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Press Release 14th October 2013

Morgan Technologies Ltd.

Further to the decisions taken in January of this year, Morgan Technologies would like to announce that Charles Morgan is no longer part of the management team or Board of Directors of the company. Over recent months, and in response to the growth in volumes, model range and overseas markets, the management team has been strengthened across a number of different areas, reflecting the scale and complexity of an increasingly global business. Whilst these are significant developments for the company, setting it up to compete in an increasingly demanding global market, the family owners, Directors and team at the company look forward to sharing more news with the wider Morgan world that we believe creates an ever more exciting future whilst remaining conscious of the unique attributes of the Morgan brand.

Board of Directors

I have to say that whilst I understand (I think!) the reasoning behind all this, I really do think it is a sad day for Morgan. Is there any information regarding what if anything, Charles has an involvement in? Or has he stepped away completely?

As I said in a previous post, he was the charismatic face of Morgan and whilst I think highly of Steve Morris and Tim Whitworth with their undoubted business abilities, they just do not have that charisma. I really do hope that Charles will retain some involvement in what was the family firm.....and whilst there is family ownership, I do wonder how long that will remain.

I agree fully with Jay's sentiment here....

+1

TaTa Morgan?

I agree fully with Jay's sentiment here.... [/quote]

Me to - it feels like a sad day when that direct family connection is broken - hope I am completely wrong of course. Perhaps some significant change might be on the way, and the press release seems a tad "unfriendly" in it's wording and almost dismissive of his contribution to the company since taking over from his father. Once again, I would be delighted if I am misreading this....

I wish him and his family well.

Regards,

John

No way. The company is still owned by the family trust. Obviously the majority of the trustees considered a different management policy was in their interest.

I have to say that my feeling is that the staff are completely behind Steve Morris and you can feel a change in attitude towards more attention to customer concerns.

I am sorry to hear that Charles has decided to withdraw from the management team as I see him as being an excellent promoter of Morgan products but at the same time I welcome the apparent fresh breeze of enthusiasm that seems to be running through the factory.

PS. They really do need someone to work on their press releases. Both this and the release about the comfort steering/suspension package for the three wheeler leave a lot to be desired.

Just checked the company information, Morgan Technologies is the holding parent of the Morgan Motor Company and a number of other related companies.

Principal Activities: HOLDING COMPANY WHOSE SUBSIDIARY ENAGED IN MANUFACTURE OF MOTOR VEHICLES ANDSUPPLY OF RACE CARS ANDNON HOMOLOGATED RACE CAR PARTS AND ACCESSORIES, MANUFACTURER OF MORGAN 3 WHEELER

There doesn't seem to be any suggestion he's no longer part of the MMC in the announcement.

Colin

Charles has been in charge for a long time and after watching the new team finding it's feet, he feels it's time to take a back seat and steer the company with the other trustees.

Imho the current directors are doing a great job for the MMC as a company!

AND -which is far more of interest for us, the enthusiasts & customers- are doing a lot of good for US

Just imho, of course... but having had the honour to be in personal touch with both Charles & most of the directors, i strongly feel that a reasonable type of 'job-sharing' in between them is a must for a successful future of the companies!

And as long as the current board of directors stay what they seem to me - most competent, sympathic car & Morgan nuts - and play their individual roles in the day to day business AND Charles keeps his role - from which position ever - as 'the (well known & needed plus authentic!!) face of the Morgan Motor Company' everything can work out fine for all of us (customers) -as always: imho, of course...

I am not to indulge anybody here or wherever, but there certainly is more (needed) than just a well earned charisma (which is essential in addition!) for leading a future orientated car company, which is well advised not to leave their own heritage too far...

So let us all hope that they'll find a proper way of working together for what we all love:

the Morgan!!!!

You can get ring rusty maybe Charles needs to step outside the box for a while then step back after he has viewed Morgan from a different angle .

Ah, JTL - pleased to see your return, it has been a bit quiet without you.

Don't want to be a doom mongering git, but reading this release and bearing in mind how business works...reads to me that there is a new direction for the business looming and Charles doesn't like it....maybe a take over!

Perhaps the rest of the board just don't like the "go upmarket" trend Charles wS advocating and they have agreed to stay roughly where they are. I would think that therefore Charles may want out! Perhaps we need to wait and see rather tha engaging in pure speculation.

Cheers!

You will have to get used to it Steve . For some unknown reason I seem to have dried up and lost my sence of humour can't think of anything to write or reply to .

ef

[quote=Jack The Lad]You will have to get used to it Steve . For some unknown reason I seem to have dried up and lost my sence of humour can't think of anything to write or reply to .

ef [quote] you get to give that Morgan of yours a darn good drive.

Or perhaps he is tired of the daily grind? Or perhaps he is leaving to become a film star? Or perhaps he is turning his back on petrol and becoming an eco warrior? Or perhaps he is going to sell his 30% and set up a bike company? So many assumptions and no facts.

If the family had decided to sell the company, would it not make sense for them to do it unified and keep everything in equilibrium until the deal was done. Furthermore, I assume if Charles was the foundation of all this, he would be kept on with an earn-out to ensure a suitable transition.

There is too much doom mongering and I cannot see any reason to get out The End is Nigh placards yet

I prefer Bye Bye! NO I mean Buy Buy Morgan?

The press release reads "share more news.." this is PR speak for watch this space ....it does not take much working out!

Those who have lived and worked in the Global Market can easily spot the signs of what is about to happen ....I may be wrong...but I bet £5 ... lot for me to bet ...that I am not wrong!!

If you take a long view/strategic view this could be the right way forward- a great way forward.

As posted I believe the Morgan Brand is a potential mega brand - worldwide ..but one which needs a £££££huge investment. Enter stage right ...VAG Group ...BMW...AMG????

Lets find out!

But altho different the future is bright IMHO

Give it a couple of weeks and the facts will emerge I'm sure - I don't think the family will be doing anything to harm the heritage of Morgan IMHO.
They all have vested interests after all in the worst case possible scenario.

Sadly, my language skills are somewhat limited and I speak neither PR nor Morgan Technologies press release speak, so I am unable to follow your logic in implying a sale to VAG, BMW or AMG is likely. The only reference I have seen to a sale of the Company is in the October issue of MOG magazine which I have quoted in this thread.

I would accept your bet but I would not want to part a fool from his money.

What is for sure is that Morgan like Belstaff and even Aston, Bentley and Triumph before them have the history, heritage and potential to become a truly global brand and company. Is this a good thing, that is the question.

Fortyonesix is reporting this statement from Charles Morgan

Also a report on PistonHeads.com today confirming CM is appealing with a hearing being heard next Friday.

That could bite him on the backside. Wonder if the truth regarding the reasons he was asked to leave will become apparent post hearing? I cannot believe the shareholders are acting without legal advice.

It seems the other thread on the changes at Morgan has floated away on a cloud of hot air. ..

It has been moved to "The Soap Box" further down in the forum.

Aahh , thanks

Not commented on this to date.....as too many people I like to call friends are involved...

I am just very very sad and very very confused.....

I'm wondering how the two Morgan magazines are going to report these developments.....

It looks to me like a 'family feud', and speaking with years of close up experience of being part of a family which has had deep seated rifts, all I can say is that when 'another woman' comes on the scene, there will be scores to settle. In my mothers case, the deed took place in 1956, but she still has a burning anger & resentment, even now.
That's just my two pennorth.

I am sorry to read Charles Morgan's statement that his severance leaves him in desperate financial straits. However, it leads me to believe that the reason for the ouster is lack of profitability of MMC. Since he owns an outright 30% of MMC he should be receiving healthy dividends if the company is prospering.

I suspect that Charles was receiving a substantial salary with a nice expense account while the rest of the family were receiving little or no dividends.

Reading the tea leaves further, it appears to me that the Morgan family probably does not have plans to sell the company to some hedge fund or foreign buyer. If MMC were "in play" then Charles's 30% equity in MMC would make him a fairly rich man.

Ah yes.....the dreaded tea leafs.

I think I'll get the ouija board out and ask the spirits for guidance

Forget the board, just a glass and the spirits will be all you need

I received this additional information from MMC over the weekend:-

It seems it is the old adage alas in family firms that generally by generation 3 they fail or morph into something else.

It will be interesting to see (having watched the 3 videos this w/end) how a hand off family will manage the board & how they keep the cachet of Morgan without a family figure head.

Frankly I bought one because not in any special order:-
1. My Dad dreamed of one but could only buy a BSA 250. He never drove in mine but I know he wolud have loved it.
2. I loved the Harvey Jones programmes as they showed love for the product & process
3. I admire my pre long door hand built not hand assembled car
4. i wanted a usable classic given a busy job
5. Most importantly they look and drive like nothing else

Long live the brand & I hope the ethos.
John

TalkMorgan,
Thanks for posting this information. The charts are a big help in understanding the company's owners and officers. The family tree chart makes it clear that Peter Morgan's intention was that the company would be owned by his entire family, with Charles being the most influential member but not the czar.
(For some reason my software suspects a virus in the MT attachment and will not download it.)

Thanks, very interesting.

Thanks TM - The Morgan cupboard is far from bare - infact the gene pool is rich - no worries.

Me to - it feels like a sad day when that direct family connection is broken [/quote]

Wonder why you say that. BMW has a strong family connection / shareholding but a professional management and it works fine. You could say the same of Ford and Toyota. It simply isnt always the case that the offspring of the founder of a business have the skills necessary to run it successfully.

And then of course there are always the family feuds / fights. Lots of examples of those too - Aldi / Lidl for example or Brough bikes

Then there is the VAG family strife.

Actually family fights make privately owned companies interesting, and in my view do less harm than shareholders in a public company.

The professional position is one of silence. How do the contenders stack up against this challenge ? It tells you a lot. Professionals are needed to run a company. Love and dedication is a tremendous asset as well.

I meant that when such a delicate matter is in hand those that are dealing with it professionally tend to keep silent out of respect for the process and effects. how do the parties involved stack up against this metric and show their professionalism.

I understand and respect your comments w.r.t. to the profitability however had it not been for the aero range I would have never become part of this eclectic family. Risk is not without reward however yet it is easy to judge in retrospect.

Not meant in an offensive manner.

Mike, I do wonder what would have happened without the Aero,(yes I know I'm bias) would the factory have moved over to superforming?

If they hadn't how much would a wing cost now with the labour involved?

To me the mistake was in stopping in the aero and moving the price as far north as they did for its replacement. They should have been looking to exploit the gap created by the demise of TVR.

But we all know what happens when the Russians get involve. ::drac::They bleed it dry.

Sorry couldn't resist finding a use for the Smilie

Without commenting on whether Charles got a "raw deal" or not let us remember that at one time HFS stepped down as MD and had Charles Goodall fill his shoes. HFS wanted to enjoy his wealth. If the current chiefs do as well as the old ones did the company is OK.
Dick

out of curiosity if the Aero had not been around what would Aero owners have purchased?

Mike if you look at the accounts for M3W limited they aren't great.

I would agree about the pricing on the aero range. I'd disagree on the them being a bad move, without the aero range we wouldn't have seen the aeromax and the publicity which lifted Morgan again.

The Company has to change and appeal to a wider audience if its not it's going to die. We've all laughed about the video Alistair posted, but I wonder what Morgan owners of the day would have said when Mick Jagger was rolling around in his +8 with Marianne Faithful and a box of Mars bars.

I now own 3 Morgan's all bought new, not 10 years old and although I'd always wanted a Morgan as a kid without the Aero range I wouldn't have considered buying.

The company in order to succeed needs to be attracting new buyers and if it has to throw the net wide to attract them so be it.

I think MMC should launch a cut price car that can be insured by under 25s, only sell it on some form of PCP so they all come back to be rejuvenated and are re-let. This will secure MMC buyers for the future. Don't need to sell them in big numbers a few hundred a year would work.

My kids love driving the +4 simply because its different, for the right money I could see many a parent buying one justified by the fact the kids can drive it. The challenge then will be marketing the car.

Isn't that just what Caterham done with a new entry level model?

I was brought to the Morgan fold by the Aero 8 and now also have a 3 wheeler, which I love despite the issues that have affected my one year old car.

The trad range would probably never have appealed to me sufficiently to make the move and I am now a committed Morganite.

All car companies make mistakes, and I expect we are pleased if the Eva is quietly given a humane burial despite its undoubted possibilities.

Rather than knocking the cost of the Aero I believe it is time to use the Aero chassis and the lessons learned more intelligently. The company lost a lot of money by chasing the US and all that stuff which they can now do with the 3W and that's a great thing, but the rule changes that prevented the Aero selling in the US and the imperfect development are bound to have cost a huge sum. I expect CM is somewhat blamed for that, and it undoubtedly ate into the reserves big time.

Moving the Aero range upmarket was a mistake as sales have showed. And the Plus 8 is too compromised at its price point to my mind. But we also all need to acknowledge that the trad chassis cannot last for ever in a world with increasing technology and legislation unless Morgan is to simply become a small niche maker of relics.

Bring out an Aero 6 GT3 or even an Aero 4. Give it a boot and a half decent hood. Take the old TVR market, and by all means create a 4/4, Plus 4 or similar on the Aero chassis too.

Oh - and re-launch an improved lighter M3W which can be sold as nearly globally as possible but don't sell more than 600 - 800 a year.

And not more than 5 or 6 models in total. Currently there seem to be about 9 or so.

My kids both want to drive the Roadster, but it is unaffordable to add them to the policy until they are over 30. Why?
I spoke to the underwriter and it is because the car is considered to be hand built and therefore cannot be repaired by a normal car repair place = expensive.

To get a young owner group they need to make a car that can be sold for less than £25,000 and is cheap to repair. I don't think that, given the way Morgan builds cars, this is possible.

Aldermog

Your avatar intrigues me.....are you kissing a Goldfish ?

We've been down this route before. The Aero chassis would be too expensive to use for the 4/4 and the Plus 4 and you'd end up with a car close to the width of the Plus 8 unless radical changes were made to the existing Aero chassis, which would mean more costly development.

The Traditional steel chassis will no doubt be either legislated out or the rear axle components will cease to be produced and hopefully Morgan have got some long term plans for its eventual replacement.

Would a modified Aero chassis be too dear for a Trad? The basic (low sale volume) Elise on a bonded aluminium chassis sells for below £30k, whether Lotus make a profit though........

When the 4/4 sport first came out it was just over 23T wasn't it? I remember it quickly went up to 26 and now seems to be over 30....how long has it been out? It must have been very underpriced initially then?
I also seem to rememberr that the runabout was announced as a car the factory could build when they weren't busy as it wasn't customer spec'd, I bought one actually and had it for a couple of years. When the sport came out I assumed it was for a similar reason, initially only in 3 colours etc..
nick

Good point Nick, the Runabout became the 4/4 Sport in market niche terms.
The difference with the Elise is the fibreglass body which must be cheaper to produce than the aluminium Morgan body.
An aluminium chassis, fibreglass bodied Morgan doesn't seem right, but if it was £26k new would probably sell.

Morgan GRP body didn't sell back in the 60s...

No it didn't. Maybe things have moved on. But I'd rather have what we've got.

I seem to remember that some years ago Mark Ledington told me that part of the rationale for pricing/spec of the Runabout was to keep the finance cost for purchasers below £200 p/mth.

In practice, it had the effect of boosting other trad sales as, once they were through the showroom door, most buyers went for a better spec bespoke 4/4 or Plus 4.

Nah...eating a large prawn!

I still think we need to be careful about reading too much into what may or may not have been alleged.

What is certain is that in family companies it is often the case (and I stress that I am talking in the abstract here...) that huge resentment can build up amongst other shareholders when the one who is actually running the business seems to be using the business as a personal fiefdom, living high on the hog, taking a large salary and benefits whilst the rest of them are rewarded with disappointing dividends. The business side of things may also become clouded by emotional issues such as family break up, nubile new wife and so on.

The grandfather of one of my oldest friends arrived in England as a penniless Jewish refugee just before WWII. He built a business which ended up with a full stock exchange listing (tho' the family still owned about half of the business between them). He put all of his children and grandchildren through Public School and University, had a personal checking account with the bank of England and so on. After his demise my friend's uncle took over as MD. He paid himself handsomely, & had a fancy new Mercedes every year while the rest of them got less and less return. They should have ousted him; within 6 years the business was bankrupt, and the rest of them lost their birthright.

The uncle in question ended up as a Business Studies Lecturer......

Lots of wisdom coming through loud and nicely! How civilised.

I still think an Aero chassis with narrower wings could be produced for a cheaper car. But only sensible if the trad chassis cannot be continued...

There ought to be a strategy for taking the trads forward, but I bet this one ain't so simple.

Faith, comrades, and let's offer the civilised responses the management team needs, with or without CM. I still like the CM thing though, and will take some persuading that knee-jerk changes are good. Never worked in my experience...

Personally, I would have probably bought my fourth Porsche - despite the fact they were no longer hand built or charismatic. So glad I didn't have to...

And like Asbo, once introduced to the Morgan marque I went on to buy trads (both new). So don't underestimate the importance of the Aero in expanding Morgan's appeal.

I think you're quite right about getting the entry level down as low as possible. Caterham offer factory-built Seven 160s for £18k, so 25k isn't completely out of order, I would have thought - but the insurance issue is always going to be a killer.

For me, the best strategy for Morgan would be to focus on their core buyers: middle class middle aged blokes who want something different and characterful, and have got 30 to 60k to spend on a car which is rewarding to drive but not unusably fast.

Competing with Aston, Ferrari and Porsche is never going to work, the buyers are just too fickle and intolerant.

This doesn't mean I think they should stick with the trad designs, I think a combination of aero-style chassis, modern 4-cylinder engines, and a slightly more aerodynamic (and crash friendly) DHC body shape could be a winner.

Well said that man!!!

I know Charles was an admirer of what JLR has done with its modular aluminium chassis and seemed interested to hear if there was appetite for a 'skinnier' but simplified Aero-style chassis to underpin the trad body style for the smaller engined models.

I have to declare a bias here - would pretty much be my ideal.

Hope change re: CM doesn't put this one entirely off the development radar.

Yes maybe but please take into account the views/agenda/belief of the main current poster who is well known in the Morgan fraternity.

Shame really as there are a few interesting points shrouded and clouded with bias and agenda.

I would have stayed with my +8 and upgraded the steering and suspension for touring style motoring

I think MMC would probably not be in operation today if the Aero didn't happen.

That car, good enough to be front page of car magazines, good enough to face top end cars in comparative tests, good enough to show up in TV shows, good enough to battle Porsches, Ferraris, Corvettes, Audi R8s - and WIN - in professional GT racing, made Morgan visible - therefore existent - to generations that weren't aware of it.

Also, even for those that knew the brand existed, this car made Morgan look very different from the general idea that it was some kind of anachronic antiquity bound to die, where someone forgot to "pull the plug" a few decades ago, where somehow a couple of blokes working in a shed still managed to make enough money to live from it.

Indeed because of the Aero, people understood the trads were not a relic, but an option from a manufacturer that could do other things too. And stay modern, not losing its soul.

I say all this but I will also add that the Aero cars never got me interested. Probably because I'm not rich enough to own one, probably because I just love the trads for what they are.

I find the Morgan-Nissan-OAK LMP2 "adventure", and the money that went into it (another point of debate elsewhere) less interesting and more debatable indeed. But I will say that keeping the name MORGAN repeatedly spoken and written in motorsports events like Le Mans, and motorsports news all over the world, adds to give global awareness to the brand too. IMHO, in a positive way,

The 3 wheeler is a success, I don't think there's a doubt about it. I keep delaying my order because I'm sincerely worried with the issues I keep reading about (especially the bump steer and the bevel box)and I want to hear a clear and reassuring word from MMC that they dealt with these teething issues.

So, what can I say bad about how and where the leadership of Charles Morgan took Morgan to? I read elsewhere (PH) that the company has financial difficulties, that the Aero's aren't selling, the trads aren't selling and the 3 wheeler is selling but doesn't provide enough money to keep it all going. If this is true, it is a somber truth. But all this family "debacle" won't help to any of it. And a "go back to basics" route, ditching the big Aero cars and the semi-Aero new Plus8 is hardly the right answer. Based on what I read being written these last days (but not my own experience) I'd say CLIENT-CARE and BUILD QUALITY CONTROL should be the main priorities to clear potential buyers from their understandable doubts and fears.

To end this post I will also say that Morgan, as a loved brand, has in its DNA the fact that it belongs to the Morgan family. I am aware that with or without Charles Morgan it will still be a family owned company, but there's a unavoidable path away from this reality if and when no family member is involved with the day-to-day decision making. The emotional connection between the family members and the company quickly fades, and its place becomes replaced by the "old'n cold" question: Do I want my shares and the dividends that may or may not end up in my bank account? Or do I want to sell?

Anyway, I am saddened by all this. I read a guy in PH saying he got a Morgan car (think it was a +8) and sold it ASAP because the car was full of problems since day one and kept needing a mechanic throughout all the time he had it. This being written out there - be it true or false - is BAD for the brand. And I chose to write my own post in the "public section" of these forums because I want to leave it in writing that I bought a Morgan Plus 4 in 2010. That I already clocked almost 20.000 kms in it WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST ISSUE OR PROBLEM. And, also, that I RACE that same car. And that I drive it from home to the track area, and back by road to my own home. My car is the embodied epitomy of a "RACE IT SUNDAY, DRIVE IT MONDAY" car.

And I repeat: 0 (ZERO) problems. May it long last, And may I long live to drive and race it.

Well said, Mario. Just the kind of enthusiasm and common sense that is needed in this debate.

Some I agree with some I disagree with some I've no idea or am unsure.

BUT written with passion, reason and fair opinion

One of the problems Morgan is facing is that its still extremely difficult to finance a new Morgan if you don't have the cash. We have been in recession for a number of years and we remain a long time from the good old days of increasing the mortgage to finance the new car. Based on this and in my opinion, Morgan have had a good run so far and they just need to fine a way through the lower sales they are experiencing.
Plus they must fix the production quality problems quickly because warranty issues deplete profits, create bad customer relations and negative publicty.

I've not had any issues with my Roadster Mario, although some on here have reported issues occasionally with their new cars. But I don't think Morgan should ever be singled out.... I've had massive problems with Astons and other cars costing significantly more. The thing that marks Morgan out is the quality of dealers who are FAR better than anything Lamborghini, Aston and Bentley can offer (and that's from first hand experience)

As for CM being ousted/fired/stepping down.... I personally think its a huge shame and the PR badly handled. But I seem fairly unique in holding that view. It's clearly highly political both at MMC and on here.

+1

Statement from CM 31/10/2013

I have been informed that Morgan has rejected my appeal and, as a result, I have been removed from Morgan Technologies

It is incredibly disappointing news for my family and myself. We remain very grateful for the expressions of support received from Morgan fans, workers and the public since this process began.

I have been dismissed on what I believe are very contentious grounds. Over the last 12 months, it was made increasingly clear that my philosophy to modernise Morgan did not fit with the philosophy of the current management.

My view is that Morgan’s future cannot rely on its heritage alone. As such, I endeavoured to introduce our unique brand to new markets such as China; to take Morgan racing again; and to engage the passion of a new generation using social media, and by doing interesting things such as the Gumball Rally in a 3 Wheeler.

My aim has been to give Morgan a bright future as an independent company.

My record in business is something I look upon with pride – volumes doubled during my tenure and profits for the first six months of the year had increased dramatically to £1.2 million.

I remain a major shareholder in the Morgan Motor Co and am concerned for its future. I will take time to consider my next actions and potentially explore other opportunities available to me.

Where possible I will respond to media enquiries, but please contact my representation in the first instance: Will Powell- will@influenceassociates.com

- Charles Morgan


Read more: http://torqueabout.com/morgan-motor-company-view/#ixzz2jLTQZaEm

So many of us had hoped that something could be worked out with Charles remaining on the board as the Morgan family figurehead. Charles's statement indicates that he wouldn't have been content with merely a figurehead role.

Given that Charles is 62 years old, I wonder if anyone in the next generation of the Morgan family is aspiring to MMC management. The Morgan family tree shows that there are at least 10 members of the fourth generation since HFS. Are any of these "kids" known to be Morgan car enthusiasts? Do any of them appear to be diligent managerial material?

A somewhat obvious observation maybe but just reading through the posts, both here and on PH, this debacle has raised all the negatives - The Aero (personally I am not a fan and would buy alternative if I could afford it) but previously a design icon is now 'a mistake'.Dealers, previously thought (at least by me) to be loyal to MMC are now 'at war with the company'. Build quality, questions always there for sure but now a serious 'credibility issue', reliability once thought of as something almost mythical, you thought it might breakdown but in fact it rarely did, is now 'a reason not to purchase'. M3W, previously a somewhat surprising success story now has 'dangerous flaws'. I could go on but you get the picture, we are all in danger of talking this great British marque into the dust and the company are completely responsible for the current state of affairs - personally I don't want the 2015 Christmas special edition of Top Gear to be racing some new Chinese sports cars around a disused factory site in the Malvern Hills.

Tuftie. I respect your opinion and your right to express it. I never understood the trad before my wife and I bought our Aero S2. I came to understand and enjoy the trads and the style of their owners.

I have been very fortunate and worked very hard to be able to afford broadly "anything" and I have even seen the challenges of the quality issues. If you look through my old posts I have even been quite critical in the past.

I bought the coupe because it is the most beguiling car I have ever experienced, is it perfect. I can't make a phone call. I can't put junk in it. I even had to lose weight to get in and out of it. It has a few things that need tweaking. It replaced the uber chariot CL600 W216 which is an amazing car by any standards. I had that choice. From every rational angle the Coupe is less car than the CL except one. It is a better tonic than Novartis will ever create. To those of you who love the trad and feel the same I respect you.

Maybe the aero clan and the trad clan have differences. Whatever.

Very well put Mike , I agree 100% .

Interesting article, particularly the answer to the last question;

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/biz/inside.a...ion=uaebusiness