1950 Singer Nine 4A Roadster

Description

Dating back to 1875, George Singer's company soon became the world's largest bicycle manufacturer. Singer later expanded into powered vehicles - first motorcycles, then tricars and eventually, in 1905, to four-wheeled motor vehicles. Concentrating on light cars, the model range constantly expanded and by the 1920s production was booming. In 1926, an Junior 8 hp model was introduced with an overhead-camshaft engine - a first on a mass-produced British car - and after five years was superseded in 1932 by the Nine, a model that was to prove even more commercially successful. Singer also enjoyed an enviable reputation on the track, with highly developed versions of the Nine performing creditably at Le Mans and elsewhere. Post-war production resumed at Singer's Birmingham factory, with engines and gearboxes still made in Coventry, and the first Super Ten rolled off the new assembly line in December 1945. The majority of Singer's post-war production was destined for export, much of it to Australia and, injecting much needed glamour into the model line-up, a new Roadster was announced in May 1946. Based on a modified pre-war Light Ten chassis, the Roadster boasted numerous mechanical improvements, offering sparkling performance and the ability to seat four adults at a very reasonable price. A revised model specifically built for export, the 4A Roadster, was introduced in 1949 with some useful revisions, including a four-speed remote-change gearbox (which, along with a raised steering column, provided more room in the front) plus a switch to a Solex carburettor. In October 1950 the 4B Roadster, with independent front suspension, appeared followed by the 1500cc SM the following year, which remained in production until the final Roadster was built in 1955.