Fowl Play - The Singer Bantam

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Among all the little Austins, Morrises and Fords, Singer’s light-car offering from the 1930s has been somewhat overlooked, although aspects of it made it much more memorable. For one thing, it had a proper name – Bantam – not just an unimaginative horsepower designation, and an amusing flying rooster mascot to go along with it. In appearance, the curved body and wings made for a better-looking car than some of its boxier rivals, and no other family saloons of its size could boast an overhead-cam engine.

The Bantam was borne of Singer’s move to economise its range, and hence was its cheapest, most basic offering, although in Deluxe trim it was still a fairly comfortably-appointed car. Financial sagacity in the boardroom meant that Singer had been able to cut costs without resorting to cheap materials or compromising production standards, and the motoring press received it well. Perhaps the reason it is not better remembered today is down to the outbreak of war, which killed it off after four years and put paid to the development of a successor.

The Bantam has, at least, been well appreciated by one owner of 50 years who has kept an early model in a very nice state of preservation. You can read about the car in the November issue of The Automobile, available now.

Words and photographs by Zack Stiling.

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