A trad Morgan is not and never will be as well built and reliable "out of the box" as an MX5 for example - but Mazda spend 100s of millions on development, have a robotic production line which both requires and results in the closest tolerances and zero defects, and minimal owner and dealer input after delivery. One difference with Morgan is that the dealers are (mostly) great enthusiasts and understand the cars uniqueness and foibles. This is why you need to both involve yourself as owner with little things, and find a good dealer or specialist for the bigger things. I found one dealer (now gone) to be poor, but another absolutely brilliant. But owing to the simple design, many things apart from power train can be dealt with by the owner. I've done many small tasks and upgrades myself such as changing the battery, fitting shock absorbers and a new fuel hose, changing lights, mirrors etc - things I would not do on the family's cars (Volvo, Ford, VW).
Perhaps the expectations are unrealistic when someone who might buy a BMW Z4 for example buys a Roadster. This is not a criticism of anyone - more a matter of understanding what one is buying and managing expectations accordingly. A trad Morgan is capable of reliable daily use but how many owners really understand the need for 1000 mile greasing?
All part of the charm and experience. To me it's a way of owning a classic sports car with the wind in the hair experience, but with much less pain. As I've owned it, it has developed with me and become personal. And unlike the mass produced sports cars, despite its shortcomings and peculiarities, it has not depreciated.
Nigel
