Morgan Sports Car
Out in the middle of nowhere - about two hours west of London is Malvern Link. It is a little country town. Almost everyone in town works at the Morgan Motor Works building this little sports car.
They have been making them for 100 years in this same garage by hand. They are not the fastest thing - prettiest thing - or best made thing - but they are different. The frames are actually wood! The metal body panels are bonded to that wood. The thing rides likes a tractor - very rough on your butt and your teeth fillings.
This body style hardly changed since 1936. When I got out of college in 1970 - I wanted one. They usually came with a little 4 cylinder engine - but in 1970 they started putting 215 cubic inch Buick V8's in them - making them fast. They were $2800 then - when a VW Beetle cost about $1800. I ended up with the beetle. Now - I doubt if one could be had under $50,000.
The top is a pain to put up and down. Most people buy Morgans for the vanity - and it sits in the garage 99% of the time. But they still manage to sell maybe 400 a year - all made one by one by hand. At the London Auto Show two years ago - I sat in one - it was very hard getting in and out with this 63 year old body. I guess I do not want one anymore - but I still like to see them and tell the story.
This body style hardly changed since 1936. When I got out of college in 1970 - I wanted one. They usually came with a little 4 cylinder engine - but in 1970 they started putting 215 cubic inch Buick V8's in them - making them fast. They were $2800 then - when a VW Beetle cost about $1800. I ended up with the beetle. Now - I doubt if one could be had under $50,000.
The top is a pain to put up and down. Most people buy Morgans for the vanity - and it sits in the garage 99% of the time. But they still manage to sell maybe 400 a year - all made one by one by hand. At the London Auto Show two years ago - I sat in one - it was very hard getting in and out with this 63 year old body. I guess I do not want one anymore - but I still like to see them and tell the story.
