Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Interesting Telegraph Article..

Sadly there is no long waiting list anymore. Last time I looked there were nearly 50 Plus Fours for sale in the UK dealer network, that’s a lot of cars of just one model given the low production numbers of UK cars. Must be 20% of uk cars built are now for sale s/h if you include non Morgan dealer and private salsa and I don’t think the original finance deals have ended which will only make the problem worse as people had the cars back at the end of the finance deal.

It’s a tricky time.. i wouldn’t be surprised if Investindustiral are just try to bump this up to sell on, the accounts will be very interesting reading.. they currently have £80m in debt to the Lux parent company at 12% interest, from memory from a post on here.

No, the waiting lists aren’t that long, it’s because new owners are bailing out after only a short time of ownership and taking a hit on the original purchase price. Every owner is different of course but I think the recent brake issue and the radiator issues have all contributed to some owners bailing out.

Another reason could be that owning a new Morgan for some ‘younger’ new owners is a scratch that needs to be itched but once a Winter comes around and the lack of use and the space required to keep it garaged becomes problematic or the ‘novelty’ wears off, they get rid

Maybe also a younger Plus Morgan owner feels less likely to associate with MSCC and the Morgan owning community so then becomes less attached

I bought my first Morgan in 2015 and for 4 years, Morgan ownership was my life outside work and playing tennis. Every weekend and any dry day was spent either messing on the Mog, driving it or meeting up with fellow Morganeers. Every raining weekend was spent messing in the garage, planning a new mod or posting on here and reading about Morgans

When I travelled for work I made a point of calling in at as many Morgan dealers as possible to have s chat and I’d pop into MMC if I had the time and I was passing near the M5 junction

I know or knew many similar minded Morgan owners but I can’t see many of these ever buying a current new Morgan

I might be wrong but if MMC made a cheaper very basic steel chassis 4/4 that people can tinker and upgrade themselves they might get a more loyal ownership

The problem with a basic car is that the cost of production would still be quite high.. and as they say Morgan’s competitors are Morgan’s and there is no shortage of traditional cars on the second hand market at the minute..

Yes quite probably

Even the Pembleton has 2nd-hand Morgans as competition. The T24 is about £40k before adding options. You could buy a nice Trad car for that right now, or wait a year for a Pembleton….

That Pendleton T24 is superb but how can they get a 4 wheel cyclecar passed the regulations?
I always thought that a 4 wheel version of the Morgan 3 wheeler could never happen due to regs, once it has 4 wheels it would then need to be classed as a car with all the added regulations that come with it.

Maybe I was wrong

Interesting point above on younger owners. Was speaking recently to another Morgan head and she made the observation that the general Morgan owner is getting older. Having two kids spread in the 20s I see the point. They want a high tech experience with full driving assistance (when they drive- so do I) and both don't drive a manual. They are not analog drivers. They do not tinker with the engine, never grease the kingpins and are not too interested in noting having a car that isn't integrated with their phone.

I guess the question is, at what point does a retro styled thoroughly modern auto hit the sweet spot? Is it possible or preferable?

There will always be a space for analog, but like film, it will get smaller. I'm going to warm up my tube amp, put some jazz on the turntable and pour myself a sherry and think this over.

I have not really driven one so can't really explain.

I have driven a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in just EV mode around town. Pretty boring but comfortable and quiet, it also went a lots faster than it feels and got around corners a lot faster than I thought, I was slowing down like usual but not as much as I expected to for something built like a high square box. The centre of gravity was a lot lower than it felt like it should be.

I have been a passenger in a Tesla Model 3 in both the front seat and back seat. Comfortable once you are inside, the back is rather hard to get into. The acceleration is fun and it sits on the road OK, the owner loves it but I am not sure if I would or not, the back seat roof is too low and I am not a fan of the Tesla look although it looks better than a lot of other new ugly cars do.

I have talked to someone from Australia who had a UK holiday and has driven Frontlines Electric MGB. He owns a Frontline MGB and a stack of other nice cars so I think his perception is helpful. He said it has a 5 speed Mazda MX5 manual gear, it went extremely well, it is certainly a lot better than he was expecting. It still feels like a MGB and he enjoyed changing gears etc. even though it really only needs to be put in second to drive around, he felt Frontline did an amazing job making it feel fun like an old car. The main thing that got him is that driving a petrol car is you feel the power and then it comes onto the power curve and you get a big more, he said it doesn't matter if is is a V8 MGB, Frontline or a Ferrari/Porsche you feel the power come on. He said that is the main disappointment with the Electric MGB, it gives you all the power upfront and then no more when you want more because that is what cars are supposed to do.

When discussing EV's with him his view is companies are building cars like the 300bhp EV Mini https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/would-you-pay-180000-for-a-classic-mini-with-tesla-power because it is a challenge and fun, not to save the planet, his view is anyone buying a Tesla to save the planet is an idiot (and so are the politicians pushing EV's), but if they like it and just want one then that is fine, but don't tell everyone you are saving the world.

Some photos he sent me, not sure if he took them.

14 months with a Tesla Model 3 Long Range allows me to have a view here.

The Tesla was a fast, comfortable appliance, well engineered with a good sound system. As a car for a 200 to 250 mile daily round trip to work it was perfect.
BUT it had no soul...once moving the lack of engine noise wasn't an issue.
I never drove it because I wanted a drive, I had the Morgan for that.

So, the Morgan and Tesla went to be replaced by a Porsche BoxsterS.
I will be interested to see if the Boxster EV has the same soul as the ICE one.
If anyone can make an EV sports car it will be Porsche.

BUT I wouldn't buy one until the national charging infrastructure is capable of giving me a 50% charge in 5 mins and without a wait.

i was comparing this with my thoughts on the Jag 'S' type (2007) I had until two years ago. Yes, fast, comfortable, it also enjoyed being driven on fast A roads, and when on a motorway it was always willing to do more - with ease.