I know nothing of automotive design. I have spent my adult life with aesthetics so I would like to propose that my perception, given that that is the `greek root, is that this design lacks grace, lacks lightness, which to my mind has been a constant in the evolution of the traditional Morgan sports car. The sense that, even standing still one could perceive speed. Let us consider a Supermarine Spitfire for example or perhaps the steam engine Mallard. The purpose of both is to go quickly: the function of the design is to promote that sense of speed. One can imagine the movement through grace of the form, through rightness. The Morgan sports car, to my mind, epitomised this sense of rightness in the period between the introduction of the wider bodied Plus 4 in the mid eighties though the decade that followed, where the stance of the vehicle felt optimal, the flow of line and curvature of the wings contributing to the aesthetic appeal. Digressing slightly, I would propose that whilst I own and enjoy Leica M's, it is the Barnack which feels right in the hands in every tactile sense and speaks to that precise, perhaps perfect visual blending of engineering and function. My conclusion is that this new collaboration ,whilst it may have achieved its market purpose, has moved far away from much that Jon Wells has so often espoused. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge that the elements of the traditional Morgan still clung to are not sustainable and should be left in that historical space where they can be enjoyed by the many who appreciate it. I think integrity should be an essential part of Morgan's development. This is not it. Time to move on. To conclude flippantly. Thunderbirds and Hermes handbags came to mind.
