Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Stopping trad production

Good for everyone who ownes a good 4/4 or +4. They will be more a lovers piece than ever. Prices for good examples will rise.

But it will be a very, very sad day for most Morgan enthusiast. The end of an era. I have absolutely no interest for CX-Morgans. That´s a retro car, not the vintage car with a modern engine, build since 1936 respectively 1954 (waterfall grille)...

The decision wouldn’t surprise me.
Look at the recent dealer changes. Some old established trad Morgan establishments going from new car sales but keeping on with servicing etc as their option. The new tech requirements are a costly investment coupled with MMC terms for new car build. I wouldn’t be surprised to see sales from the factory coming back, coupled to the new owners’ influence. The M3W recalls recently indicate a significant shift in attitude, when was there a previous recall?
The huge investment in the CX chassis and the deliberate design to accommodate various power plants is another clue. There needs to be a recoup of that cost.
Will the loss of new trads increase values of existing ones? Maybe but who would be attracted to them?
One thing I sincerely hope is for continued spares availability. Possibly some “Special Edition” stock clearance cars to come to market? This has been an industry standard practice for decades.
Price of the smaller engined CX cars is a major factor.
£80k+ for a Plus6 is very high but as a possible flagship top end then understandable. I only hope 4/6 pot versions will not be too high. MMC claims of annual sales targets would need the entry end to be achievable but not easy in today’s economic/eco-push world. An EV is inevitable too.
Just an added edit.......Caterham format for self build of trads?

Today............….There were two Plus Sixes with white leather interiors....one metallic grey, the other...…..Blue I think.

Kev and I got passenger rides in the factory demonstrator, SBM got to drive...……………….

Um......very impressive, nice auto change, no squeaks or rattles (just under 100 miles recorded). very taut chassis, the ride is still hard, maybe on a par with the Polo GTI.

Amazing heated seats, really bum roasting. Seats were very confortable, and even SBM didn't think they are too high. The backrest seemed more supportive than the first car I sat in.

The sports exhaust is just right. Nice noise, but not in your face.

If the Plus 4 replacement truly is 50% more than the current trad, it will be c£75k, Maybe fully specced it might be, but my gut feeling is it will start around £60k basic. Nobody buys a basic spec do they?

I don't think competition at that level is relevant because there will be enough Morgan enthusiasts around to satisfy a small production run.

If Morgan are moving away from Trads, which seems likely, then they are misunderstanding their core customer base. The majority of purchasers of the new platform cars are likely to be those that have entered Morgan through Trad ownership or, at least, through an admiration of the Trad. If the Trad goes completely then that synergy is lost.

Morgan are clearly aiming at a newer demographic. But are customers that can afford an Aston Martin or high end sports car going to want to spend that sort of money on a new platform Morgan? The new platform cars may be more refined than the Trads, but they can’t match the refinement of Aston Martin or Porsche.

The new CX chassis cars do look to most eyes just like a trad. The majority will surely view the new Morgan CX models as an updated and improved version of the original. A Morgan isn't an Aston martin or Porsche ( thankfully!) and I suspect there will always be a market for something different. Not as refined but brimming with character that could be the USP.

I hope the "entry" level will be attainable but in reality Morgans haven't been "cheap" for years now. New Plus 4s seem to be around £48K + now so my guess is that DaveW has it about right at £60K. Will the market bear it? I have no idea but suspect it'll be huge success over the coming years.

I don't see the attraction of existing trads being hurt by it - quite the opposite.

When I ordered my 4/4 in 2011 I had expected a modern sports car.(with old looks) Whilst I was exchanging an MGBGT so understood leaf springs but had no real understanding of sliding rail. Once sorted I love it , but the wife has never taken to it. I think new morgan purchasers will be very happy with the new models and will keep the marque going. Methinks us traditionalists are a dying breed and the factory recognise that.

So we will have the last of the true Morgans

That would be my view, too.

I have no idea whether or not there will be any changes, but the odds are that change is inevitable and if the sheer quality of the Plus Six is a guide, then the factory is entering a new phase in it's history and I really do wish them well. Just listening to people's views and eavesdropping today proved that the brand is as strong as ever, as is the attraction of the M3W...in November...on a freezing, foggy morning...!!

One phrase that keeps cropping up is "improved quality", which is a great thing given that there are a goodly number of Porsche owners who have bought into the CX cars.

I was told in the early days of my Morgan ownership that a Morgan never dies, and we have found this to be the case they are merely reborn and rebuilt for their very qwirky ecentric owners, I feel as we all do that these are indeed very different times indeed and I thank god that we have known and still appreciate the smell and noise of the early petrol head machines.
Dear friends enjoy your trads, look after them and they will bring you much fun and great memories as ours do for us every day.

we have rebuilt and reborn 3 of our cars that were very much unroadworthy...now we choose each trad in turn and recieve a different driving experience every time.

The CX platform essentially looks like a trad as we all are aware and for those who enjoy the cx they keep Morgan alive.
I have had the fun of 2 test drives in the cx and they are quick, quite silent and quite different to the trad, and for some just the ticket if you have the 90k or so!

For me my first love is the trad because they are squeaky 1930s tech a time machine if you like and I can experience what it was like to drive way back then....have a look at the film breath with the 1930's 4/4 in the opening film shots a cx wouldnt quite cut it!

here are our trads.......

Untitled2 by Robert & Ali Davies, on Flickr
Untitled by Robert & Ali Davies, on Flickr
IMG_0267 by Robert & Ali Davies, on Flickr

62656717_10161870920665383_337367181429833728_n by Robert & Ali Davies, on Flickr

Morgan will possibly set up a total rebuild division for the trads in the future? in the same manner as Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin etc.