Morgan Plus 4
After enjoying a varied life on both sides of the Atlantic, the first Morgan Plus 4 four-seater to roll off the company’s production line at the Pickersleigh Road factory has recently been reunited with the descendants of the car’s original owner.
How this early Morgan was reunited with its original owner’s family.
W hile each car has its own personality, some have a genealogy and a history that has a huge impact on the people that have owned them. One such car is a 1951 Morgan four-seat tourer that has made its mark over the years. Our story starts in 1950 when the UK was on its way to complete recovery from the devastation of the Second World War and car companies were able to resume motor racing and motor trials. One such company was the Morgan Motor Company with new models being introduced and just coming into production. By 1951 Morgan was putting its Plus 4 model into production at its Pickersleigh Road location in Malvern Link, Worcester. The Work’s team of Peter Morgan and Jim Goodall approached a successful club competitor known for his driving skills named W.D. Steel. Known as Doc Steel, being a trained Anaesthesiologist, they offered him the opportunity to purchase the first Plus 4 four-seater off the line, as the new model was just coming into production. Peter and Jim would be each driving a two-seat Morgan roadster and a drophead coupé and needed Dr. Steel to represent the final model in the Morgan line. Dr. Steel managed to scrap the money together to purchase the black Plus 4
four-seater, chassis No.P2121 and the car left the factory April 4, 1951, carrying the registration JWP537 that would follow it for the next 67 years.
In 1951 the RAC organised its first International Rally of Great Britain and the Morgan team Joined 226 starters. A rally like this tested the driving skills of the competitors as well as the stamina of the cars and including speed trials at Silverstone and travelling through England, Wales, and Scotland. The event also featured timed hill sections and many difficult corners and hairpin bends on very narrow and badly surfaced roads. Despite the difficulties, the Morgan Team of Peter Morgan, W.A.G. (Jim) Goodall and Dr. Steel managed to win the Team Award.
This success was no flash in the pan, as the same team would again win the team prize for Morgan the following year too. Although the doctor would often be the last car in the team due to his four-seater having a smaller fuel tank than the two other Morgans, he made up time in the Plus Four by performing well and scoring points for the team in the timed events. Dr. Steel went on to compete as part of the Morgan team in his reliable JWP537 for three years.
At the time Morgan’s were very popular with individual rally entrants due to their reliability and excellent handling characteristics when tackling the twisty roads winding through the rural countryside. The Plus Four was a real family sports car with all the features of a true roadster but having the benefit of being able to seat four occupants.
Like all classic Morgans, the Plus Four is based on a ladder type steel frame with Z-section side members and cross members of box and tubular construction. The car’s body is built from wood-framed (ash) clad with hand-formed metal panels. A common misconception is when visitors at shows ask if the car has a wooden chassis and they are generally disappointed to discover it’s only the frame for the bodywork that actually made out of timber.
The car Steel drove was powered by a Vanguard 2088cc inline-four cylinder produced by the Standard Motor Co. Ltd. of Coventry and was capable of producing 68hp at 4300rpm.
Dr. Steel wrote of his early recollection of rallying when he recounted in one instance of finding a dead sheep in the middle of a moorland road, a casualty of an unfortunate coming together with previous competitor. He and his co- driver had to get out and move the carcass and depart rapidly in case a shepherd came along and accused them of killing the animal.
Often they had to dodge sump- cracking rocks strewn in awkward places on observed sections and had to swiftly dodge them or be penalised. From his success on the rally circuit, Dr. Steel and his four-seater Plus 4 would go on to be become of the most iconic Morgans from the early 'Fifties. Noted in most histories of the Morgan Motor Company, Doc Steel’s Plus Four is now an instantly recognised car to most enthusiasts of the marque.
Dr. Steel explained in his memoirs how he came to end his competition days with his Plus 4. He was in a RAC rally starting in Blackpool with his then co-driver John Doddson. At the start of the event he noticed a glowing low oil pressure light but in finding no cause decided to start and rely on the Morgan’s reliability. I
In fact more than low oil pressure would befall Dr. Steel
and his co-driver on that ill-fated run. During the night in a thick fog while driving through North Wales, Dr. Steel wrecked the Morgan while following a grass verge after suddenly seeing a gate in front of him. Unable to stop, the car rolled over and landed back on its wheels.
Fortunately the hood was up at the time and the windscreen took the force of the blow. By firmly gripping the steering wheel and ducking, Dr. Steel had avoided serious injury but co- driver was knocked out. At that point Dr. Steel remembered saying to himself: “This is the last time I ever go rallying” and he stuck to his word. John had to spend a day in the hospital and fortunately wasn’t the worse for wear after the experience.
After the accident, JWP537 would be returned to the Morgan works and updated with a new 98hp, 1991cc Triumph TR2 engine that would allow the Plus 4 to be able to
crack the 100mph barrier for the first time. Dr. Steel at this point decided to make the best of his medical education and allowed the car to be sold to a new owner. Steel, later reflected that it was grand while it lasted.
The Morgan’s logbook followed the car but during the ‘Sixties and ‘Seventies disappeared from view. After a series of different owners the car miraculously reappeared in 1984 during the 75th Anniversary of the Morgan Motor Company. Now owned by Laurie Weeks of the Light Car & Cyclecar Restoration Company, the Morgan finally underwent a full restoration to its former glory. My twin brother Robert Burrows spotted the Morgan and several years later I would ultimately go on own the car.
Robert recalls seeing JWP 537 in bare medal on exhibit at several Morgan anniversary events and met Laurie Weeks. Excited on returning to where I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he explained how he was considered making an offer for the car but fortunately at this point he’s alerted me of the Morgan’s existence.
By 1985 I had the opportunity to visit England travelled to Hartlebury in Worcestshire, the location of Light Car and Cyclecar Restoration and met up with its owner Laurie Weeks. I’d arrived with my wife Judie and young daughter Dana and quickly discovered that Laurie Weeks still had the Morgan for sale.
We were excited to see the quality of the workmanship and to discover the length of time that Laurie had already invested into the restoration. He’d left the car in bare medal but seeing the stove enamelled components, such as the bulkhead, chassis components and a host of small metal components, the quality was apparent. The chrome components had all been re-plated and the wheels finished in a sintered silver powder coat and it didn’t take long for me to make a decision to immediately decide to purchase the car.
As mentioned previously, Laurie had left the car in bare medal so the next owner could pick the paint color for both the exterior and the interior trim combination. After visiting Laurie’s workshop, we had the opportunity to visit the Morgan factory and seeing a special order Morgan with Bordeaux Red bodywork confirmed the exterior choice. We returned to Laurie with the exterior colour choice and decided on a black leather interior similar to what would have been in car when Dr. Steel first bought it.
The Bordeaux red was an appropriate vintage colour and allowed us to avoid the name ‘ The Black Mariah’. This was a subtle reference to the hearse that carried dead bodies to Boot Hill in Tombstone, Arizona, and was often used by the factory when discussing Dr. Steel’s four-seater. We discussed some additions such as indicators, rear overriders and seat belts. Laurie would then take the ensuing months to finish the car to our specifications, taking time and care to do a restoration that would serve the car well for the next 32 years of its life back in the USA.
It turned out to be a flawless partnership between Laurie and myself. By mid 1986 Laurie was ready to ship the car to my home in Pittsburgh and had the foresight to invite Dr. Steel to his workshop so he could see the
Morgan 32 years after his final drive in it. According to Laurie, Dr. Steel really enjoyed seeing JWP 537 again and recalled many adventures that he’d experienced during his rallying career. This meeting would also allow us to visit Dr. Steel in 1987 after the car had been shipped to in the US.
Bubble wrapped and shipped in an open sided crate, the car was flown by Flying Tigers Air from Birmingham directly to Greater Pittsburgh Airport and the 1951 Plus 4 arrived in Pittsburgh in early 1986. JWP537 would find that is was sharing garage space with our 1957 Morgan 4/4, which was a result of a ground up restoration that had finished in 1983
My wife Judie and daughter Dana loved the car, since it allowed them to actively participate in car shows and experience the convenience of the car’s four seats. The remainder of 1986 saw the four-seat Morgan participate in nine car shows, usually winning first place class awards, continuing the Steel legacy. JWP 537 capped the 1986 show season by winning Best in Show while competing against 350 British cars at Hartwood Acres Show in Pittsburgh. The Morgan Plus Four often travelled to Ohio and West Virginia for shows, and showed its reliability on high speed interstate roads.
In 1987 the family had the opportunity to return and see Laurie Weeks at his workshop. More importantly we made a stop in Worcester to meet Dr. Steel in person. Dr. Steel entertained us at his home sharing many period photos and rally stories. The bond between the Steel and Burrows family was immediate. Dr. Steel knew that JWP 537 was in good hands and we would continue to communicate by letter for many years to come.
Back in the US, JWP 537 always would continue to be enjoyed while competing at a variety of shows. The car always found many enthusiastic viewers and quickly became well known in the area. We were members of both the Morgan Owners’ of Washington D.C. and the Ohio Morgan Owners’ Group. During the 1987 show season, the Morgan won not only Best in Show, but also the Peoples’ Choice Award at OHMOG 4 in Richfield, Ohio.
The car has been featured in many US magazines and international publications, all helping to keep JWP 537 in the spotlight. In 1987 we would discover a 1951 Jowett Jupiter in a shed outside of Pittsburgh and commence a three-year restoration and when completed in 1990 it joined JWP 537 and our 1957 Morgan 4/4 roadster. The 1951 Morgan would enjoy an interesting year in 1995 when it was invited to two prestigious Concours d’ Elgance venues. One was the Concours d’ Elegance of Eastern United States in Reading, Pennsylvania, and the other was at Meadow Brook Concours in Oakland, Michigan.
Morgan was the featured marque at Meadowbrook, with JWP 537 sharing a circle with the best Morgans in the USA. My Plus Four was also on the field at the Eastern United States Concours alongside Ralph Lauren’s $10,000,000 Bugatti Atlantique. By 2018 the 1951 four seater would amass over 90 awards and nine Best in Shows, including twice at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix British Car Day.
We appreciated the continued dependability of the car and enjoyed this timeless classic sports car for its photogenic qualities. It also showed that the 1951 Morgan Plus 4 continued its Rally champion roots set down by Dr. Steel and was well and living in the Colonies continuing its winning ways – us Americans love a winner! It was only in 2018 the Morgan would require a new clutch, this being one of the few major repairs since its 1986 arrival, except for normal maintenance.
In 2017 a letter arrived at our home with a UK postmark. To our surprise it was from Timothy Steel, the grandson of Dr. Steel. He had been going through some of his Grandfather’s old correspondence and saw many of the letters that I exchanged with Dr. Steel after the car’s purchase. He’d heard many of the family stories about his grandfather’s rally days and was now wondering if the car still existed.
I was happy to reply that the car was still a great running example of a classic Morgan four- seater and it was continuing the Steel legacy. At that point, I was not ready to part with the car but told Tim that if the moment arrived where I was going to sell it, he would be the first to hear. When Judie and I decided it was time to downsize in early 2018 Tim immediately came to mind and with the car in great running condition, I decided to contact him. By June 2018, Tim had expressed a strong desire to buy the car after seeing photos, stating that his grandfather would be pleased.
It didn’t hurt that Tim’s 18-year old son was excited to maybe have his greatgrandfather’s Morgan as a family heirloom and after expressing some initial concerns, Tim agreed to purchase the car. He stated that he would always regret not bringing the car back to the Steel family and by early October the car was now on its way back to the UK and Tim Steel. A new story would now continue with the car back in the UK residing close to the Morgan factory in Malvern.
Our family is hoping to return to England in 2019 to see Tim and JWP537 and to also return on a pilgrimage to visit the Morgan factory. The car’s history will now continue with a new generation of Steels in control and this well known Morgan is now in the care of the family that started its dynamic history.