Tim, I think you're addressing a problem MMC shy away from.
By marketing cars as craftsman built and all that they have stepped away from Peter Morgan's view of the car as a good, well built by good workmen, cheap way of getting high performance.
I've never forgotten the sales director at the motor show in 2005 saying to me that MMC sold dreams not cars. At that time they were having trouble with aero 8 customers complaining about hood leaks; when they tried the "they all do that" approach the customers were replying "my BMW doesn't" and demanding refunds. They'd stepped into a new price level and a new set of customer expectations.
I'd just ordered a roadster and my dealer introduced me as a suitable Morgan customer as I laughed when I got wet (The roadster was my third Morgan) but unfortunately people spending 80T didn't.
Now a good 4/4 costs 45T they too are in a new league of customer.
4/4 s were about the price of an mg....Now a Mazda is half the price (and the same engine gearbox really)........
Dreams only sell for a short while. People want a product.
My view of Morgan character came from a review of the plus 8 in 1969. He said something like......
The rear of the mog may look rather plain but that's all most people will see of it. Sitting at traffic lights the people around know you have sacrificed everything else for performance.
Unfortunately for MMC average modern car performance has increased massively and has basically outrun the mog.
So why do we like them? Beats me. But I still do.
Nick
Last edited by nick w; 16/01/17 12:35 PM.
