Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Telegraph Article on Plus 8

It is a a shame when a journalist gets the chance to review a Morgan, and simply misses the point. I can remember an article by a female jounalist who complained about how far the radio was to reach in a roadster. These people should stick to reviewing cars built in 2011 in Ingolstadt. I bet if they reviewed a Le Mans wining Jaguar they would complain about the lack of choice.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/classiccars/8431636/Classic-Morgan-Plus-8.html

Dear oh dear. Tim

I well remember my first drive in my first Morgan: I saw it at Packer Duncans in '84and sold my MGB and Lotus Elan to get it. No test drive,just bought it and drove away- and thought that I had made a DREADFUL MISTAKE. There was no going back though and it looked lovely but it took me the first year and 30000 miles to get used to it and eighteen years to change it for another and then another so maybe your man was a little impatient or something. Meabh.

If he'd been expecting "modern fripperies" and storage for his girlfriend's "vast overnight bag" on the Dino then he clearly doesn't know much about cars.

Richard Holt himself must be suffering from the "general weakening of knees" that he is talking about.

Ian, that was my thought when I read the article.

What came across is that he needed to recalibrate his expectation and assessment criteria. He seemed to be judging a classic car against modern cars (I couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps he'd have rather taken a Mazda MX-5).

Whatever the case, it wasn't a balanced review; however, by now we should expect little else from the majority of automotive hacks.

I often read a newsapaper review - could be cars or holiday resorts whatever and the only conclusion I come to is the journo in question never actually drove said car/visited resort etc but blagged an article off www and rejigged it to fit the ed's required column inches recycling all the previous scribes errors and predjudices- I'm not of course suggesting such goings on mar the Telegraph

A suspension design from the turn of last century, a chassis design from the thirties.........
Who would really expect this combination to feel like a modern car?
Who, with any sense would chose a Morgan to take his wife/partner away for the weekend without some serious research?
Especially about boot space........
Who would get into a convertible car with a low, almost vertical windscreen and then complain about the buffeting at speed......
Well, it appears the the Telegraph Motoring Journalist does just this.

Dangerous at speed? Only if the driver is inexperienced.....

Then we get the smug 911 Carrera4 contributor. We are "Hairy Arsed" then? Well, those who chose to be dynamically controlled by computers and cosseted in a tin box must belong to the well manicured and soft handed brigade. Nothing wrong with being well manicured, but it's not real driving is it. HaHa.
But a less relevant comparison would be hard to find. Let's make a real comparison with what Porsche were knocking out in the 30's. Oh just a minute, we'll have to make do with a Peopleswagon. But to make it fair lets use a convertible. So - a 1930's Beetle cabriolet with a galvanised floor and superform wings. Keep the torsion bars and trailing arms but add a modern engine. Now that's a better comparison....... Actually it would probably be good fun to drive.

Then there was the "Try an XK150" quip. Too late mate. The correct Jag would be the prewar SS. And hey presto, a nice Kit Car version is available with a modern engine.

But I'll stick with my Trad Morgan, and I'm happy to let the tin box brigade feel smug in their boxes. I mean, even I have to 'tin box it' sometimes........

At this point I'll step down from the soapbox.

Just checked in the mirror.. Yeap.

Its the Telegraph, more factual comment to be found in the Beano, and I know from my own professional experience.

quoting DaveW -" lets make a real comparison with what Porshe were knocking out in the 30's....'

Knocking off more like - the Beetle was designed by the Czech - Ledwinka if my memory serves me right, although we now know where MMC got the idea for Sports Grey, a very fashionable shade in Germany at that time

I do think that Richard Holt is a rather immature wannabe motoring journalist with a vast girlfriend and bag .
Richard...ditch the girlfriend, or find a MX5 with a trailer or both.
If he had grown up with the "Eagle", Dan Dare, and the little green Mecon I'm sure that he would have appreciated a smooth ride to the stars...even in a Morgan....