Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) HOT TOPIC - End of traditional Morgans

I think that rumours of the demise of the trad chassis are overrated. The current choice of motors is bound to change and there is certainly something happening in the "Skunk Works" at Malvern.

My feeling is that a new Aero 6 is in the wings and probably a new Roadster 6 based on the same platform (replacements for the Aero 8, Plus 8 and Roadster V6 in one hit). But what will replace the current Plus 4 and the 4/4. My guess is a more potent Plus 4, perhaps with something that is halfway between the current Plus 4 and the Roadster, still with a trad chassis but with updated suspension, at least a 5 link rear end. To replace the 4/4; any bets on a 3/4? Several manufacturers make some very nice and potent 3 cylinder engines including Ford.

In any case, just out of curiosity (I doubt I would buy a new Morgan), I might book a ticket for the next Geneva Motor Show

I reckon you’re spot on Peter. It wouldn’t have gone un-noticed how popular the retro Caterhams were recently, Morgan will do fine for many years to come with the 4/4, little engines are all the rage these day.

These are very good points and like you I believe the days for the ladder chassis and cart springs are numbered but I would give it a 10 year maximum for the chassis, they appear to be moving forward on the back end suspension at the moment.

There are many attractive cheaper alternatives out there today is a real problem for them going forward, they have faced bigger challenges in the past and survived.

If you go back about 6 years there is a post that I made that suggests that the trad chassis cold be easily updated with a loop over the rear axle to improve rebound travel (as MG did in the 50s) and a double wishbone front end.

All other modern requirements such as ABS, traction control, etc are just electronics and a little bit of hardware. Airbags are a little more complex but I believe there was a brief run of trads for the US that had airbags, and of course the V8s have had them for some time.

For me however the cost of a new Morgan is increasingly beyond my reach. For a car brand that started life producing reasonably economical vehicles the trad Morgan is moving further and further into the luxury price range but without many of the, now considered normal, features let alone luxury features.

PS. I am quite happy with my car as it is now, except perhaps I would like a maintenance free front end. I probably have the last of the trad Plus 4s that could be relatively easily customised and tuned.

I guess there is a limit to how much the chassis can be modified without needing to go through a whole new type approval process.

I suspect the issue is a temporary one as they get whatever motor is to replace the sigma sorted out.

Tomorrow i am going to garage Albert to take my arp4 back.

I will ask them.They are usually well informed.

I think that with the new regulations it is the step to do.

The 5 arms rear suspension of my ARP4 is a lot better than

the leafs suspension of my previous 2 other Morgan s.

So ... the end of the trad ladder chassis Morgans AFTER they have built 400 Plus 4's in 2019

then....... its the end of trad chassis and a new type approved BMW hybrid ....you'll see it at the Geneva Motor show so who's buying tickets?

Anybody know how may traditional chassis cars have been built and how many still exist?

Saw a Weismann recently and it looked okay, but they were stupidly expensive. Its making low volume sport cars relatively affordable that is difficult - article clip from Evo mag in 2009

Looking like the love child of a gang bang involving a Jaguar XK120, an E-type racer, an Austin Healey 3000 and a Morgan AeroMax, it’s desperately cool. It’s as expensive as it is conspicuous (the thick end of £200K, even with a modest take-up of the galaxy of bespoke finishing options on offer).

In the 1990s, the six-cylinder Wiesmann were not yet so astronomically expensive, but they were not a special offer. There were these customers who could and wanted to afford it. From about 2006 there was only V8 and a huge price jump. The cars became stronger and more and more expensive. The customers have simply broken away. It makes a huge difference whether you offer a car for 80.000€ or if the cheapest model of your brand costs 140.000€ without extras. At Wiesmann's time, they simply became megalomaniacal.

They operated on very thin ice because they actually offered a synthetic product, without tradition etc. But not badly positioned in the market at the beginning.

What I'm actually trying to say is that on the one hand Morgan has to modernize the lower-priced trads, sooner or later. But they should be very sensitive to the price point and not bypass the market.