I have zero idea of who might want to buy a new z chassis Trad these days..? I suspect there may ever be Trad Morgans available second hand from old wrecks to garage queens, and perhaps their availability will grow in time as those of us who own them loose our grip on the perch..?
Of course if there are those fired up with enthusiasm for a Trad, I am sure that there will be restorers a plenty out there who could restore/recreate a Trad to a better extent than any that might have left the factory..?
As for new buyers I do wonder what they think they are buying into... Having spent a few years reading of ...err..mature folks finally getting round to buying a Morgan after time spent in BMW, Jag or Merc or even Ford (-: saloons, and having become well used to the build quality, comforts and after sales service such manufacturers provide, it seems some can be quite shocked by a variety of aspects that are/were discovered to be the reality of their Morgan ownership....?
I have read of individuals spending much time, money and effort trying to un-Morgan their Morgan..(-: Be it changing suspension trying to make it more comfortable, or seeking to get more power from an ancient engine, I even read where a different engine was installed REDUCING ground clearance and a tube installed to save the sump..!!!!!! Jeez there are and always have been plenty of folk out there who think they can do a better job than Morgan, and some of them perhaps could, and did, which is just fine if you are buying an inexpensive car in which you fully understand the design concept behind it`s construction, which was perhaps based on a fundamental package for possible "customer improvement." I fully expect that line of thought was perhaps acceptable for the more self reliant Morganeer that existed in the fifties and perhaps on into the sixties, dwindling somewhat in the UK until the classic car scene took off, attracting UK buyers back to the products that Morgan had on offer, all be it with disc brakes more modern engines gear boxes and diffs.... ?
I have looked at the early attempts to modernise Morgan with a bodywork makeover involving fibreglass on the antiquated underpinnings.. A bit like the attempt of Porsche to replace the 911 with the 928 as has been mentioned elsewhere.. though the engineering and budget were slightly different..the marque enthusiasts perhaps thought alike..? Unsure of the MMC linkage with Rob Wells when he created ROB 80 R which looked TRAD but sported improved front wishbone suspension, supercharged (?) engine new gearbox etc.etc.etc.... When change has been tried and perhaps failed to work out as hoped, I suspect it takes the confidence of new blood to take the next step and perhaps Charles tried that to some degree..?
As for the priorities of the new "young" potential buyers... I have not got a clue.
I fear when we live in litigious times where expectations of customers has increased exponentially in all areas, to the extent that those with perhaps known and life threatening food allergies rely on poorly paid restaurant staff to prepare and serve.. fast food.. that will hopefully not contain this that or the other to the customers very specific requirements... I am unsure that I would risk my life to a fast food outlet if I was unfortunate enough to suffer any such issues..
The trad Morgan has long carried with it risks that other vehicles of the same model year do not, based on the ever changing construction and use regs, which it seems some small volume manufacturers were/are (?) able to work around, though it seems to be an increasingly risky business to maintain that modus operandi, given the volumes of traffic on roads today. I have no idea of the crash testing methods employed to determine how safe or otherwise any Morgan might be but I suspect a trad would fall short of the average Euro-box in some situations... Seems to me that Morganeers are prepared to take risks on board....up to a point..but where that point may be..I have no idea.. But Morgan are not alone, given Caterham and others offer little protection and some in very high performance packages ..I think former m/cyclists Sailors, mountain climbers and others who indulge in ...err... less than cosseted pastimes, may have different risk management perceptions... Dunno for sure..?
