1928 Morris Cowley Saloon

Description

Restored 20 years ago; much recent expenditure including rebuilt engine and new wiring harness; a fine example at a very modest guide price

Starting out as a bicycle dealer in Oxford, William Morris launched his first car in 1913, the lightweight Morris-Oxford. In 1915 it was joined by a larger model, the immortal Cowley. Backed by a nationwide service organisation and very keenly priced at just £225, the famously durable Cowley rapidly outsold all its competitors notching up 54,000 sales by 1925. Indeed so successful was it that Morris was obliged to institute three-shift working and acquire the Hotchkiss factory in Coventry to satisfy demand.

This particular Cowley was first registered in May 1928, a plaque on the dash suggesting it was supplied new via Parkside Garage of Coventry. A ‘Flatnose’ four-door saloon, it has the 1.5 Morris engine with braking to all four wheels.

A buff logbook and correspondence from the Bullnose Club shows that from 1959 – 1999 it was owned by a Michael Plunkett of Sussex before being acquired by a Vince Peters of Lancing. A photograph (reproduced here) shows that the car was in a partially dismantled state by this point. Between 1999 and 2002 Mr Peters fully restored the car, as detailed in many invoices on file. This was a body-off job and every aspect was attended to: chassis; body; engine; axle; interior etc. Five old MOTs show that the car was then in regular use until 2006.

From 2007 – 2017 the car was owned by a gentleman in Northumberland, next appearing at a Richard Edmonds auction from where our vendor acquired it in March 2017, for considerably more than the guide price suggested here…

A VSCC member, he has spent a fortune on the car since. This includes: a full engine rebuild by Cookes of Leicester with new pistons, crankshaft, bearings, clutch kit etc; rebuilt rear half shafts; rebuilt Lucas GA4 magneto; new Lucas wiper motor armature; carburettor refurbished; new wiring harness by Winston Teague including provision of discreet indicators/hazard lights and USB port plus various other jobs. We suggest that the vendor’s wife look away now because a quick tot up of the bills shows that over £12,000 was spent on these jobs.  

Completing the 2022 Bullnose Morris Club Summer Rally and regularly seen at VSCC events, this Cowley is now in splendid condition throughout and retains its original engine and original Coventry-issue number plate, WK 6010. Starting promptly and running well as we have moved it around on site, it comes with a large history file and plenty of useful technical literature to aid keeping it in good order for many years to come.

On offer here at a fraction of the costs lavished upon it to date, it is only reluctantly for sale because our vendor has now acquired a vintage Riley and does not have garage space for both. Bid vigorously now and his loss could be your gain...    

For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com