These handles are stiff - I felt worried I might break mine when using it but I was being over cautious. Have you tried giving a stronger pull on the lever - it's tougher than you would think and it has to be forced past the resistance to undo it.
I broke my handle this way. The solution was a new hood wire and a reconstructed hood lock mechanism with a longer lever arm (following Archimedes: "Give me whereon to stand, and I will move the world"). Now I release the hood with one finger.
There is a saying "a new Morgan is not a finished car, but a good starting point."
Harald
