Description

1935 Singer Nine Le Mans

Rare long-tail version; matching numbers; older restoration in good order throughout; last owner 35 years and always in regular use; original transferable number plate; well-known to the Club

As the Dating Certificate confirms, this Singer Nine Le Mans Four-Seater was built in March 1935 and was supplied new via Hadaway & Son of London to first owner Mr Francis of Welling, Kent. A copy of the original factory build sheet shows that the chassis number was 63412 and the engine number 58823, markings on the car confirming that it remains a ‘matching numbers’ machine today. It also retains its original Kent-issued registration number, BKP 589, which is transferable.
A buff logbook shows that by 1957 the car was still in Kent with one Sydney Cheel of Rochester, being subsequently owned by Christopher Wilford, Victor Grieve and then the rather splendidly named Wouter Perquin of Bexon Bredgar. In 1984 it was acquired by a Singer Owners’ Club member based in West Sussex who was to keep it for the next 35 years.
According to notes on file, when he acquired the car it was in a rather sorry state so he promptly set about a total restoration which took three years to complete. This included remaking the unusual ‘long-tail’ rear body section, a rare design feature that was only in production for one year. Returned to the road in 1987, it was then "regularly used in all seasons, clocking at least 1,500 miles per year". It also "competed in many navigational rallies and driving tests with both the VSCC and HRCR" and appears to have also attended the Le Mans Classic in 2008. Although there are no invoices for the restoration, the car speaks for itself and it still looks smart today.
Old MOTs indicate that BKP 589 has covered some 14,150 miles since 2001, the odometer currently showing 24,665 miles. Invoices show that within the last year it has been fitted with a new battery, various new ignition parts and a new radiator which cost £1,935. Other documentation includes four typed A4 pages of detailed owner’s tips about all aspects of the car (dated August 2019); 7 old MOTs from 2001 to 2012; a guide to the Solex carburettors; an original owner’s handbook and a factory repair manual. It even comes with a 500 piece jigsaw and a selection of nine Christmas cards featuring this very car. A full set of canvas weather gear (hood, hood bag, sidescreens, tonneau cover) is also present, all in excellent condition, plus a useful quantity of spares.
Our vendor acquired BKP 589 from its previous long-term owner just over a year ago but is now thinning down his collection, hence its appearance in our sale today. Appearing to be in good order throughout, it started promptly and ran very nicely as we moved it around for these photos with 40psi oil pressure. Notes on file state that it was compression tested in August 2019 with all cylinders showing at least 100psi which is normal for this engine. It has also been fitted with a steering damper and a battery cut-off switch. The notes also state that the car runs at its sweetest at 3,000rpm which equates to 48mph in top gear.

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

MODEL HISTORY
From the late 1920s to the mid ‘30s the Singer Car Company made a prolific range of machines and by 1928 had become the third largest manufacturer of cars in England behind Morris and Austin.
In 1932 Singer introduced the immortal Nine, one of the most fondly remembered and successful pre-war British sports cars. What really set the Nine apart was its success in the trials and reliability events of the day. As with many sports cars in the early 1930s, Singers were thinly disguised competition vehicles that could be driven on the road as normal transport during the week, but with minimal preparation could be winning on the track at the weekend.
In 1933 Singer entered a field of 9hp Sports models at Le Mans with considerable success. To celebrate this, the firm introduced a new ‘Le Mans’ version with a lowered chassis, high-lift cam, twin Solex carbs, deeper ribbed sump, close-ratio gearbox, hydraulic brakes and twin spare wheels which sold for £215. Its 34bhp engine gave it 70+mph performance, the car acquitting itself well against the all-pervading MG J2s and racking up no fewer than 495 awards by the end of the 1934 season including eight premier awards in the London-Exeter Trial, 11 in the London-Land’s End, 12 in the London-Edinburgh and four silver cups in the Scottish Six Days.
By 1935 power had risen to 38bhp thanks to a further increase in compression ratio and the addition of a Scintilla Vertex magneto. These later cars had counter-balanced crankshafts which replaced the earlier 'bent-wire' items which, like in its MG rival, had a propensity to snap with the spirited use to which they were often subjected. In addition to the open body style in two- and four-seater form, an attractive Sports Coupe version was also offered.