In 2003 I finally had enough money to realise a long term dream of owning a Morgan. At some point in June or July, we visited a local steam show and there was a Morgan dealer exhibiting (one of the ones that appeared and then disappeared just as quickly). Mrs F got to sit in a new Runabout. She was easily convinced that this was a good idea. At the time, we had the funds for second hand but a new Runabout would have required a loan.
I spent loads of time scanning the MMC used car finder and discovered a red 1985 4/4 at Allon White. I managed a quick visit one lunch time (we live just south of Nottingham but at the time, I spent 3-4 days a week in Milton Keynes) and decided that it wasn't the car for us.
Then I found a 1985 4/4 in metallic grey (Jaguar gunmetal ??) at Mike Duncan's. A phone call to Ben Duncan went along the lines of "Is the car as nice as your pictures make it look". Ben told me that there was a split in one of the seats but otherwise the car was in excellent order. We arranged to see it on the Saturday. Ben handed us the keys and suggested a route of mixed roads. We were both hooked. Then we started to negotiate - that split seat! By the time we shook hands, the car was due to get the seats re-covered, have a walnut dashboard and inertia reel seatbelts fitted together with a luggage rack. We arranged collection on the first Saturday in August and promptly joined the MSCC and DonMog.
We missed the August Noggin but made it to the September one - sans Morgan. 30th August 2003, I had an unplanned dismount from a horse (not Teddy) and ended up with a broken collar bone, broken ribs and a punctured lung. While I was out of action, I persuaded Mrs F to take me out for a drive in the Morgan but she found it too stressful with me in the passenger seat imploring her to go faster!
We kept that car from 2003 to December 2013 when it went to Allon White in part/ex for our current car. Phil told me that it was bought by another first-timer. My understanding is that it was again traded in at Allon White and is now in Eire. B31HWP has disappeared off the DVLA database.
