Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Malvern Roadster

During the seventies the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has prohibited mineral oil brake fluid, aerodynamic headlights, directional headlights, and passenger vehicles with height-adjustable suspension. The wisdom of these regulations has since been reconsidered, but the fact remains that France allowed all these technologies while they were outlawed in the US.

Not just a whisker of truth, more like a full beard!! :-)

One US dealer is already advertising the "Malvern Roadster". His state would allow a kit car approach. The established dealers in NY and California would be closed out of this approach due to the laws in their states..

This is more than feasibility, time lines are being set for delivery of initial cars and engines.
A new network of "kit car" manufacturers will be set up to sell "malvern roadsters"
The long established dealers will be cut out either intentionally or through the laws in their states.

Technically I suppose the Morgan Motor company is not selling or distributing the Malvern roadster in the US". In fact by using the proposed name "Malvern Roadster, they appear to be attempting to distance themselves from this car.

Once these get onto the market, Morgan owners will get to answer the following question about our Morgans "is that one of those Malvern kit cars"?

Peter Morgan must be rolling in his grave

Whilst I understand your concerns, 'Morgan' kit cats already exist (not sure about America?) and our cars are occasionally referred to as kits anyway?

I guess, in order to fulfil what Simon and Brian have highlighted, allowing you guys over the pond to still be able to buy trads, it will depend on how 'kit' the car is? A rolling chassis finished by a competent workshop with engine transmission and homologation dressings should not differ greatly from what we have?

It may not be quite the 'perfect' Malvern built car we love but why deprive or denigrate based on what some 'ignorant' comments may be? It will have emerged out of necessity not design, and still have character by the bucketload.

All IMHO of course, and until anything more solid is announced conjecture, but if it were me I'd want one rather than have nothing?

As far as announcements, do you really expect Charles to come out and announce that he is going to bring trads back into the US as kits to circumvent current US safety and registration laws??

As far as conjecture, http://www.northshoresportscars.com/new-inventory/20120000000000003 scroll down to the bottom half of the page to see a picture of the conjecture.

Quite frankly I see more conjecture in what Morgan "announces" than in many cases what is rooted out by this and many other Morgan sites.
An example of this would be " official announcements" on build dates, demo dates, and production dates for the Trikes and well as the rest of the new models for Morgan. Are these "officially announced" dates fact or conjecture??

Unfortunately, I have more confidence in the information I can derive and confirm than any "announcement" from Morgan. Must be the Engineer in me :-)

I don't really get your point?

As for your link, it's a picture of a trad resplendent with Morgan wings on a website which is announcing the Malvern Roadster? That doesn't mean anything other than someone has created a website stating that the "Malvern Roadster" is available? Surely anyone can do that? Have I missed something? Anything? Happy to be shown I have?

I'm not saying it won't happen, however I guess I would expect an official announcement of sorts if there was the link as we suggested/assumed above.

Oh, and as a qualified Engineer from a 'proper' University I guess my opinion counts also?

You are correct

Not wishing to throw gas or even petrol on this debate, but.........
someone has created a website stating that the "Malvern Roadster" is available

The "someone" is Northshore Sportscars who are (or at least were when I bought my Plus 8 new in 2003) the 'official Morgan dealer' and without whom I apparently could not have made the purchase. Therefore I take their website to be in some measure "the voice of Morgan".

It would perhaps be helpful if they could at least point out that the Malvern animal will not necessarily be "50 state legal". My Plus 8 was and is, but it still took some explaining to get it into California.

ps - sadly I am just a British chemist, but everyone in the USA calls me an engineer..........

I was wondering just last week why no one has tried to import Morgan complete rolling chassis to the USA without engine and gearbox and have the drive train installed upon arrival. There are many cars available here that are imported that way and are apparently road legal as they are licensed, registered and driving around the streets. Caterham, Superperformance, Kirkham and Ariel come to the top of my head and I know there are probably a dozen more kit car manufacturers of Cobras and Porsche Speedsters. Each state has its own regulations concerning these cars but I don't believe there is any state where they are prohibited. In Pennsylvania where I live, the kit cars need to undergo an "enhanced inspection" by a state licensed garage before they can be licensed. They need not comply with front or side impact requirements for new cars and don't need airbags or to comply with current emissions requirements. My Morgan, a 1995 4/4, was brought into the US and modified by Cantab Motors with side impact beams and reinforced front and rear bumpers. There is a plate on the door indicating that Cantab was the manufacturer and that the vehicle is subject to several exceptions granted from federal new car requirements. It appears that this was the only way to import a 4 cylinder gasoline engined Morgan to the US in the mid 1990s. I also don't see a problem with the authenticity of a Morgan assembled at the factory minus engine and trans and exported like that. To me its no different than if someone puts a different engine in their 1950s 4/4 or changes the carbs or transmission.