Black Sheep in the USA
A Very Special Morgan
About Black Sheep
1953 Morgan Plus 4 2-seater LSL472
Engine capacity: 3700cc
In November Barry Sumner, Morgan racer and skilled engineer will be taking his Plus 4 “Black Sheep” to race in the USA.
Barry has spent many hours building a very competitive car that has proved its potential in the UK in the hands of Jack Bellinger, Jack's son Billy and Barry’s son Ian.
2023
Billy Bellinger drove it to a fine and hard-fought win in the Morgan Challenge race at Silverstone this year.
2022
Ian Sumner won both Morgan Challenge races at Snetterton, starting from pole in one race and from the pit lane in the other.
At Silverstone Billy came second in two Challenge races having enjoyed race-long dices with the well known Plus 8 MOG1 in the hands of Oli Bryant. After qualifying Billy gave Barry a long list of things that needed improving on the car and then discovered that he had qualified second on the grid.
This car is a force to be reckoned with!
2021
A first win in the hands of Jack Bellinger at Silverstone.
Why is it called Black Sheep?
All of Barry's cars have a name. The 4/4 is known as simply VMO and the Flat Rad +4 is Nightshade.
Black Sheep has always been a non-conforming car and in its early days Barry was running a pub that sold Black Sheep beer. This seemed an appropriate for a rebel car.
Black Sheep has always broken the mould a little whilst complying with the Morgan challenge race regulations, so the name seemed somehow appropriate and its stuck.
Tech Spec
Morgan +4 chassis and front frame
Morgan sliding pillar front suspension with Morgan supplied steering box
Morgan front hubs fitted with ventilated discs and 4 pot callipers
Morgan leaf springs, supporting a Morgan supplied BTR axle, ventilated discs & 4 pot callipers all retained by a Panhard rod
Aluminium radiator housed behind original chrome shell.
Plywood floors
Morgan original style and silhouette body of ash and aluminium panels
Fibreglass wings suitably widened
Wider Aluminium wheels by Image finished it all off.
2019 engine specification was a 3.9 litre Rover V8 on quad Dellortos coupled to an original 4-speed Moss Gearbox.
The 3.9 litre engine was unable to challenge the class leading 4.6 Rover V8s. This presented a dilemma, either fit a 4.6 litre, which everyone had done for years, with the development a well-trodden path or try something different.
That question was resolved by Morgans using the Ford 3.7 Cyclone engine in the Roadster. A modern V6, utilising four overhead camshafts, variable valve timing and independent throttle bodies meant pastures new as to development. That was connected to a modified Morgan magnesium bell housing mated to modified Borg Warner T5 gearbox so that it sat in exactly the same position as the original Moss Box. Thus, retaining the 50/50 weight balance and the DNA of a Morgan.