The Morgan Motor Company is a British
motor car
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
manufacturer owned by Italian investment group Investindustrial. It was founded in 1910 by
Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan.
Morgan is based in
Malvern Link
Malvern Link is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England to the north and east of Great Malvern. The centres of Malvern Link and Great Malvern are separated by Link Common, an area of open land that is statutorily protected by the Malver ...
, an area of
Malvern
Malvern or Malverne may refer to:
Places Australia
* Malvern, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide
* Malvern, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
* City of Malvern, a former local government area near Melbourne
* Electoral district of Malvern, an e ...
, and employs approximately 220 people. Morgan produce 850 cars per year, all assembled by hand. The waiting list for a car is approximately six months, but has sometimes been as long as ten years.
Morgan cars are unusual in that wood has been used in their construction for a century, and is still used in the 21st century for framing the body shell. A visitor centre and museum have exhibits about the company's history from Edwardian times until the present day, developments in automobile technology, and a display of automobiles. There are also guided tours of the factory.
Company history
![The Aeroplane - 1912-08-15 - page 158 (Morgan)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/The_Aeroplane_-_1912-08-15_-_page_158_%28Morgan%29.jpg)
H.F.S. Morgan quit the
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
in 1904 and co-founded a motor sales and servicing garage in Malvern Link. In 1909 he designed and built a car for his own use. Previously he developed the first independent front suspension in
the engineering shop of
Malvern College
Malvern College is an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent coeducational day and boarding school in Malvern, Worcestershire, Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is a public school (United Kingdom), public school in the British sen ...
.
He began production a year later and the company prospered. Production of three wheelers approached 1000 by WW1 and quickly resumed with both racing and touring models. Morgan's first four wheeler came in 1935 with three wheelers phased out in 1952. Morgan continued to run it until he died at age 77 in 1959.
Peter Morgan, son of HFS, ran the company until a few years before his death in 2003. He was replaced as chairman by Alan Garnett, a non-family director, from 2003 to 2006. After Garnett's resignation, a four-man management team was established.
Charles Morgan (son of Peter), Matthew Parkin, Tim Whitworth and Steve Morris made up the new management team, and in 2010, after Parkin's resignation, Charles Morgan was named managing director. In 2010, the MMC became dormant and all assets were sold to a new company called Morgan Technologies for an unpaid 15 million and which took over all the former assets of the Morgan Motor Company, Aero Racing, the Morgan M3W Company and all other companies bearing the Morgan name. This cured the negative equity that had occurred over the Charles Morgan tenure
UK Company House
In January, 2013, Morgan was removed as managing director, replaced by Morris, but continued as strategy director until October 2013 when he was removed both as an employee and member of the board of directors.
At the end of 2013, the shareholders appointed Andrew Duncan, a local solicitor and very close friend of the late Peter Morgan, as chairman. In 2016, he resigned as chairman and company director and was replaced as chairman by a new director, Dominic Riley.
I
January of 2016 the Company was once again UK government funded by a £6 million grant by the British Government after a series of visits from UK politicians and Royals. In August of 2018, the name of Morgan Technologies, was allowed to change its name back to The Morgan Motor Company while the original company, founded by HFS Morgan in 1957, had its name changed to a numbered company and accordingly registered at UK Companies House.
For most of its history, the company was owned by the Morgan family. A press release dated 5 March 2019 announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Morgan Motor Company Ltd by the Italian investment group
Investindustrial
Investindustrial is a global private equity firm focused on buyouts of mid-market companies in Europe and selectively in North America. It was founded in 1990 by Andrea Campanini Bonomi out of an industrial conglomerate.
History
Founded in 1 ...
.
Though it was announced that as a part of Investindustrial's investment, management and staff were rewarded with shares in the company, this appears nowhere in the information registered at Companies House. And though it was also announced that the Morgan family retained a minority shareholding and would continue to be involved in the company this does not appear on any statement filed with Companies House. The price of sale was approximately the amount of the 2016 government grant which was used, at the time, to purchase back the land and buildings on Pickersleigh Road, that had been sold in 2005/6 to fund the company.
Early cars: three-wheelers and 4/4s
The early cars were two-seat or four-seat
three-wheeler
A three-wheeler is a vehicle with three wheels. Some are motorized tricycles, which may be legally classed as motorcycles, while others are tricycles without a motor, some of which are human-powered vehicles and animal-powered vehicles.
Overv ...
s, and are therefore considered to be
cyclecar
A cyclecar was a type of small, lightweight and inexpensive car manufactured in Europe and the United States between 1910 and the early 1920s. The purpose of cyclecars was to fill a gap in the market between the motorcycle and the car. A key c ...
s. Three-wheeled vehicles avoided the British tax on cars by being classified as
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
s. Competition from small cars like the
Austin 7
The Austin 7 is an economy car that was produced from 1923 until 1939 in the United Kingdom by Austin. It was nicknamed the "Baby Austin" and was at that time one of the most popular cars produced for the British market and sold well abroad. ...
and the original
Morris Minor
The Morris Minor is a British economy family car that made its debut at the Earls Court Motor Show, London, in October 1948. Designed under the leadership of Alec Issigonis, more than 1.6 million were manufactured between 1948 and 1972 in th ...
, with comparable economy and price and better comfort, made cyclecars less attractive.
V-Twin three-wheelers (1911–1939)
![Morgan Super Sports 1937](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Morgan_Super_Sports_1937.jpg)
H.F.S. Morgan's first car design was a single-seat three-wheeled
runabout, which was fabricated for his personal use in 1908, with help from William Stephenson-Peach, the father of friends, and the engineering master at
Malvern College
Malvern College is an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent coeducational day and boarding school in Malvern, Worcestershire, Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is a public school (United Kingdom), public school in the British sen ...
.
Powered by a Peugeot twin cylinder engine (from an abandoned
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
project), the car had a backbone chassis, an idea retained for all following Morgan three-wheelers, and used as little material and labour as Morgan could manage.
[Boddy, p.1410.] A single-seat three-wheeler with coil-spring
independent front suspension, unusual at the time, the driveshaft ran through the backbone tube to a two-speed transmission (with no reverse),
and
chain drive
Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles. It is also used in a wide variety of machines besides vehicles. ...
to each of the rear wheels.
[Boddy, p.1411.] The steering was by tiller, and it had band brakes.
It also had no body.
With financial help from his father and his wife,
the car went into production at premises in Pickersleigh Road, Malvern Link. Three single-seater cars were exhibited at the 1910 Motor Show at
Olympia
The name Olympia may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games
* ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...
in London. In spite of great interest being shown, only a few orders were taken, and Morgan decided a two-seater was needed to meet market demand. This was built in 1911, adding a bonnet, windscreen, wheel steering, and crank starting; it was displayed at the 1911 Motor Cycle Show.
An agency was taken up by the
Harrod's
Harrods Limited is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It is currently owned by the state of Qatar via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. The Harrods brand also applies to other ...
department store in London, with a selling price of
£65.
The Morgan became the only car ever to appear in a shop window at Harrods.
Interest in his runabout led him to patent his design and begin production. While he initially showed single-seat and two-seat versions of his runabout at the 1911 Olympia Motor Exhibition, he was convinced at the exhibition that there would be greater demand for a two-seat model.
The Morgan Motor Company was registered as a
private limited company
A private limited company is any type of business entity in "private" ownership used in many jurisdictions, in contrast to a publicly listed company, with some differences from country to country. Examples include the '' LLC'' in the United Sta ...
only in 1912 with H.F.S. Morgan as managing director and his father, who had invested in his son's business, as its first chairman.
[
In 1912, Morgan set out to win the trophy offered by ''The Light Car & Cyclecar'' for greatest distance covered in an hour, at ]Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...
. The single-seater covered , only to be narrowly beaten by a GWK; Morgan returned later the same year, reaching nearly .
Morgan established its reputation via competition such as winning the 1913 Cyclecar Grand Prix at Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
in France, driven by W. G. McMinnies, with an average speed of for the distance. This became the basis for the 'Grand Prix' model of 1913 to 1926, from which evolved the 'Aero', and 'Sports' models. Morgan himself won the "very tough" ACU Six Days' Trial in 1913, in the sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, making the whole a three-wheeled vehicle. A motorcycle with a sidecar is sometimes called a ''combination'', an ''outfit'', a ''rig'' or a ''hack''.
...
class. The same year, the company entered the MCC reliability trial, which it continued to do until 1975.
Racing success led to demand the company proved unable to meet.
These models used air-cooled or liquid-cooled variations of motorcycle engines. The engine was placed ahead of the axis of the front wheels in a chassis made of steel tubes brazed into cast lugs.
After the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the company introduced an easily changed rear wheel, which customers had been seeking for several years.[Boddy, p.1412.] The 1921 Popular, powered by an JAP
''Jap'' is an English abbreviation of the word "Japanese". Today, it is generally regarded as an ethnic slur.
In the United States, some Japanese Americans have come to find the term very offensive, even when used as an abbreviation. Prior to t ...
and bodied in poplar, sold for £150. It was a sales success, the price dropping to £128, and the name changing to Standard, by 1923, when a Blackburne engine was also available. The Grand Prix was priced £155, and the Family (with two notional child seats behind the front bench, setting a standard 2+2s would follow for generations) was £148 with air-cooled engine, or £158 with water-cooled engine. The Anzani
Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani (1877–1956), which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy.
Overview
From his native Italy, An ...
-powered Aero was also available, for £148. MAG Mag, MAG or mags may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''MAG'' (video game), 2010
* ''Mag'' (Slovenian magazine), 1995–2010
* '' The Mag'', a British music magazine
Businesses and organisations
* MacKenzie Art Gallery, in Regina, Sask ...
engines were also optional.
Morgan's racing efforts suffered a blow in 1924, when E. B. Ware's JAP-engined car rolled at the JCC at Brooklands; Ware was seriously hurt, leading to a ban on three-wheelers competing as cars.
Electric headlamps were made available in 1924, at an £8 cost.[Boddy, p.1413.] The Popular, powered by a engine, sold for £110, the Aero for £148, and the one-seater £160.
Like motorcycles, Morgans had hand throttles, Bowden-wire control mechanisms, and drip lubrication.[Boddy, p.1414.]
Racing Morgans included Harold Beart's Blackburne-engined special, with 3.33:1 top gear and a streamlined
Streamlines, streaklines and pathlines are field lines in a fluid flow.
They differ only when the flow changes with time, that is, when the flow is not steady.
Considering a velocity vector field in three-dimensional space in the framework of ...
body, which covered in a one-hour trial at Brooklands, with a peak speed of over .
In 1925, the Standard's price had dropped to £95, and the Aero £130, compared to £149 for an Austin Chummy. Electric lighting by dynamo
file:DynamoElectricMachinesEndViewPartlySection USP284110.png, "Dynamo Electric Machine" (end view, partly section, )
A dynamo is an electrical generator that creates direct current using a commutator (electric), commutator. Dynamos were the f ...
became standard that year.
Front-wheel brakes and electric start (a £10 option) became available in 1927, while the Standard's price fell to £89, complete with a double-thickness windscreen and "electric hooter". By year's end, the Standard was even cheaper, £85, while the new Super Sports debuted, with an overhead valve
An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located be ...
JAP 10/40 water-cooled vee-twin, priced £155. The 10/40 engine was also available in the Aero, at £132, while a more sedate air-cooled JAP-powered Aero went for £119. The Family was priced at £102 (air-cooled) or £112 (water-cooled). These new, lower prices persisted through 1928. They would be lower still in 1929: the Standard and Family at £87 10 s, the Aero £110, and the Super Sports £145.[Boddy, p.1415.] In 1933, the Family was priced at only £80.
Morgan's racing programme in 1927 earned the marque eleven gold medals and three silvers from fourteen entrants at MCC's London-Edinburgh Trials alone. The team was joined by Clive Lones and C. T. Jay, who won the 1929 Cyclecar ''Grand Prix'' at Brooklands, driving a Morgan-JAP, with an average speed of . And in 1930, Gwenda Stewart turned in a speed of in a race-tuned Super Sports.
Morgan three-wheelers benefitted from an annual tax of just £4, half the tax on the Austin 7
The Austin 7 is an economy car that was produced from 1923 until 1939 in the United Kingdom by Austin. It was nicknamed the "Baby Austin" and was at that time one of the most popular cars produced for the British market and sold well abroad. ...
, provided they remained under 8 cwt.
Morgans were also licence-built Licensed production is the production under license of technology developed elsewhere. The licensee provides the licensor of a specific product with legal production rights, technical information, process technology, and any other proprietary compo ...
in France by Darmont.
By 1930, however, inexpensive four-wheeled cars were proliferating, led by the £100 Ford Popular
The Ford Popular, often called the Ford Pop, is a car from Ford UK that was built in England between 1953 and 1962. When launched, it was Britain's lowest priced car.
The name Popular was also used by Ford to describe its 1930s Y Type model. Th ...
. Morgan, and partner George Goodall, countered by putting the and Ford engine in their own cars.
Morgan's last vee-twins were powered by Matchless
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models were produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc Four-stroke cy ...
engines displacing ; they were delivered to Australia after the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
The vee-twin models were not returned to production after World War II.
The Morgan Three Wheeler Club was formed in 1945.
F-Series three-wheelers (1932–1952)
The Morgan F-4 was introduced in 1933 at the Olympia Motor Cycle Show. The F-4 had a new pressed-steel chassis the four-cylinder Ford Sidevalve engine
The Ford Sidevalve is a side valve (flathead engine) from the British arm of the Ford Motor Company, often also referred to as the "English Sidevalve". The engine had its origins in the 1930s Ford Model Y, and was made in two sizes, or "8 HP", a ...
used in the Model Y, and a four-seat body. The F-4 was supplemented by the two-seat F-2 in 1935 and the more sporting F Super, with cycle-type wings and louvred bonnet tops, in 1937. Production of the Ford-engined three-wheelers continued until 1952.
4/4
Morgan's first four-wheeler, designated by the factory as the 4/4 because it had a four-cylinder
A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base.
A cylinder may also be defined as an infin ...
engine and four wheels, was released to the public in 1936.[Boddy, p.1417.] Powered by a Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, racing, and other specialty engine manufacturer.
History
Pre WW1
The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was reloca ...
engine, and carrying a pair of rear-mounted spare wheels, the new two-seater 4/4 sold for 185 guineas
The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from t ...
(£194 5 s). It proved popular, and a four-place model was added in 1937, joined by a £236 drophead in 1938.
Coventry Climax eventually ceased making engines available, so Morgan switched to a tuned Standard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company Limited was a motor vehicle manufacturer, founded in Coventry, England, in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay. For many years, it manufactured Ferguson TE20 tractors powered by its Vanguard engine. All Standard's tracto ...
Ten, producing .
In 1938, a 4/4 was entered at Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
. This led to production of factory replicas, with fold-down windscreen, cycle fenders (mudguards), smaller-displacement
Displacement may refer to:
Physical sciences
Mathematics and Physics
* Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
engine, and single spare wheels, with a price of £250.
Post-war cars
Morgan +4
The Morgan +4
The Morgan Plus 4 (or +4) is an automobile produced by the Morgan Motor Company. It is a more powerful and, in the case of the earlier cars, a slightly longer version of the company's previous 4/4 model. Plus 4 production ran from 1950 to 1969 ...
was introduced in 1950 as a larger-engined ("plus") car than the 4/4. The +4 initially used the Standard Vanguard
The Standard Vanguard is a car which was produced by the Standard Motor Company in Coventry, England, from 1947 until 1963.
The car was announced in July 1947, was completely new, with no resemblance to the previous models, and, designed in 19 ...
engine and at introduction sold for £625 (two-seater) or £723 (coupé).
The +4 used Triumph TR2
The Triumph TR2 is a sports car produced by the Standard Motor Company in the United Kingdom between 1953 and 1955. It was only available in roadster form.
The car had a 121 cid (1991 cc) four-cylinder Standard wet liner inline-fou ...
(in 1953),[Boddy, p.1418.] TR3 (1956), or TR4A engines (until 1969). Plus 4 production was suspended in 1969 but brought back in 1985 with a Fiat engine (1985–1988) and then a 4-cylinder Rover engine (1988–2000). Production was again suspended and the Plus 4 returned once more in 2004 with a Ford 4-cylinder.
From October 1965 to April 1967 Morgan produced the two-seat +4 Competition, of which only 42 were built, about 11 of which survive.
A limited edition Plus 4 was re-introduced in 2014 as the Plus 4 Super Sports. Only 60 cars were made available, all right-hand-drive.
Morgan +4+
A version of the +4, the +4+, was made from 1964 to 1967 with a fibreglass coupé body. The light weight and reduced drag improved the performance of the +4+ over the standard +4 in every aspect. However, traditional Morgan enthusiasts did not embrace this departure from Morgan custom, and mainstream enthusiasts did not embrace the seemingly archaic +4 chassis. Fifty were planned, but only 26 were built.
Morgan 4/4
Production of the 4/4 was halted during World War II but resumed afterwards. Production halted again in 1950 when the Standard engine ceased to be available but resumed in 1955 when a suitable replacement, the side-valve 1,172 cc Ford 100E engine was found and has continued ever since.
The 4/4 now uses the +8 chassis and a Ford engine.
Morgan +8
Faced with the decreasing availability of large four-cylinder engines for use in their +4 models, Morgan began to install the recently available Rover V8 engine
The Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminium cylinder block and cylinder heads, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom. It has been used in a wide ...
in their cars in 1968, giving these cars the model designation "+8".
The engine displacement jumped from the 2.3 L of the Triumph TR4 engine to 3.5 L, then 3.9 L (1990), 4.0 (1998–2004) with an optional 4.6L (1996–2000) all based on the same Land Rover block. However, this V-8 was no heavier than the Triumph engine. These features made the +8 accelerate much more quickly than the early +4 and also improved its road-holding capability.
Horsepower (143–204 bhp), weight and performance varied with emission and structural laws through its history. Thus powered, the car could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 5.6 seconds. In its final form, the GEMS Land Rover V8 produced .
Roadster
In 2004, Morgan came out with a traditional styled model to replace the departing Plus 8. The Mk I Roadsters with the Ford UK Mondeo V6 produced 223 bhp (166 kW, 226 PS) at 6150 rev/min. It had a Getrag
Getrag (), stylized as GETRAG, was a major supplier of transmission systems for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The company was founded on 1 May 1935, in Ludwigsburg, Germany, by Hermann Hagenmeyer; as the ''Getriebe und Zahnradfabrik ...
gearbox with direct drive in 5th with a 3.08 axle ratio. Later Marks had a Ford gearbox with direct drive in 4th with a 3.73 axle ratio. The overall gearing is virtually the same. The later Roadsters were powered by a Ford UK Mondeo V6 producing . In 2007, the Mondeo engine was replaced by a US-specification version of the same engine in the Roadster II. In 2011–12, the engine was replaced by the 3.7 Duratec Cyclone engine and output increased to . The company calls this latest model the Roadster 3.7.
Morgan Aero 8 (Series I-V)
In 2000, the Morgan Aero 8 was introduced and, as always, the wooden body substructure was ash
Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
. (Contrary to popular myth, however, the chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
is metal; aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
for the Aero 8.) The Aero 8, with a BMW V8 engine
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...
in a car weighing less than a BMW Z4
The BMW Z models are a line of roadsters manufactured by German automaker BMW. The Z stands for ''zukunft'' (German for ''future''), and has been produced in four different series with six generations consisting of roadster, coupé, sports car, ...
and considerably less than a BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986.
The initial model ...
, (though more than traditional Morgans) is even faster than the Plus 8, delivering what ''Autoweek
''Autoweek'' is a car culture publication based in Detroit, Michigan. It was first published in 1958 and in 1977 the publication was purchased by Crain Communications Inc, its current parent company. The magazine was published weekly and focused ...
'' magazine termed supercar
A supercar – also called exotic car – is a loosely defined description of street-legal, high-performance sports cars. Since the 2010s, the term hypercar has come into use for the highest performing supercars. Supercars commonly serve as t ...
performance. The newest Aero 8 (series V), presented in March 2015, puts out at 6100 rpm with the company suggesting a top speed of over . Due to the Aero 8's light weight it can do 0–62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.5 seconds.
During its customer production lifetime (2002–2009), the Aero was configured in five official versions, (I, II, III, IV, the Aero America and V) with mild variations in styling, engines, transmissions, braking and suspension. The company cancelled the model in 2009 but relaunched it in 2015 for 2016 deliveries. The year of highest production for any Aero variation was 2002.
Morgan AeroMax
The Aero was followed by the Aeromax, a limited edition of 100 units produced between 2008 and early 2010. The Aeromax was a coupé variation of the Aero 8. Customers have included Richard Hammond, Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles on the sitcoms '' Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and ''Mr. Bean'' (1990–1995), and the film series ''Johnny English'' (2003–201 ...
and Paul O'Grady
Paul James O'Grady MBE DL (born 14 June 1955) is an English comedian, broadcaster, actor, writer and former drag queen. He achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, very popular in ...
.
Morgan Aero SuperSports
The Morgan Aero SuperSports is a targa-roofed version of the AeroMax, sharing its bonded aluminium chassis and lower bodywork with the coupe. It was launched at the 2009 Pebble Beach car show in California. Its cancellation was announced in March 2015.
Morgan Aero Coupé
The Morgan Aero Coupé is a hard top version of the Aero SuperSports, sharing its bonded aluminium chassis, bodywork, suspension and engine. It was launched at the end of 2011. It is not available in the United States. Its cancellation was announced in March 2015.
Morgan Plus 8
The new Morgan Plus 8 is a classic body version of the Aero SuperSports and Aero Coupé, sharing their bonded aluminium chassis, bodywork, suspension and engine. It was launched at the end of 2011. It is not available in the United States. In 2019, Morgan announced its cancellation.
Morgan Plus E
The Morgan Plus E is an electric version of a classical Morgan, a joint project of Morgan with Zytek
Gibson Technology is an automotive and motorsport company based at Repton, Derbyshire, England. It was founded by Bill Gibson as "Zytek Engineering" in 1981.
In 1981 Gibson founded the "Zytech Group" with two main divisions: Zytek Automotive, ...
and Radshape (Radshape Sheet Metal Ltd.), funded by the UK government. It was displayed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show
The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
. It has never been produced and the project was abandoned.
Morgan Eva GT
Based on the same chassis as the Aero Supersports, the Eva GT would have been a 2+2 grand tourer, and as such it would be longer in the body. The Eva GT would use BMW N54
The BMW N54 is a twin-turbocharged straight-six petrol engine that was produced from 2006 to 2016. It is BMW's first mass-produced turbocharged petrol engine and BMW's first turbocharged petrol engine since the limited-production BMW M106 was disc ...
twin-turbo straight-6 producing 302 bhp, Euro-6 emissions compliant. Shown at Pebble Beach in clay in 2010 and expected to go on sale in 2012, deposits have been taken since 2010. At the end of 2011, Morgan announced that it would use new magnesium technology for the body and therefore it would not be represented until 2014 with deliveries after that. In 2013 dealers confirmed that the EvaGT had been cancelled.
Morgan 3-Wheeler
The Morgan Motor Company announced that they would launch the "3 Wheeler" in 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show
The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
. The 3 Wheeler was initially said to have a Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
''Screaming Eagle'' V-twin engine and a Mazda
, commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan.
In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...
5-speed manual transmission, and was estimated to deliver at the rear wheel. However, the prototype that was shown at Geneva had an S&S engine. Production three-wheelers turned out to have S&S engines. The kerb weight was originally estimated to be less than , but the final weight was tested at . The acceleration from zero to was estimated by Morgan as 4.5 seconds, with an (estimated) top speed of . The three-wheeler is to be homologated
Homologation (Greek ''homologeo'', ὁμολογέω, "to agree") is the granting of approval by an official authority. This may be a court of law, a government department, or an academic or professional body, any of which would normally work f ...
as a motorcycle in the United States. The company states that 850 deposits have been taken since the announcement in 2011. Customer deliveries began in Europe in February 2012. US deliveries were not expected before June 2012, when the first imported three-wheeler was displayed in New York City and at the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance. The Morgan 3 Wheeler was featured in a Series 18 episode of UK motoring show ''Top Gear
Top Gear may refer to:
* "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission
Television
* ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme
* ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
'' where presenter Richard Hammond selected the Morgan 3 Wheeler in a comparison of track-day cars. The 3 Wheeler won the "Not-A-Car of the Year 2011" in ''Top Gear'' magazine.
Morgan SP1
In September 2014, Morgan introduced the Morgan SP1 as well as its newly formed Special Projects division. The one-off coupe uses the same Ford 3.7L V6 as in the Morgan Roadster. The exterior is inspired by Morgan's LIFEcar concept and its egg-crate wooden frame is made of ash and African Bubinga red hardwood.
Morgan Plus Six
The Morgan Plus Six was announced in March 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show
The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
. Instead of the traditional Morgan ladder frame and sliding-pillar suspension, it has a new bonded aluminium chassis and all-independent suspension design, with double wishbones at the front and a multi-link system for the rear. The Plus Six is powered by a BMW B58 turbocharged in-line six-cylinder petrol engine, producing 335 bhp, coupled to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.
Morgan Plus Four
The Morgan Plus Four was revealed online in March 2020. Like the Plus Six, it uses a "CX-Generation" bonded aluminium chassis and all-independent suspension design. The Plus Four is powered by a BMW B48 turbocharged in-line four-cylinder petrol engine producing 255 bhp, with either a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Availability in the United States
For part of the 1950s and 1960s, the United States provided the company with its largest market worldwide, taking up to 85% of all production. This ended with the first wave of US safety and emission regulations in 1971. For many years (1974 to 1992), all Morgans imported into the United States were converted to run on propane as fuel to pass the US emissions regulations
Emission standards are the legal requirements governing air pollutants released into the atmosphere. Emission standards set quantitative limits on the permissible amount of specific air pollutants that may be released from specific sources ove ...
. However, this conversion, along with bringing the cars into compliance with US vehicle safety legislation, was carried out by the dealership, and not by the factory, making the cars grey market vehicles.
However, when the Rover Group
The Rover Group plc was the British vehicle manufacturing conglomerate known as "BL plc" until 1986 (formerly British Leyland), which had been a state-owned company since 1975. It initially included the Austin Rover Group car business (comprisi ...
re-certified their V8 engine for use in the Range Rover
Range may refer to:
Geography
* Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
* Range, a term used to i ...
4x4
Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...
sold in the US, Morgan was able to use the same engine for a fully US-compliant stock Morgan from 1992 to 1996, and again from 1998 to 2004. In 2005, the engine was replaced with the US-version of another traditionally shaped model (with a V6), called the Roadster.
In 2002, Morgan centralised its international compliancy development and regulatory interaction in-house. In 2005, its right to import its classic models ceased when supplies of its necessary airbag were exhausted and no replacement was developed. In 2006, a request for an airbag exemption to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rela ...
was refused, and the import of classic Morgans ceased.
In 2005, the new Morgan Aero 8 model (versions 2 and 3) received a three-year exemption from rear impact non-compliance, along with a separate exemption for compliance with "advanced airbag requirements". The rear-impact exemption lapsed in May 2008 without further application. Morgan has indicated to its US dealers that it plans to re-apply for US certification for some model at as yet an undetermined date in the future.
In April 2012, the new Morgan 3-Wheeler was showcased at the New York International Auto Show, at the Jacob Javits Center, by Bobby Singh and Gideon Lang-Laddie of Manhattan Motorsports. This was the first time in 10 years that Morgan had had a presence at the largest of the American car shows and was the first US specification Morgan 3-Wheeler in the United States. The Morgan 3 Wheeler was voted one of the "Hottest Cars Of The Show" by G4TV.
In May 2012, Manhattan Motorsports took delivery of Charles Morgan's Superdry edition Morgan 3-Wheeler and prepared it for its first major American trial. This vehicle was driven across the States, from New York to Los Angeles by Charles Morgan and his wife, covering 3000 miles, in the Gumball 3000
The Gumball 3000 is an annual international celebrity motor rally, which takes place on public roads. The name comes from the 1976 movie ''The Gumball Rally''. It was established in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper, with his vision to combine cars, ...
. At the end of the seven-day drive, the Morgan 3 Wheeler was awarded the "Spirit of Gumball" prize.
General characteristics
In spite of their traditional design, Morgans have always had sporting or "sports car" performance, due to their extremely low weight.
Among their enthusiasts, Morgans are affectionately known as "Moggies".
Suspension
H.F.S. Morgan's 1909 runabout used sliding pillar suspension
A sliding pillar suspension is a form of independent front suspension for light cars. The stub axle and wheel assembly are attached to a vertical pillar or kingpin which slides up and down through a bush or bushes which are attached to the veh ...
, an independent front suspension
Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road) independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system in w ...
system with each front wheel mounted on a stub axle able to slide up and down a fixed pillar that also acts as the kingpin and supported by a spring and external shock absorber (damper). One advantage is reduced unsprung weight, theoretically allowing the tyre and wheel to better respond to road surface irregularities. The Morgan system is described as an 'inverted' sliding pillar, as the pillar is fixed and the hub carrier slides over it. Earlier systems had the wheel carried on the pillar, sliding through a bush on the axle.
Morgan used developments of this suspension system throughout its existence, and it is still used on Morgan's "classic" line, although not on the Aero 8 or its derivatives. It has been cancelled, along with all the Morgan Classic line, in 2019. However, some "classics", shipped in parts to avoid the need for normal compliancy, will be shipped to the USA, and assembled there for an indefinite period.
Models
* 1909 Runabout
* 1911–1939 V-Twin 3-wheeler
* 1932–1952 F-Series 3-wheeler
* 1936–2019 4/4 Two-Seater and Four-Seater
* 1950–1969 Plus 4
* 1964–1967 Plus 4 Plus
* 1965-1967 Morgan +4 Competition two seater
* 1968–2004 (and 2012–19) Plus 8
Plus 8 (also spelled as Plus8) is a Canadian techno record label, based in Windsor, Ontario. Along with Underground Resistance and Planet E, Plus 8 was one of the early producers of Detroit Techno's 'Second Wave' music at the start of the 1990 ...
* 1985–2000 Plus 4
* 2001–2009 Aero 8
* 2004–2012 V6 Roadster
* 2005–present Plus 4
* 2006–cancelled Morgan LIFEcar
The Morgan LIFEcar (''LI''ghtweight ''F''uel ''E''fficient ''Car'') was originally a fuel cell-powered electric vehicle project undertaken by Morgan Motor Company and startup company Riversimple. The goal of LIFEcar was a sports car that would ...
* 2008–2009 AeroMax
* 2009–present Morgan 4/4 Sport
* 2010–2015 Aero SuperSports
* 2010–cancelled Morgan Eva GT
* 2011–cancelled Morgan Plus E
* 2011–2012 Morgan Plus 4 Supersports
* 2011–present Morgan Anniversary 4/4
* 2012–2015 Aero Coupe
* 2012–2021 Morgan 3-Wheeler
The Morgan Motor Company announced that they would launch the 3 Wheeler in 2011
at the Geneva Motor Show.
Technical
The 3 Wheeler was initially said to have a Harley-Davidson ''Screaming Eagle'' V-twin engine and a Mazda 5-speed ma ...
* 2012–19 Morgan Aero 8
The Morgan Aero 8 is a sports car built by Morgan Motor Company at its factory in Malvern Link, England (an area of Malvern in Worcestershire).
The Aero 8 shape evolved in the traditional Morgan way of form follows function and the main playe ...
* 2012–present Roadster 3.7
* 2015–19 Morgan Aero 8
The Morgan Aero 8 is a sports car built by Morgan Motor Company at its factory in Malvern Link, England (an area of Malvern in Worcestershire).
The Aero 8 shape evolved in the traditional Morgan way of form follows function and the main playe ...
* 2018 Morgan EV3
* 2019–present Morgan Plus Six
* 2020–present Morgan Plus Four
The Morgan Plus Four is a roadster produced by the British car manufacturer Morgan from 2020. The Plus Four replaces the +4 which was produced intermittently between 1950 and 2020.
Introduction
The Plus Four was to be presented at the Gene ...
* 2022–present Morgan Super 3
Motorsports
Morgan cars can be found in many areas of motorsport, from club and historic racing to more prominent examples, including the Le Mans 24hr race. A notable Morgan racecar was the Aero 8 GT car that campaigned in 2008 Britcar races and the 2008 Britcar 24hrs at Silverstone, prepared and run by Mark Bailey Racing.
Pescarolo Sport
Pescarolo Sport was a motorsport team based in Le Mans, France and founded in February 2000 by French racing driver Henri Pescarolo and his friend and partner, French publisher François Granet. They raced in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours o ...
rebranded its Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were create ...
as a Morgan for the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, partly to mark the 50th anniversary of a class victory for a Morgan Plus Four Super Sports at Le Mans.
In popular culture
GoMoG's Morgans at the Movies
*Peter Sellers' character in the 1968 film, '' The Party'' drives a Morgan.
* Sir John Harvey Jones famously visited the firm in the 1990s BBC documentary series '' Troubleshooter'' in which he advised the firm to modernise. The company, then under Peter Morgan, rejected the advice but began other changes, completed under Charles Morgan after his father's passing and following the late Sir John's advice in every way.
* In the TV show '' NCIS'', one of the characters, Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, drives a Morgan 4/4 notably in the S03E02 "Kill Ari Pt.2" episode.
* In the 1989 film ''The War of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
'', directed by Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Gold ...
, Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...
owns a black-top creme coloured Morgan 4/4, a present from his wife.
See also
* List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom
:''This list is incomplete. You can help by adding correctly sourced information about other manufacturers.''
As of 2018 there are approximately 35 active British car manufacturers and over 500 defunct British car manufacturers. This page lists ...
* List of motorized trikes
List of motorized trikes is a list of motorized tricycles also called trikes, and sometimes considered cars. There are three typical configurations: motorized bicycle with sidecar; two wheels in the rear, one in the front (aka trike); and two in ...
References
External links
The Morgan Motor Company
Morgan Motor Company Visitors Centre and Museum
Morganatica – A Technical Manual Resource For Morgan Motor Cars
Morgan History Info site
{{authority control
Car manufacturers of the United Kingdom
Sports car manufacturers
Three-wheeled motor vehicles
Automobile museums in England
Museums in Worcestershire
Malvern, Worcestershire
Companies based in Worcestershire
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1910
Family-owned companies of England