A docile, practical car

The Morgan is a typical British car and has a loyal following all over the world. In today's fast-paced times, it may be an anachronism, but it still means a lot of fun for those driving it

The Morgan has a special place in the annals of motor car production and design in the United Kingdom. Very little changed in style and image for over half a century the little sports cars have a loyal following of fanatical Morgan owners from all over the world.

There was a time, not so long ago, when output of finished cars reached the dizzy heights of none units - per week. Then Sir John Harvey-Jones, the well-known British businessman and industrialist, lambasted the Morgan Car Co. for its inefficiency and for making its customers wait for so long for delivery of their new car. That message must have hit home at Morgan as production soon increased by a whopping ten per cent. Now ten cars a week are produced at the little factory in Great Malvern in the Malvern Hills in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom, close to the border between England and Wales. The company is still a family business with the current chief executive the grandson of the founder.

However, despite this higher output the waiting time for a new Morgan is still above five years! When the time comes for your car to be hand-built by the craftsmen at Morgan the company offers you a photographic record of the building of the car - stage by stage.

The Morgan sports car is quintessentially a British creation and to many conjures up a bygone era. Imagine cruising down a country lane, say, in the Cotswolds, with the girlfriend beside you and turning off to park on the banks of a little stream under a shady willow tree. A tartan rug and the wicker picnic hamper, containing a little smoked salmon, a cold chicken and salad with lots of home-made mayonnaise, strawberries and cream are laid out on the ground. The radio of the car plays a mixture of Glenn Miller Big Band music and a bit of that new-fangled bebop from America. Ah yes - the Fifties are alive and well and a Morgan is the ideal car to take you there.

If one was being over critical one would wonder why on earth anyone would want to wait five years for a car that looks totally outdated, is extremely difficult to get in and out of, has a body frame made of wood, is impossible to converse in at speeds over 50 km/hr and requires driver and passenger to wear goggles in order to prevent them from going blind due to the slipstream when the hood is down. You could wonder but in doing so you would discount the tremendous appeal this type of "hair shirt" motoring has for those lucky 500 people who proudly take delivery of their new Morgan each year.

There is a true story about a would-be owner visiting the Morgan stand at an Earls Court, London Motor Show in the early 70s. This gentleman was a heavy smoker and was surprised to discover, after inspecting the car closely, there was no ashtray included. On checking with one of the Morgan sales staff on the stand he was told politely, but firmly: 'When you drive a Morgan you haven't got time to smoke!'

The current range of Morgans includes the 4/4 2-door Roadster (available as either a 2 or 4-seater)with a Ford 1.8-litre Zetec engine; the Plus 8 2-door Roadster with a Rover 4-litre V8 engine and the Aero 8 with a Rover 4.4 litre V8 engine. The latter two models are both 2-seaters. UK prices range from £22,900 to £50,000 depending on the model and specification ordered.

The company hand builds the chassis (two large longitudinal girders with cross pieces to hold them together) and the body frame. The frame is made of best quality ash wood, is lovingly and carefully shaped and put together by skilled carpenters with T&G jointings and extra strong epoxy resin adhesives. On top of the body frame the external panels are then shaped from aluminium sheets.

Engines and transmissions are out-sourced from either Rover or Ford depending on which model has been ordered by the customer.

There are Morgan Owner Clubs in many countries around the world, there is even MOGITE (Morgan Owners In The Emirates) founded several years ago by Morgan enthusiast Wes Harry. At present there are only two or three active members but the club does exist here under the stewardship of Norman Sheppard. Norman and Elizabeth actually own three Morgans - two here in the UAE and one languishing in a garage at home in the UK. Their Morgan in the UK is a 1966 4/4 in BRG (British Racing Green) fitted with a Ford 1.6-litre engine. The Sheppards first became Morgan fans after purchasing the 1966 car when on a visit to the UK in 1985 and the rest, as they say, is history. Elizabeth succinctly puts it that "in a Morgan it is not like driving a car but more like feeling every bump in the road"!

The Morgan is a particularly British type of car. It appeals to those who hanker after wind in the hair motoring in a machine that excels at being driven fast and enthusiastically, yet it is a very practical and docile vehicle even in heavy traffic. The Morgan is an anachronism in modern day motoring terms - but ever so much fun!