Just in case it has escaped your notice, there's an advert in today's Sunday Times In Gear section offering a turn on the contract for an Aeromax. It reads as though it's chassis number 1.

If it is 001, it has been up for sale since the owner speculator took delivery of it.

It was initially being offered at £150,000.00 but I believe they are now open to offers of £147,000.00

As Simon says, this has been doing the rounds since MOG 2008 where it was showcased on a Dealer's site. At least two members of this site have bid on it, but the "owner speculator" seems to have an inflated idea of what it is worth; especially in a market slipping into recession.

There has been another place in the Aeromax queue advertised on a German website, so if you want to have a punt there are at least a couple of options ... Bonne chance Plus4

P.S. It says in the ad that it is chassis number 1 Simon.

The Aeromax doesn't interest me. As far as I'm concerned having a Morgan is about driving with the roof down.

Plus4

Totally agree with you. If I was given choice of having only an Aero 8 or Aeromax, till I'm pushing up the daisies, there'd be no contest. And what's more my yellow S1 does the job nicely.

Cheers

Philip

Philip
I'm not surprised you see your car as a keeper. I think the colour looks great - I only wish I could break the habit of a lifetime and specify a colour outside the mainstream range. I considered changing to an Aero S3 but didn't like the revised rear end which I think spoils the lines of the car. I also had issues with the hood. Whereas I'm prepared to put up with the shortcomings of the hood on the Trad cars, I wasn't prepared to accept a non-electric roof on the flagship car.

Plus4

Know what you mean about the revised rear end. I too prefer the looks of the S1, but will admit to being someone who though the whole car was horrible when it first came out.

My car has a later type hood but true to Morgan form it leaks, though only from the corners of the screen. Some revised rubber bits may fix this. What I did notice in our group of cars was that I was more often top down than the others since less concerned about a sudden storm, given the ease of putting the hood back up.

The really bad leaks come in around the top and back of the doors, then spilling in over the sills. Subsequent judicious use of bluetak suggests these leaks can also be fixed permanently; time will tell.

Cheers

Philip

Has anyone noticed the new Aeromax is not legal?

The rear number plate on the factory Aeromax at Curborough did not have a number plate light!

Oversight?

Regards
Mark

I think we may have covered this in the past - isn't the whole plate slightly illuminated by cunning electrical trickery?

Do you mean neons?

...I thought the whole thing lit up, like the new style ultra-thin light boxes....

I believe you are correct and that the plate is actually backlit but I may be wrong.

Either way, really cool if it does!

The aeromax comes with a standard chrome licence plate holder with chrome lights to illuminate it. At least the 3 at the factory I saw today did.

Whilst I appreciate 'tis your opinion I do feel that is a bit strong

My hood (on my S2) is the easiest I have had on any car bar my S2000 and I have had at least 9 other convertibles in my time (I too favour an open top but given the opportunity of an Aeromax I would have no hesitation, if you can afford the £120k you can afford another £30-40k for a convertible also )

I can put my roof up (or down) in about 4 seconds by reaching up over my shoulders and pulling it up. I appreciate this may not be possible on newer cars as it is too stiff when new but I'm sure something can be done. This can be done virtually on the move. Ask Speedmog, whilst following him in convoy with an S1 the heavens opened, I pulled over into a layby, coasted had my roof up and sealed without stopping and pulled straight out. I dont think he pulled away more than 50m.

Also the hood in my Aero barely leaks. The only time I have any ingress is if its left outside in torrential driving rain I get a tiny puddle (and I mean small) on the drivers ledge and a few drops on the passengers. On the move I get virtually no ingress at all. I am using words like 'virtually' in order that I am not caught out by saying 'nothing'.

Lastly the hood is lined and thus reasonably quiet (please note the word reasonably ) not as good as the 911 hood but better than my old 325 hood! It does of course sit proud as we have seen on other threads but no worse than an XKR (last model) or a 993 911. I think bearing in mind the size of the car and the fact it has a reasonable boot (which I think is the cause) I dont think this I'd such a big deal.

I hope this doesn't come across as a 'he criticised my car so I will rant' type post. I just felt that the comments a bit strong and wouldn't want anyone reading this thread to take that opinion as Gospel.

Things do improve - the hood on the S4 is watertight, but does sit up behind the seats (photo to follow)
It is also very stiff needing two outside the car to put it up.
The plus side is that the sealing is much better and the car is quieter at speed.

I had a mkI till 6 months ago and the sole reason to sell the car was the "abomination" hood. It leaked in so many places that I just had enough.

I can't comment on the S1 as my car is an S2 and I am led to believe the hood is a big improvement. My comments stand for S2 onwards.

Just on the ferry back from St Tropez (via Calais of course) where we were subjected to the odd shower and where it poured overnight every night. No problems again. I also managed to get the roof closed (utilizing the help of my passenger while still moving at 20 - 30 mph

My S1 hood doesn't leak at all. Could use some more soundproofing though. Apparently some S1 roofs are better than others.

S1 roofs vary wildly. Mine was great, very little leakage even in a torrential downpour, and no worse than a 318 convertible my brother once owned. The odd drip in very heavey weather, but no big deal.

S2 is totally watertight, and the hood folds down relatively flat compared to some of the 'pram style' ones. Woudl be great to have the rear cowl flip up to drop the hood under, but it all adds weight to do..

http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/showDe...mp;pageNumber=1
and
http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/showDe...mp;pageNumber=1

Even the cheaper of the two is asking £161,000.00

Iam in love with mine, such an extraodinary car!!!!!

Don't know where to start, stunning.

Beautiful backdrop, the colour looks wonderful on the car. Deeply jealous in a good way.

Very much in a agreement with this sentiment. It really is a special car and I cannot help but have a permanent grin when I am behind the wheel.

colors similar to EL77

http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/showDe...amp;tabNumber=2

how do i upload pics of mine?

i have another that i bought for the sake of it, find it through the below website.

www.dicklovett.co.uk

that colour is ferrari grigio silverstone, it was there when i spec'd mine. changed my mine of the black wheels at the last minute as they were £2k and aren't quite right IMO.

Under the FAQ tag (Frequently Asked Questions) at the top of the page, are two explanations of how to post photos.

One on using the TM Gallery, viz: How do I use Gallery Forums?

And another explaining how to use a photo archive site, such as Photobucket: How do I add an image to my message?

I hope this helps Edward and look forward to seeing photos of your new pride and joy.

pictures are in the photo area.

Everybody can discuss, can argue, etc... But, well, in my opinion, and I am a "trad' mog" kind of guy, the Max' is maybe one on the most beautiful car of these last 20 years.
Period.


H3

Believe so - isn't that the case with Aeroman's 'max?

Thanks H3, I must say that I, and many of the AeroMax owners, completely agree with you (and that includes comparing it with the SuperSports).

It's a really difficult act to follow, both for the marque - but also for young Matthew Humphries.

Completely agree Brian. To my eyes - and I have yet to see the car in the metal - the SuperSports
is nowhere near the style of the Aeromax which is an icon.

Yes, the illumination is through the plate. I seem to remember a TVR had the same system, was it the Cerbera?

MMC had fitted the current production plate when I came to collect it, but I asked them to put the original back on. Their fear was that it could be a problem when it comes to MOT time, but I have spoken to a friendly MOT garage and they can't forsee any problem.

Aeroman

Can't vouch for whether the Cerbera had rear number plate illuminated from behind but the Griffith certainly did except, if I'm not mistaken, for the last 100 run-out models.

Had my Griff mot'd in France (contrôle technique) with no problem. I seem to recall though in Germany they don't accept it.

Cheers

I agree with that - hood on my S4 is incredibly stiff to raise but watertight.
Don't think it would be at all possible to raise on the move

Rbt Aero8

As an update - hood remains watertight but has loosened up a bit.
Mind you I have to have the roof down most of the time as the garage is so small that I cannot get out of the car with the roof up!

80 quid,
needs new.....

for me:
wrong wheels
steering-wheel (looks like a torturing device)
no side-pipes

ouch

Oops, I know whose that is

Sounds cheap at £80k unless of course damage is more than superficial?

ooohhhhhh.... interesting.

doesn't seem TOO damaged to me

If this is the one I saw at the factory late last year then almost every body panel will need replacing. It had all four corners and the rear end damaged, I couldn't work out how though

hmmm, enlarged "back-end"picture: damaged at rear too

a whole lot less cheaper

Ahh.. taken a closer look at the pics.

OSF: New wing and splitter... also possibly damage to air intake and air con rads.

NSR: Rear 1/4 pannel damaged at base approx 12-18 inch gouge

Rear: Broken Rear glass, damaged boot pannel possibly rear chassis damage and exhaust rear secion damage.

OSR: Rear lights broken, rear 1/4 pannel crushed.


General:
Undertray at rear probably damaged and not sure on rear suspension carrier alignment.

Other Checks:
Need to check if the bodywork hit at the back has rippled through the roof skin to damage top of windscreen area or top of door frames.

Take care!! The AeroMax chassis number A0038 is a category B write-off, therefore no parts will be supplied for this vehicle from any Morgan-Dealer. The chassis is damaged and can’t repaired.
Edi

TKO Then . . . Anyone need a project engine and gearbox.?!

That's a real shame, particularly if as Cereal says, it can't be repaired.

I must admit I thought cat A and cat B could not be sold for repair? Maybe cat B can be sold for parts (Cat A must be destroyed).

But it seemed that the vendor was selling it as a car for repair. I couldn't click on the ad a little whe ago will check again but don't even recall it being listed as Cat 'anything' and Marlow Cars is a reputable dealer?

Ok update:

Marlowcars website says:

"BIG PROFIT !!!! DAMAGED NOT RECORDED ! BIG SPEC. REG NUMBER AM59RLF .CHASSIS NUMBER SA9AEROMAX48A0038. FOR DISPOSAL ON BEHALF OF CLIENT CAR IS IN THE NORTH STARTS AND RUNNS. NOT RECORDED WITH HPI .V5 AND BOOKS WITH CAR.SAT NAV .HAVE BEEN TOLD LIST PRICE WAS OVER £130,000 AND THAT THEY ARE MAKEING OVER LIST,BUT WHO KNOWS! PARTS PRICE AROUND £10K OR LESS"

interesting but is it right?

£80k is too much. The parts may be available for under £10k, but it will take a skilled panel beater to repair the rear damage, and it might need a lot more effort than that to put it right.

Saw the owner at the Geneva Show on the Ferrari stand. Did not get chance to speak to him as he was involved in a discussion with a member of the sales staff.
Looks like onwards and upwards

The information from the factory to the dealer was

"Just a quick note to warn all Dealers that Aero max chassis number A0038 is a category B write-off, therefore no parts will be supplied for this vehicle.
A company has bought this vehicle and is currently doing the rounds in a bid to purchase parts.
We shall in future endeavor to keep you informed of any vehicles that are written-off as and when they occur."

Edi

The insurance write off categories are as follows:

Category A Insurance Write Off - the vehicle must scrapped and no parts or components can be sold other than for scrap. Amounts vary but the scrap value rarely covers the cost of recovery and delivery to a scrap yard.

Category B Insurance Write Off - the vehicle must not be used again but non- structural and roadworthy parts and components may be recovered for use in other vehicles. Care must be taken to ensure that they are not critical components with important safety functions.

Category C Insurance Write Off - the vehicle is repairable but the parts and labour would exceed the value of the car. This is a tricky situation as there are plenty of amateur and professional mechanics who could use second hand parts to repair these vehicles at much lower prices than the list costs for parts and labour.

Category D Insurance Write Off - the vehicle is economically repairable but other factors are involved that cause the insurer to declare the vehicle a write off. Perhaps the replacement car hire is too costly or it will take too long for a specialist part to be delivered.

Category X Insurance Write Off - the vehicle is easily repairable and may even be still roadworthy.

Unrecorded Insurance Write Off - the vehicle damage was not reported to the insurer or the driver was uninsured. The most common example is drivers who only have third party insurance but have had an accident that was their fault (usually not involving anyone else).

greymog,

Given this info and the claim that the accident and subsequent claim are not recorded by insurers do we assume that some has bought a Aeromax and taken out 3rd party insurance cover.

Does anyone know what happened, could it be a track day mishap?

I know of a guy who insured a new car fully comp, had a stipulation to fit a tracker, didn't, car got stolen and he was £70k out of pocket.

Pure conjecture but could have been a similar type of mis-hap. Track day? lent to a friend (3rd party cover only)? policy lapse??

More pertinently, Greymogs info is a Cat B but vendor is claiming no claim. Who is right and if no claim made or registered how come Greymog has been told it has been categorised?

More questions than answers

HPI Check would give the factual position as it's public listing.

another for sale:
http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/showDe...amp;tabNumber=1

Crazy money. Still I suppose its delivery miles only (29km) shame so many of these beautiful cars will never really see the light of day or turn a wheel on a real road..

Wow, that's circa GBP 167,000.00
Pity mine has now done 20,000 miles.

Out of interest did the factory put in place any controls to prevent speculators, or was it a simple case of shows us your money.

Please don't tell me your going to cash in the Max to make room for yet more toys though. Image what it'll be worth when only 50 of them are left.

John, unfortunately the best the factory could do to deter speculators was to ask for a substantial deposit. In principal, this would deter people who had to borrow to finance the car as they would be paying interest on the amount until they could sell the car and profit from it. Obviously this wouldn't deter wealthy speculators; however, I would imagine this group is very very small and therefore not of concern to Morgan.

I remember discussing this point at the time Aeromax 001 came up for sale and the point being made to me that even Ferrari Enzos fell into the hands of speculators and those were invite purchase only! The point was that you will never ever stop it. What I do know is that there were a few Aeromax customers who bought more than one car; however, there was only one who tried to speculate on their first car delivered. It is my understanding that the company declined the sale of the second one and allocated it to someone on the waiting list.

Hats off to MMC for taking this stance and in my experience, they did everything they could to protect the car from speculators and ensure they fell into the hands of genuine owners.

Simon I asked out of interest as it seems a pity to have owned one of these very special cars and then only driven it once or twice.

When I bought my first Aero a friend had put some money in an ISA. He cashed this in about the same time I sold the car, he got his money back plus a small amount more. I got my money back plus two years of enjoyment. Which in this day and age is a priceless investment.

A car like the Max I'm sure can only be appreciated from behind the steering wheel, the pointing the bemused looks and the smiling faces, it would be shame if to many of them turned into garage queens.

Could be said to be 'Delivery Miles' chasing you around the Globe Aeroman!

I agree with you 100%

The silly thing is that I do not believe that people will care what the mileage is in the future but will focus on the provenance and condition. Time and time again I hear about knackered low mileage 'garage queen' cars that require total mechanical restoration because everything has deteriorated from lack of use. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd rather have a car with miles on the clock, that has been properly maintained, than a low mileage minted that hasn't seen a road in 10-years.

And this is the reason the Aeromans max will be the most valued of them all.



Having come to the Aero from a classic Jag I'd have to agree the less they are used the more fettling thats needed, and funnily the bigger the bills.

i looked at this car this afternoon!! talk about Chinese whispers blowing things out of all proportion! the damage is rear end and o/s/r wheel, very light front panel and wing, NO CHASSIS DAMAGE , looks like morgan are being stubborn and digging there heels in because of a customer that cant drive wanted a new car! the guy that wants to fix the car even offered to take it back to morgan to be fully inspected before it goes back on the road

I agree with the hanger queen issues. My S2 was a 55 plate with 11,000 on it and had not been used for some time. I have just cleared about £3000 putting all the niggles right. The bodywork was wonderful but the mechanicals needed stretching and the faults had not been worked out yet.

I would be put off by a car with 100,000 miles on the clock (all be it I would enjoy putting them there) but I do worry about an 02 car with 3000 miles unless the storage had been really good. I looked at an S1 with 14,000 prior to mine and all the rubbers had gone, the steering felt like glue and the brakes like crepe. Mechanical sympathy along with a good cobweb blasting weekend bash is good for the soul and the mechanical continuity by my reckoning.

Anyway if you had a Max in the garage how could you fail to take it out. You would have to be on double strength sedatives not to want to. As Clarkson once said, I would drive naked in it if it were not offensive and illegal. If I had one.

Top marks to 1560 for drifting and giving it the life that displays what it is capable of. I am certain that the design team wanted to see it being used as the chassis was built to deliver. If you wanted a hanger queen you could fit cart springs and a worm and roller steering system.

When I go out the number of people who "signal" me to give it stick and want to hear the engine go loud is never ending. Anyone who drives in the car always wants to feel the speed and is amazed how resolved the handling is.

drive 'em like you stole 'em

Your first post and you defend a suspect Morgan being sold by a dealer to a potentially unsuspecting buyer: excuse me for being a pessimist but are you connected to the vendor?

My posting comes from a original MMC warning to all dealers.
Edi

All you need to do is look at the Aeromax build record on this site (in the Special Information section) to see that repairing an Aeromax is not a simple task. In particular, the rear section and roof is one piece and as it is made of aluminium, it isn't simply a matter of panel beating. Even minor damage to an Aero 8 is costly to repair and therefore, even if the chassis isn't damaged (this hasn't been confirmed and buyer beware), the cost to take apart the Aeromax and put new panels in place may be too cost prohibitive.

For MMC to warn the dealers about Morgan Aeromax 38, the damage must be significant.

Photos of the damaged Aeromax #38 can be found on this thread .

Next time I speak with the factory, I will ascertain what the story on this damaged Morgan actually is. I have heard bits of the story regarding Aeromax 38 but will be glad to hear the entire tale.

As an update, I was told yesterday that this car was 'written off' the owner was paid out, and subsequently has purchased another 'Max.

As such it is understood that this may be being offered by the salvage company. MMC confirmed they wouldn't supply panels etc for it and told one of the advertisers such (believe it has been with two dealers at various times).

Whilst I wouldn't swear my mortgage on the above, the same story keeps coming up, and as the old adage says, if it looks like **** and it smells like **** it most probably is ****.

I see that you mention "maxies" for sale. But I have not seen this one mentioned.

There is, and has for some time been, an Aeromax, LHD, manual, at Melvyn Rutter's.
http://www.melvyn-rutter.net/used-morgans/17