Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Interview with new CEO in Autocar

I think he will be there for as long as he chooses to be as the new paymasters will have researched his value to the company long before they invested and realised he adds immeasurable value to them in a very positive way.

MMC have always had a few well heeled customers that will buy the next model whatever it is either to add to their collection or replace the previous one and their personal relationship with Steve plays a large part in this process I believe.

Fumarola being the younger person here will be the one wanting to prove himself and add to his CV and then move on to pastures new such is the nature of career progression these days.

I am still worrying about that front wing, or are the CX ones more robustly supported?

Several theories - we are getting fewer foreign (particularly EU visitors - though I had 7 from the Morgan Club de France yesterday, inc. the chairman/president - that was a bit of fun!). The virus is also likely a contributor and now there is a squeeze on family economics.

No one remeber the entirely parallel episode of the ex Ferrari senior manager who moved over to Lotus and was going to create an exciting new range of cars? What on earth is the connection between Lambo and Morgan?

Morgan has lived on with a market based on tradition, small volume, long waiting times, old style craftmanship and that is what has allowed them to charge way over the odds for the quality and design they offer. Efforts to move on ( as with the modern GRP bodied car in the 60s?) failed so even the latest cars have to pay tribute to old appearance as with the Plus 4, Plus 6. Personally I dont see much room for manoeuvre without risking losing the current cachet so I will be fascinated to see what they actually do. As an exercise in business management, it could well end as a Business School study case, win or lose.

So whats the vote of the loyal fans? Will it be a success with a big new shiny MMC emerging in the future? Or will it be a Lotus like failure?

I think (and hope) Morgan will survive as long as they trade on their cachet of a vintage style, coach built traditional style sports car. But it's very much "traditional style" now rather than the real article. But I don't think it will take off in quite the way its investors hope. I think something has been lost now they no longer build the Trads - the CX cars are not a real trad in my view. The Plus Four is a fine car (I dislike the interior intensely though) but something of the magic has gone. Not to mention the price point is pretty rich.

I agree. I think Steve is essential to Morgan and they would be fools to let him go. He's done an excellent job in a period of huge turmoil and transition following the departure of Charles. I can't see any basis for the speculation that his days are numbered.

I doubt if 99.99% of the population know, understand or even care about the difference. I've been a Morgan owner for over 20 years and I can't instantly tell the difference between a Trad and a CX platform car when I see one out on the road.

I bet there were 3-wheeler owners in 1936 who had exactly the same moan about the 4/4.

As far as I can see the CX platform is the key for Morgan to be able to continue to sell cars to a generation of people who really don't understand why anyone would enjoy driving a Trad, and jolly good luck to them I say. Century-old chassis and suspension design is just plain dumb when you look at what Morgan is having to compete against for their customer's money.

But surely it's not dumb when there is a loyal customer base that does know the difference and will buy Trads ? Those cars sold and many customers came back for more. Would it not have been better, if possible of course, to keep Trads and CX cars produced side by side? I'm not convinced Morgan can compete for wealthy customers who are more likely to buy a Porsche than a Morgan. Morgan purchasers have generally done their research and know what they are buying.

I look at the evidence on this site. The forums relating to Trads and Three-Wheelers are reasonably active. The CX Forum always seems quiet. Where are the new enthusiastic Plus Four purchasers? There are some, but it seems not many.

Old Lambo or current Lambo Howard ?

Old Lambo and recently previous Morgan I can see many parallels. New Laudimbo not so much.

Niche of a niche
Strong brand identity and truth
Easily identifiable market sector with definite character of customer (as I said, traditional Morgan)
Specific experience when you drive it
Little pools of fluid on the floor from time to time.
Limited service locations
"Where is that rattle coming from", "which rattle?".
Highly connected customer base and loyalty despite that third rattle.
Loved despite/including/due to their weaknesses.

Ever tried to reverse a Countach into a supermarket parking space in Tescos and get it between the lines? It should have been a round on It's a knockout. If they could have got the car to do that ten times without a clutch meltdown. New Hyper thingy probably has a self park button to do it.

I follow the whole development at Morgan with the greatest skepticism.
The company has been doing well as a family-run business for decades. The sale to Italian investors is a very big break with the past, as is the discontinuation of the trad. Morgan's spirit was partially destroyed with it. Cars for the previous, patient and loyal customers are no longer built. Younger, wealthier customers are now said to be buying the trad lookalikes. But they will not be as tolerant of defects that arise from small series production as the previous customers. They rightly expect impeccable quality for the money. And the Italian investors will certainly want to see profits soon, they won't have as much patience as the Morgan family in the past.



With this step, further roots to the old Morgan spirit will be cut, as well as chattering with the lifestyle. Let's see what has become of Morgan in a few years. If they still exist.