Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Morgan EvaGT Update

So I was one of those people waiting for an EvaGT, having previously had an aero and was at a loss as what car to have instead. I have previously owned a
Maserati 3200
Morgan Aero8 series 1
Shelby Daytona
Maserati QP

And a few others to keep me going in-between, but I have struggled to find a car to buy that wouldn't set me back a few £100k. Well, yesterday I spent a day in Abingdon working on the spec for a new MGB. Yes, I know they stopped making them in the 80's, but you need to look at the LE50 MGB, they are producing a car that has the style to match Morgan (in my opinion) but a build quality that is 2nd to none.
I also heard a few things about Morgan that most of you may know, but it helped to explain a few things to me.
Charles in the months before he left signed an order that didn't have the board's approval to several million pounds worth of engines from BMW (the last of the production run of the V8) these engines may have been needed but it caused huge problems with cash flow, so much that Morgan almost went bankrupt.
I also heard that there had been a large number of sales in the US and China, this was good news for Morgan but when it came to finalizing the orders they were canceled as there was no auto box available. I hear this is about to be fixed with a new auto to be coming in the next few months.

Anyway, I should be getting my MGB about Easter 2015, can't wait now just need to find a number plate, for a pre 1970 car. Oh, did I forget to say the LE50's are built with new heritage parts and the original axle cases so they can take the original Vin number and not have to worry about the tax or emissions even though they have a brand new 238bhp 176 lb torque 2.0 engine

That explains why the chassis shop has been full of bmw v8s over recent months.

Good luck with the MG.

Thats interesting insight - but amazing that CM would sign such a deal. First job of any Director in any biz is cash flow!!

LE50 does look interesting.
However, has new tooling been sorted for making the Heritage parts?

CM wasn't MD since January, did they wait almost one year to find that out or is that just another "CM's fault" quick line when anything bad is attributed to the Morgan management, with or without Charles Morgan?

There are plenty of aero chassis in build at the moment and most seem to be fitted with auto boxes, so not sure where they got their information from. There's been a lot of speculation and heresay floating about.

I do like the LE50. I've had a good look at a few since they were introduced and if I didn't have the Roadster, they could be quite tempting. I've always thought the MGBGT to be a handsome car. That 2.0 litre is a cracking engine too!

Good to hear that you are still in the loop Neil, the MGB LE50 does look very nice but a pity they don 't fit a V8!

My AeroMax AR08 MMC under its original registration, subsequently owned by mr_tony, was used to develop the settings for the ZF box fitted to the Maxes and the other Aero's. The trick ZF box was removed when I bought it and it was replaced by the productionised version.

The point I'm making is that MMC have been fitting automatics to Aero chassis' for quite some years and continue to fit the same basic box to current cars, although they can now fit them with paddles. Thus the auto box predates Morgan's entry into China, go figure as our transatlantic friends say!

Brian

There is the "Abbingdon Edition" not a V8, but a 2.5 liter in-line 4 cylinder engine produces 302 bhp and coupled to a 6 speed manual gearbox 0 – 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds. I an not sure a v8 would add much apart from weight and a different sound, but as they are 1960-70 cars and tax exempt they don't have to have a cat to dull the noise.

is the Morgan auto box licensed to sell in the US or China?

Yes - half the idea of bringing the auto in the first place was to support US sales...