We find the small roads in the UK/US need a slim car. 64" was ok...but the Works and I decided on 60" for our mog in Canada and it was made considerably lighter than stock.
So the fact that the works now produce a 1720mm wide (67.7inch) Roadster means that Roadsters are no longer suitable for the UK??
Have the stock Roadsters got wider again? The brochures say 1610mm (63.75" the same as the laststock plus 8), That would make them much slimmer than the Aero. (BTW, try actually measuring your Aero front).
The wide-body Roadsters are based on the Plus 8 Widebodies..which I never got to love as much. Harder to steer, manouever and more wind resistance. However, there has been an inexortable move to ever wider Morgans in all models in the last 10 years. Obviously, an aesthetic choice of someone.
Of course, a wide-bodied trad is not as happy on skinny roads as a slim one. The most delightful trad and UK-friendly I have driven in the last few years (aside from my dearly beloved
) was the Bill Beck prototype Roadster that they had hoped to call the Super Six.
Bill wanted to use an adjusted version of the traditional 4/4 frame (pre-2004) body (you will remember the days when the 4/4 had a much lighter and slimmer frame than today). He had shaved the weight down to 1775 lbs. With the V6's horsepower the effect was astonishing! It can run circles around anything on a proper British country road. Our little design team at the Factory worked many of these ideas into my mog, built a year later.
Personally I have never had an issue with the width even on the narrow lanes of Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
You are a more adroit a driver than I!
However, have you ever looked at the left side rims on a Series Is at the Works (or anywhere)? That should make my point more poignantly. A glance would show that even the designers could use a bit less width as well.
It is simply impossible to deny that slimmer cars take less space in a lane than wider ones. I love slim British country lanes, (we do a couple of thousand miles on Worcersteshire ones yearly.)
What is different is the fact that my Aero can traverse these lanes faster than even my old ex race Plus 8.
On this we both agree!
I loved the Aero's immediate power from the instant I tried one. When there is space, you can pass someone before you finish thinking about it.
I took that thought back with the car to Canada and installed a LR 4.8 that I prepared myself. Got the bhp and torque to 300+ and it sits in a 1855lb package. Electrifying fun..or a lovely tourer whichever you like at any moment.
There was talk at one time of using the UK Volvo V8 in a light trad. Wow! Low costs, easy fit, same supplier and 312bhp. It was turned down.
Lorne
