Just to beat this horse past an inch of its life...I'll lend my two cents, though take it for what it is having never had the privilege of owning a Morgan.
I can completely sympathize with Blake from a pragmatic standpoint. I live in the USA. The US(at my best estimate) has around 25 M3W's...give or take five let's say. I'd wager that's even on the high end...point being, I would wager there are dealerships in Britain with 25 M3W's! The support base stateside is nowhere near what it is across the pond. I'd be baffled if technicians from the States even went over to Malvern to see the production line and learn from the craftsmen that built the beast. It's incredibly difficult to market, sell and most importantly support a product, if you have no idea what you're selling.
Having said that, it's not all doom, gloom, and hate on MMC. Blake and I had a great chat this morning on the phone - it's easy to tell the guy is just thrilled with the ride(and I would be too, despite his troubles - have you SEEN his 3W??), but you have to be able to understand his...agnst(best thing I could come up with). As he pointed out, it IS embarrassing for both company and consumer when he takes people on rides and has to make excuses for problems that shouldn't exist. Don't get me wrong, I will one day own a Morgan, and I will make the same excuses...but it does just kill me. We live in a slightly different world here unfortunately - even for the most technical of issues, I would only trust a 3W to one individual on the West Coast(Dennis Glavis and his technicians). That's it! It's ludicrous to have to be okay with "fettling away those little niggles" that come with Morgan ownership, if it's going to cost me $3,000 in shipping just to get it to the technician. Obviously, as someone pointed out above...the joy of Morgan ownership does not find its roots in fiscally responsible and worry-free motoring, it's very much a living relationship where there has got to be some give and take. In that light, I guess that's just how you get a piece of automotive history. With the disclaimer that even though the final product is brand new, the craftsmen are only human and the technique is somewhat dated.
RE: asbojohn comparing BMW vs. MMC and their development capabilities - how is it even possible that Morgan struggled to get 5,000mi on the M3W before release? Give me a set of keys and I can(and have) put 15,000mi on a collector car(1968 Camaro) in just a few short months! Not ragging on MMC, just lamenting the fact that they didn't know my time and services were available to drive everyday and report back with compliments and complaints!
