Second Time Around: 1951 Singer 4AD Roadster
We previously wrote up this adorable little Roadster here in October of 2018, when it sold here on eBay for $3,387. Now it’s moved around from Thomson to St. Simons Island in Georgia and is offered here on eBay with a buy it now price of $4,500 or you can submit a lower offer. If you’re interested, you may want to view the earlier post as there’s a completely different set of pictures along with some additional history.
As the seller notes, the car does seem quite complete although there are certainly some non-original features (such as the paint). Complete is by no means perfect but it does look like there’s very little corrosion apart from the chrome pieces (and someone commented last time that the grille slats might have been painted originally. As a matter of fact, I suggest reading the comments on the last post purely for entertainment; it’s a microcosm of the “restore versus modify” argument and there were some great posts!
As you can see from this view, Singers are often unfairly described as a “slightly dumpier version of an MG T-Series”. In reality they are a terrific little car in their own right and feature better technology than the MGs in many cases.
As we noted before, these aren’t original upholstery but are certainly usable for the time being. And that’s a real rear seat as long as the occupants are small enough.
Here’s the engine. It’s a 1497cc four-cylinder . By the way, Singer cars and Singer sewing machines have no lineage in common — but if you are intrigued by this Roadster, you can find more information about Singers here and here. Let’s see what it sells for this time!
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Comments
Seriously? No comments at all? None of you are interested in this adorable little Roadster?
I have owned, restored, and driven Singers for over 40 years and they are indeed under-rated and under-valued when compared with the usual alternatives. The 4AD did well in competition in the early ’50’s on the west coast and the 1500 OHC engine is sweet and has good torque. This one is solid and very original, even down to most of the tools on the scuttle. A nice find at a bargain price! Whoever gets it can count on great club support from NASOC in North America and the SOC and ASCO in the UK. There are also Singer clubs in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In a field of Triumphs, MG’s and other common British iron you will be sure to stand out and get attention. Properly set up, they drive quite nicely too!
Phillip,
I have a 1952 Singer 4AD which I was having the engine repaired. After 18 months, I pulled it out of the repair shop, when they told me that I needed to pay an additional $4,000 to have the engine put back in the car, barring any further problems with the brakes, etc. I’d already spent $16,400 on the car, and it was running when I put it away! Where are you located and what should I have paid? Please respond. Thank you for your response in this matter.
Marjie