Morgan +4 That entered 1955 NZ Grand Prix

For those interested in competing 4 cylinder Morgans

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John Clarke
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Morgan +4 That entered 1955 NZ Grand Prix

Post by John Clarke »

"The 1991 +8 is advertised in miscellany, but the 52 +4 may be more your scene"

This was part of the email I received from Leigh and it piqued my interest.

Way back in 1988, Sarah and I decided to visit New Zealand. I wanted to tour the North Island and contacted the Morgan club to see if I could borrow a Morgan, amazingly I received a reply YES.

We flew into Auckland and made our way to Henderson a suburb of Auckland were we were greeted by way of a bbq and a host of Morgans. “This 1952 +4 is yours for two weeks if you want but two caveats…I’ve sold the car and the engine has just been rebuilt!”

Not a problem I will take good care of it.

Sarah and I set off for a glorious two weeks touring the North Island. We visited Lake Taupo, the volcano of mount Ruapehu and the Bay of Islands. What of the car? It was superb but I was unaware of its secret history

Image.

So roll onto the present day. The advert on trademe for the +4 was……wow, wow it’s the same car we borrowed 30 + years ago….it even had the same tyres on the spare wheels!!

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The romance of 30+ years took over and I said I would pay the full asking price. Coming back down to earth…I re read the advert ….the Mog was in Dunedin on the Southern tip of the South Island, I would need to get it to the Northern Tip of the North Island! And what of it’s condition? 30 years of rain, freezing temps and gravel roads must surely have had a detrimental impact. And I hadn’t seen it for 30+years…

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But the advert also said it was entered by Tony Shelly in the 1955 Grand Prix of New Zealand. A flat rad Morgan entered into a Grand Prix….surely some mistake? I knew the name Tony Shelly as Peter Horsman raced Shelly’s Lotus 18/21. Some sleuthing was required….This is what I found out.

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Tony Shelly was the son of Jack Shelly who ran a car dealership in Wellington, In 1955 Jack was a Jaguar dealer selling makes including Morgan under his dealership Independent Motors. Jack’s son, Anthony was 17 years old in 1955 and thought he would enter the Ardmore New Zealand International Grand Prix!

He was given a 1952 Vanguard engined Morgan +4 to race. Would not a Jaguar XK 120 be more appropriate?

So to qualifying and Prince Bira hurtled around the track in his Maserati 250F chased by the Kangaroo stable of Peter Whitehead and Tony Gaze in their Ferrari 500/625s. Jack Brabham was also qualifying in his Cooper T23;

Tony was taken aback by the speed of the front runners and was said to withdraw from the race. Some reports say he retired with mechanical problems after qualifying…either way a good call!! The differential in speed must have been horrendous.

Nevertheless, Tony went on to have a successful career in F! and latterly, successful car dealerships in Hawaii and New Zealand.

Postscript
Did I buy the Grand Prix Morgan? Finding my SS and the ‘39 Le Man’s Morgan was enough for one life time so I bottled. I remain friends with the seller and even sold him a book!

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the dashdoard as it was 30 years ago and unchanged now
Sarah has also worn well!


John
8-)
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