Singer SM 1500

Manufacturer	Singer Motors Limited
Production	1948 to 1954
Class	Motor Car
Produced	17,382
Body style	4-door saloon 2-door coupé utility
Engine	1,506 and 1,497 cc overhead cam
Transmission	4-speed manual
Wheelbase	107 in (2,718 mm)
Length	176 in (4,470 mm)
Width	63 in (1,600 mm)
Height	64 in (1,626 mm)

The Singer SM1500 is an automobile which was produced by Singer Motors Limited from 1948 to 1954.

History

It was the first car produced by Singer after World War II being officially announced in 1947 with deliveries starting for export in 1948 and for the home market in 1949.

The car had a pressed-steel body mounted on a separate chassis the body is designed as an all-steel welded unit adding, when united with the chassis, further strength to the complete car. This 4-light saloon can accommodate six persons if necessary, having a full width front bench seat. Special features include a bonnet opening of such dimensions as to provide easy access to the engine, an unusually large luggage boot which also has a generous aperture for loading, and an inbuilt heating and de-misting system grouped instruments on driver's side of facia ; twin windscreen wipers ; headlamps and side-lamps, twin rear and stop-lamps, and automatic reversing lamp ; bonnet lock ; lock to petrol filler cap; twin horns; ashtrays; twin sun-visors ; interior roof lamp. 

The doors are wide and devoid of wheel arch cuts at the rear, enabling these windows to drop to their full extent. Instruments, grouped before the driver, are set in a facia panel which can be removed for detail inspection or attention.The new Singer is of up-to-date style, built to full width, with front and rear wing contour joined to run the full
car length. Windows are chromium framed and lam s in-built. The low,bow-fronted grille has horizontal slats and the boly/bumper treatment is unique. Hubs are stamped SM.

The " S.M. 1500 " chassis has box section side members braced by three tubular members and a special cruciform.The forward ends of this cruciform join the side members at a point where the independent front suspension unit is located, and in this way the independent front suspension is of a special design of coil springs and wishbones. Any tendency to roll is controlled by an anti-sway bar, and Girling hydraulic shock absorbers are fitted. Semi-elliptic suspension features at the rear, where the frame is above the axle.

The brakes were hydraulically operated are two-leading shoe Lockheed hydraulic system with 9 in (229 mm) drums.  The four-speed gearbox had a column change. A low transmission level is effected by a hypoid bevel rear axle.

The car was almost unique among British volume-produced saloons in featuring an overhead camshaft engine.the " S.M. 1500,is fed by a downdraught Solex carburetter.engine is really a re-designing of the power unit installed in the Super Twelve, retaining well proved and successful features and incorporating certain improvements with a revised bore/stroke ratio to enhance the performance and increase power output giving a capacity of 1506 cc.

From 1951 the stroke was further reduced to give a capacity of 1497 cc to bring it into the sub 1500 class. As from 1952 a 58 bhp (43 kW) twin-carburettor version was available for an extra £28. 

Inside, the interior trim used Vynide,plastic material. Offered as an optional extra was leather upholstery. the car had a bench front seat with folding armrests to front and rear seats and was optionally covered in leather. The metal trim was given a wood-grain finish. with a heating and demisting unit fitted as standard luggage boot giving 13 cu. ft luggage space.

COLOUR FINISHES :
BODY: Black,Coronation Blue .British Green or Silver Gunmetal.
UPHOLSTERY: Dark Red,grey,Beige and Dark Red.
CARPETS: Dark Red,Blue,Tan

Also in 1952 the car was face-lifted with a reworked grille, and raised headlamps.  In addition to the four door saloon a coupé utility variant was produced, the model being advertised in Australia as "specially designed for Australian conditions".

By 1954 17,382 cars were made in total.

• Single carb version
• top speed of only 71 mph (114 km/h),
• 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 27.9 seconds
• fuel consumption  29 miles per imperial gallon (9.7 L/100 km; 24 mpg_-US).
• Twin-carb version
• top speed of 76 mph (122 km/h)
• acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 23.5 seconds.
• fuel consumption of 22.5 miles per imperial gallon (12.6 L/100 km; 18.7 mpg_-US)

1953 Singer SM-1500 Saloon rear