This lovely 1933 Nine Sports 4-Seater belonged formerly to Jim Keniston. It was first registered on 19 May 1933. From the old log books Jim has, it would appear ABH 337 had at least 18 previous owners, including a spell with the Harold Ruger at the British Army of the Rhine HQ in 1950, and another with the RAF at Dunsford, Cambs, in 1954. In 1963 it was bought by Bob Alexander for £5, which turned out to include a partially dismantled LM Sports Coupé for spares! Bob got it on the road in 1965 and ran it until 1967, when it became unreliable and he sold it for £50 to Kenneth Matthews in Southampton, from whom Jim bought it.
Jim says: “In 1976 I saw a 1934 Singer Sports for sale in Exchange and Mart for £260. When I saw the car in Southampton later that day it turned out to be a 1933 Four-seater. The vendor said if he had put that in the advert no one would have answered the advert! (I know I wouldn’t.) But we liked the pathetic looking heap, and bought it, together with a Land Rover full of spares for £300. After a lot hard work, money and, well you all know what I mean, it was back on the road in 1980, and won every show it entered. That was pay back for the hard work done, and after that we just drove the car and enjoyed it.
One afternoon in 1988, there was a remarkable co-incidence – Bob Alexander was looking for a Unit on the Westbury Trading Estate, when he saw a Singer 9 like his old one, on the forecourt of TT Services where I worked. As he got closer he could see it was ABH 337 – his old car! He called in and was told it belonged to a member of their staff. Initially, I was a bit doubtful, but then Bob pointed out a chassis repair that only he and I would know about. And I was able to show Bob the original log book with his name in it! Also remarkable was when we found we both lived in Trowbridge, and less than a mile apart!
Over the last 34 years we have travelled about 70,000 miles all over the UK and Europe with the Singer Car Clubs, and just going on holiday, sometimes with the car full of camping gear. The car has had several types of engine in it to keep it going, as I like to use it and can’t afford to be a purist. It now creaks and groans a bit, or is that me?”
ABH 337 is currently in the capable hands of Nigel Hughes.
