Plus 4 Lawrence Tune

[peter rafter]

Year: 1955
Chassis Number: 3227
Registration Number: OBM 100
Engine Number: TS4406ME
At Iconics Auction 18 May advertised as 1977 Lawrence tune super sports engine. Dell'Orto carburettor acc. later a softer stage 2 cam. Originally a 2 seater and rebuilt by Musgrove as 4 seater and further modifications by Chas Windridge. Looks good. no personal interest other than coveting the engine. It is advertised as "Due to Chris Lawrence’s imminent move to the US at this time, it's very likely that the engine in this car is the very last Lawrence Tune Super Sports TR engine ever built."
regards

[Mark Shears]

Thanks for the 'heads up' Peter.

Very interesting...

Cheers,

Mark

[machiel kalf]

Dear All,

The very first Plus 4 with an engine, tune by Lawrence Tune, is dispatched on the 10th of February 1961. Chassis number 4749!

The car you are talking about, #3227, once a 2 seater, later a 4-seater, has nothing to do with what the MMC (Peter Morgan) means with a Super Sports. In the June issue of Miscellany, you will read a complete explanation, written by Jake Alderson, about the term Super Sports, where it comes from and where it stands for. In my archive I found original MMC-adverts, from several magazines, where you can read exactly, and what proofs what Jake wrote is correct.

Maybe this engine was tuned by Lawrence Tune. But they tuned many more TR-engines, for all kind of cars, like TR's, Peerless etc. What proofs that this is a LT-tune engine? Who cares about Fords, Vauxhalls etc, with an engine tuned by LT?

[peter rafter]

Machiel, this is about the engine.....
with respect this is not a representation with the iconic super sports models and their associated history. I posted this with regard to the engine alone .This is being advertised as "possibly the last Lawrence tune engine for a Morgan, irrespective of other marques, " viz " 1977, more power was required, so the engine was shipped to Chris Lawrence in London with the instructions to produce the best engine he could. This resulted in what was effectively a full 'Super Sports'-spec engine with a machined block, matching and balancing the rods and pistons, a gas-flowed head and a racier camshaft. Parts supplied included a four-branch exhaust manifold, a Dell'Orto carburettor kit and inlet manifold and Koni telescopic shock absorbers. Due to Chris Lawrence’s imminent move to the US at this time, it's very likely that the engine in this car is the very last Lawrence Tune Super Sports TR engine ever built. For this and any other marques? Many obverse may wish to comment or verify this. Merely having a Lawrence tune engine is not a supersports, this is manifestly not so and not advertised as such. I still covet the engine. Would a 4 seater body have hindered performance? who cares?
regards

[machiel kalf]

Hallo Peter,

My reply is still not answered. Do you have any proof that this engine is tuned by Lawrence Tune? Do you have an invoice, with a specification of the job that is done on this specific engine? Is the engine number on the invoice?

Thanks for your reply, Machiel.

[peter rafter]

Engine Number: TS4406ME
The Auction House confirm that that there is full supporting documentation.
There also is a pic of the engine on the website