Interesting Lorne - the angle you present is one I would not really have considered. Perhaps the Morgan buying fraternity is swayed by 'Special Editions'. Being someone involved in marketing I've always regarded them with healthy derision!
Tony, your take on "special editions" mirrors my own. They do not help in the medium or long run and sadly effect marque reputation. That being said, the LeMans and Plus 8 Anniversary cars were absolutely key.
One other thing, which started in the early 90's and continues to this day which I think is probably also having a pronounced effect - the "MX5 effect".
The 90's saw the MX-5 rise triumphant, the MGF become the best selling (I bought one!) roadster in the UK. Toyota, BMW and Mercedes all followed suit with more roadsters.
Damn! You stole my punchline.
That is what I was referring to by the "90's" thing.
I have never fully bought into the story of the Plus 8 "saving the company" in 1968 (though the car was an astonishing coup at the time). The fact was that the 1950-70's Age of the Roadster was dying, leaving Morgan with truncated roadster competition. They reaped big benefits from that for more than two decades. A moggie Golden Age.
As you say, in the 1990s the MX5 (here it was the Miata) ended all that. By the mid-90's, the MMC waiting list was dropping (not common knowledge) and Aeroman (and many others) had his first loss selling a Morgan. There were two solutions proposed to the Board then.
The true extent of the brilliance of the Morgan company, is that unlike Marcos, TVR and many other low volume manufacturers who have gone to the wall since the birth of the mass produced sports car renaissance, Morgan still has a healthy order book and a strong fan base and is looking forward to the future.
Can't agree entirely. After all, the MMC did lose its legendary asset base from 2002-2006. The waiting list disappeared a few times as well in that period. However, the fan base IS phenomenal, the order book IS filling again and its baby boomer time! BIG challenges in the near future and the old team is back in place.
Lorne
