Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms If not a Morgan, what?

What's everyone's view of a Chesil 356 Speedster replica as a replacement for what used to be the entry price of a Trad?

I’m not sure about replicas, there must be some crackers which are actually better than the real thing, chisel speedsters, cobras, Lancia deltas etc. The best and quite unique attribute of a Morgan (trad.) is that it’s not a replica, it’s a genuinely old car, made today with all new parts and by the original manufacturer. Any replica will always have the stigma, if that bothers you, of an MR2 Ferrari.

Good morning Ewn,

Agree on most points. If I didn't have a Morgan I'd be all over a Chesil if I wanted a 'new' classic. Yes, it's a lot of 'plastic-fantastic' but considering it's half the price of a Plus Four and liness then the now discontinued M3W, it does look like an attractive alternative. The build quality isn't far off from what I've seen on CX. It was also pleasant to see they offer a massive colour range at zero cost so the customisation part can be done without breaking the bank.

I was recently at their factory and took one for a drive. The smile on my face said it all and would tick most boxes of how I personally use my 4./4. However, as you said, there is the glaring fact that the 4/4 is authentic.

Was just throwing it out there as an alternative.

Good morning to you too, Perry, no time to chat though , I’m off to work now!

Replica...?
Is not a Morgan trying to look vintage with entirely new underpinnings..? I think the some of the owners of real vintage car`s may have in times past thought of Morgans as replicas to some extent, though today, perhaps less so. Taking that line of thought back a bit, perhaps the Trad guys slightly diss the new generation...? You can take that line of thought back a bit further, and find division betwixt the older carb fed and EFI , the carbs being more connected to the past, and continuing that process back to the Moss box being a red line for some, or back even further, prior to the addition of the fourth wheel, and back again to the "advance" away from the V twin.... Yeah us petrol heads like to create our divisions and create our own series of beliefs.... I suspect it is just a human nature kinda thing.

Go for the updated version from '85 onwards, they had a galvanised chassis, better steering and suffer less from the rusty firewall that can plague the earlier model .Later models denoted by the front bib and flat face alloys, great car (300SL, 420SL , 500SL and 560SL). Had a 420SL for many years., scheduled maintenance is more demanding compared with modern Mercs and can be a bit intensive cost wise but absolutely beautiful solid cars cut from granite.

This is always going to be a very personal perspective so it will say much about each of us as anything else I guess, which is good.

It was actually the authentic identity and shape of the Aero (S2) with the modern suspension and V8 that attracted me to the Aero.

I don't see the trad mog as moving towards a replica as it has been in production in one form or another for ever. If you wanted to level that at any of the cars the Aero and Plus with the far more modern engineering and retro shape could get a little closer to it. But if you ask most people with a little knowledge they will still just say Morgan (or kit car if they are stupid) I suspect.

Many of the retro replicas have moved on from the old 80's GRP kit cars and the Chesil is one I have admired often in the past. If you can get over some peoples automatic response "is that a real one then?" and not worry then it is a beautiful looking car. If I lived in Monaco or around the Med and wanted a small open daily drive I think it would be great. Maybe even an electric one to put even more peoples noses out of joint.

So I don't hijack the thread here, the R107 might be worth her own thread in the non-Morgan section, Hannes? I think so.

They are a good example of a real classic

Being from West Dorset where Chesils used to be made, it's been a long term ambition of my wife to own one. Now that the time is coming closer, she's not so sure. Underneath it's likely a '70s Beetle. A few years back we hired a Speedster, and remember the experience for yes the looks, and also the wipers failing, the misted windscreen, and just how vulnerable we felt. Dynamically it's a '70s car, without a lot of performance or safety. There's Californian replica makers that offer Subaru engines and brakes to match the performance - though you'd still have no crash protection. I think she's likely to rent one for the one or two times a year you'd really want the experience, and look elsewhere for a more modern car.

Will