Tweeks dating back to 1976: This is a car that’s had the right money spent on the right things with the right people.

As you can see, it starts well and ticksover like a metronome. It revs freely too; the little Ford engine might not be the most powerful you’ll find under the bonnet of a Morgan but it revs like a sewing machine, partly thanks to the free-flowing nature of that intricate exhaust manifold.

The engine bay is original, which is to say there is some surface corrosion and a little dirt. It could be tidied up without losing anything important – or you could do what most Morgan folk do and leave it as it is and have a beer with your mates instead.

That said, while the lack of an air filter does give the 4/4 a delicious rasp, it might be prudent to refit an air filter assembly in the interests of longevity.

When we say the underside has a thin veneer of rust we must emphasise that it is light surface rust and nothing more worrisome. A day with a wire brush and some rust killer will be in the winning bidder’s future though, followed by another half-a-day with a pot of underseal – and you might like to change the damper mounts while you’re under there as they’ve perished.

Speaking of which, the Morgan comes with a small selection of spares. Please see the photos for details.

The seller’s father bought it in Austria in 1966, and the photo on file shows him sitting in it surrounded by his children when it was brand new. The seller remembers the three of them travelling in the car with him, kneeling down in the space behind the rear seats.

The Morgan doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, since the law changed in 2018, historical vehicles over 40 years in age do not require an MOT. The vehicle is taxed (nil rate) through to 31 March 2027. And the recent Vehicle History Check is clear. There appears to be some discrepancy on the mileages record on the History Check, but the Seller informs us that this is due to the MoT stations confusing mileage/kilometers. The Cars recorded mileage in Kilometers is thought to be genuine. 

The history file includes the original Instruction Book, a V5 Registration Certificate in the seller’s name, a Chassis Record certificate from Morgan confirming its specification, and plenty of receipts for servicing and repairs over the years.

It also contains a couple of photos of it being used as wedding transport, some from when the seller got married in 1991, and some from a couple of years ago when he lent it to a friend. It scrubbed up well, didn’t it?

A classic car is always a discretionary purchase, and few are more unnecessary than a Morgan.

And yet having got this far, you now can’t imagine life without this one in your garage, can you?

It would be a very good place to start your Morgan obsession; its guide price of between £12,000 to £17,000 is likely to make it more affordable than many, while its originality and provenance make it worth preserving.

After all, while you can’t take your money with you, you can pass your Morgan to your car-mad children or grandchildren, just like this 4/4’s owner did.

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’.