Long Four Saloon CPC 34 at Brightwells Auction 28th November

[ajackson]

No reserve

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https://www.brightwells.com/classic-mot ... -november/


Lot No.
25
Registration Date
1935
Make & Model
Jowett Long Four Saloon
Colour
Green/Black
Registration Number
CPC 34
Chassis No.
540083
Engine size
907 cc
Engine No.
5/4/0083
Documents
V5C; buff logbook; two old MOTs; 1994 purchase invoice
Estimate
No Reserve

Founded way back in 1901, Jowett commenced car production in 1910 from a factory in Bradford. Their first post-war model was the Jowett Seven (sometimes known as the ‘Short 7’) using an enlarged 907cc version of the pre-war flat-twin. Compared to other engines of the day, the Jowett four-stroke horizontally opposed two-cylinder engine was a relatively smooth and powerful unit.

The Jowett 7hp four-seater, known as the ‘Long Four’, was originally introduced in 1923 in tourer form with a longer wheelbase, priced from £245 and fitted with the 907cc side-valve flat-twin engine driving through a three-speed gearbox. In 1925 a closed saloon version of the Long Four was available, the range soon expanding to include the Black Prince, Silverdale and Grey Knight saloons and the oddly named Weasel sports tourer with twin carburettors.

In 1929 the engine received removable cylinder heads to ease maintenance, and from 1930 braking was on all four wheels. 1934 saw the introduction of a four-speed gearbox across the range and in 1937 the Seven range was finally replaced by the 946cc Eight.

First registered in January 1935, this Long Four Saloon appears from its V5C and buff logbook to have had only three owners (based in Aylesbury, Twickenham and Bucks) before being acquired by the Stondon Motor Museum near Bedford in 1994 for £3,000 (invoice on file). It then spent 21 years on display before being acquired by our vendor when the museum collection was sold off by Brightwells in 2015.

A Jowett collector, he has got the car running but has barely used it – the last visit to an MOT station was in 1993 when the odometer was showing 97,959 miles, a total which has since only risen to 97,974 miles. Appearing to be in good condition throughout with an excellent undercarriage and a charmingly patinated interior, it started promptly and drove very sweetly as we moved it around for these photos.

Only reluctantly for sale to free up much-needed storage space, this extremely rare and handsome saloon is a quirky alternative to the ubiquitous Austin 7 and is being offered here at no reserve so the best bid takes it home. The icing on the cake is the nice transferable number plate, CPC 34, which doubtless has a value of its own but really ought to stay with the Jowett, obviously...

[k. rogers]

Sold for £4620 including commission. Looked a nice sound car with very original interior. Saw it being loaded onto a dealer's trailer! Let's hope it doesn't lose its registration number!