1999 MORGAN 4/41.8L Petrol

The most recent MOT, carried out on 13 September 2024 at 24,099 miles, resulted in a clear pass with no defects or advisories recorded. That outcome is consistent with every prior annual test dating back to February 2022, which suggests a mechanically stable vehicle that has not thrown up any recurring faults. The one anomaly is a same-day fail and pass on 1 February 2024 at 23,395 miles, where the failure sheet lists no defects at all. In practice, this usually points to a minor rectification completed within hours, such as a lamp or tyre change, and the subsequent pass confirms the issue was resolved. The maintenance trend is therefore stable and largely exemplary on paper, with no advisory history whatsoever. The recorded mileage of 24,099 miles across roughly 27 years works out to around 893 miles per year, which is exceptionally low for a car of this era. Use has been consistently light: 22,108 miles in February 2022, 22,848 miles in February 2023, 23,395 miles in February 2024, and 24,099 miles in September 2024. That equates to only a few hundred miles between tests, with no sudden spikes or long-standing gaps. The notable gap is after September 2024; today being August 2026, the vehicle has not been presented for an MOT in nearly 23 months. A Morgan in this state has either been laid up or used only off the public highway, so the buyer should question where it has been stored and whether it has been started and moved regularly. Low annual mileage is a double-edged sword. It reduces wear on brakes, tyres, and drivetrain components, but it also promotes perished rubber bushes, seized calipers, and deteriorated coil springs from prolonged standing. The MOT record is clean, so no specific component has been flagged, but a 1999 Morgan 4/4 relies on a steel chassis and an ash timber frame, which the roadworthiness test only partially interrogates. Even with a spotless history, the buyer must personally inspect the chassis legs, outriggers, and timber joints for corrosion or rot that can hide behind the aluminium bodywork. Pay particular attention to suspension bushes for cracking, brake discs for lip corrosion and pad binding, and the condition of the tyres, since age rather than mileage will have degraded them. A fresh MOT will be required before any lawful road use, and that test, rather than the clean 2024 history, will reveal the true current condition.