Anybody here driven one? I had my eye on these a while ago, and there's one at the place where several of my motos are stored and/or being worked on. It's still small, but has 4 wheels, and very retro, especially if you opt for the magneto style rather than the crab style distributor cap. I gather they are pretty nice approximations. Right hand drive, right hand shift would be easy for me, after driving a right hand steering, left hand shift car in the States. (An actual pre-war car).
Plenty of vids on YT if you beam into this one at circa 6 min 23 sec, it more than others might provide an idea of what it might be like to actually drive in traffic, as opposed to wonderful scenic traffic free mountain roads, that many of us dream of... Not the kind of machine to head off on a touring holiday perhaps, but a wonderous bit of kit just the same... Perhaps best kept as garage art and for selective use...?
Thanks for that. The driver did a pretty nice job if that was his first time behind the wheel of one. Yes, a recreational car- the fact that Bothwell crossed the country in one is impressive. I have a note into him. I did own a pre-war car that required a lot of work and was still a headache- the ideal is something that is new, but feels "old"- thus, the appeal. Same with the Morgan- though I guess one could argue that a Super 3 (which I just bought) is more a modern interpretation than a vintage re-creation. Bill
I am pleased that you found some interest in the vid Bill, as other than the usual autojourno schpiel, that vid did illustrate what it might be like to drive a "new" T35.. Whereas I watched another vid of someone in the US driving an original, which perhaps seemed a tad more...err... worn, or should I type, authentic..?
Some time around 1995 while riding my then m/cycle I came upon a vintage Bentley being enjoyed, it`s pilot fully engaged in maintaining his desired direction by applying corrections to the steering as it traversed the various road surface imperfections while straight lining the more open yet twisting sections of a rather interesting road. My thinking while witnessing this automotive spectacle was, "I want some of that." To cut a long story short, that is the reason I arrived at Morgan ownership over twenty years or so ago. Of course a Morgan is no vintage Bentley, but has a degree of vintage appeal, history and heritage enough in both it`s appearance and hand crafted construction with archaic suspension, all be it with reasonably modern running gear the maintenance and operation of which I was well accustomed to at the time.. My old +8 has provided all and more that I had hoped for at the time of purchase, over the length of time it has occupied a space in my garage and still being enjoyed on the road creating occasional memorable drives.... What`s more to want..?
A one time American member of the now defunct Canadian hosted world wide Morgan forum, eMog, went by the forum I.D. of JHSII, and was in fact John H Sheally II and greatly promoted Morgan ownership in the US over the years. Perhaps more in line with your current interests, JHSII drove his V Twin three wheeler across the the US from coast to coast.. I remember enjoying reading his detailed account of the trip in The UK MSCC publication Miscellany some years back. I suspect if you root around on GoMoG.com you may find some more detail in the life and times of JHSII... (-:
I'm not a fan of these replicas, even though I naturally admire the craftsmanship of the builders. But it's still fake history.
If you don't have enough money for a real Bugatti, which is a high hurdle, then I would look for cheaper alternatives. If you want a French pre-war racer, cheaper than the Bugatti, then go for a Salmson or an Amilcar.
@Luddite- I drive what I buy. My experience with an actual pre-war car was unreliability despite a lot of money thrown at the vehicle and I don't fault the mechanic, who had done work for me on a 6.0 Lambo. The thing was just too old, too big and heavy for cable brakes to work effectively, I sold the car at Pebble at a loss. @Jens- I'm not really a fan of replicas but even if I had the dosh for a real one, would I put it to the reality of modern roads/traffic? Yeah, I go the backroads as much as I can (ex-NY, now Texas) but still.... I want the vintage feel but don't want to be stuck on the road since, as mentioned I drive these things. I laugh when I think about the AAA roadside service helping me install the side mounted spare on my pre-war car when a wheel collapsed (I then had all new wheels created in the UK). The 100 year old cars have needs. Even if you spend to get them "right" they are still antique artifacts. I'm not trying to "pretend" having owned a lot of modern supercars, and that's why I'm in Morgan (well, at least 3 wheels of them)-- real, but the Super 3 is tiny, and has some limitations. I do wish we could buy a new SuperSport with a stick. I get your perspective on "authenticity" but want reliability and not having to have parts manufactured. I guess my taste may exceed my budget at this point in my life (another story),
Our local aristocrat had 3 vintage Bugattis and used to go down to the Fish and Chip shop in one or other of them. A member of my classic car club has a type 35 and when you looks at it at meet ups etc, you have to be impressed by the quality of the engineering for that time period. But to own one these days requires either a willingness and ability to get down and under looking after the car or alternatively the finance to have a little man somewhere who does it for you.
I have just sold my Ferrari and that latter issue more than anything is what killed my interest in it. At my age I am past doing much more than replacing a lightbulb and where I live there are no small skilled independant garages with prices I can afford.
Pity but time moves on and my final years, hopefully long ones, will be spent in modern cars that are serviced by the main dealer. I can still sign a cheque if its not too big!
Thanks, Howard. Yes, I chipped in on your thread about a modern, reliable sports car that is tossable with room for a dog. Here, we don't recognize "titles" as such but of course in Austin a lot of money has come here in recent years- most have new baby Lambos or blinged out G Wagons and the occasional Rolls shooting brake- my sense is that they don't necessarily know or care about the history of the old marques-- I was an avid Bentley "special" hunter for a few years, did a fair amount of research and a few trips with my mechanic- one cross country (by air) to check out one potential prospect. In my 7th decade, I'm not looking for speed but that visceral experience-- and the Super 3 certainly provides that-- it has been at the shop getting a lot of accessories installed to my spec. I could never turn a wrench either, so always wrote the checks and here, the mechanics with skills are building old school American hot rods. They've never even heard of Morgan for the most part. I had the Ferraris and other fast cars several decades ago and don't really have the interest in speed or even like the vibe of many of the new ones at this point in life. And like you, while I expect to hang in there for a while, I am a pensioner living on my modest investments. I do know that I can "buy" a title, but apparently, "Master of Lunacy" is not for sale, having been retired from the ranks of nobility.
The aristo I am writing of is the descendant of the chap who ordered the charge of the Light Brigade at Sevastapol.after winning the battle of Alma. Fought at Waterloo beating the French which is always good! So two wins and one cockup!
