Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms How did you decide?

Growing up in the Midlands, were the car industry and associated support industries where everywhere around me, it was not surprising my first love was British cars but most importantly open sports cars were my first choice mainly MGs and Triumphs. I was aware of Morgans but they were very few and far between, a rare sight.

It was in my early 20's I became more aware of the Morgans mostly due to the occasional motoring press articles, but the Sunday Times really bought them to my attention when they ran a competition for a 4/4 Morgan, which I duly entered but no luck.

Moving up to the North West, I decided to get my second Harley, the local Harley dealer was in Southport, which was also the location of Lifes Motors.So I often popped in to have a chat with a young Dave Randall on a Saturday morning (after the visit to the Harley shop) admiring the cars in the showroom. Then one April weekend, Dave had just acquired a beautiful red highly specified 4/4, which was fabulous and upon hearing it was the Sunday Times competition car, a quick test drive and the deal was done and it was my very first Morgan.

MOLLY:-

Meabh - ‘Duggies’, not heared it called that but I am assuming that was FHDouglas…….they used to look after a couple of my Morgans if I could not or get down to Alf Miles of Phoenix Motors in Woodbury. These places were old school, looked a mess but they knew where everything was stored and could sort anything wrong with my cars When did Douglas close as a Morgan agent or is it still going in another guise? Will have some invoices from both in my Morgan file.
Can’t believe how lucky I was to have fallen in love with Morgan’s early in my life and bought the first in my early 20’s
Girls then used to just say “Take Me! “ when I took them out in the Morgan, although it was not possible in the back seat ! Should have bought a four seater ?
Sorry to women TMers, I’m not really sexist but just telling the truth……it was the late 60s and early 70s after all. MM

Went to buy a Noble and test drove an Aero on the recommendation of the missus. I did not buy that one then but it planted the seed which happened later. I loved the classic shape with the naughty V8 combination. Everyone smiles but you can still boot it and have a bit of fun. Still got it.

As said above, don't forget you are alive, live.

Personally, setting aside the obvious model line differences (Traditional style four wheelers, Three Wheelers, modern M3W, Super 3, Aero-based) for me the biggest lure is colour combination. What makes this even more challenging is that personal colour preferences tends to shift over time, so what I would have gravitated to decades ago, may not be what I would choose now. Add to that the interior leather and trim can alter the feel of a Morgan so drastically, the almost infinite possibilities offered to the first owner and it isn't too challenging to see why there can be a myriad of options in the used market... all vying for your attention! And, that is before we get back onto the topic of aesthetic modifications and the way those can alter the look, and appeal, of each vehicle.

I've told this story before but I remember speccing a car in 2009 and chatting with Matt Humphries about the options. I ended up asking him "when you designed it, what colour did you have in mind"; his response was akin to, "Simon, I'm a designer, we see everything in shades of mid tone silver because it shows off the lines the best." As someone who has agonised over colour choices, I could relate to this because gunmetal does tend to show off the lines of a car and not hide the design well.

However, with that said, I've owned an Iris Blue +4 SuperSport and a Sport Sand +4 and both looked just right to me. To my eyes, non metallic paints really compliment the traditional shape; perhaps it is the retro feel of non-metallic or it could be both of those tones I mentioned evoke classic cars but they really appealed to me. However, the Aero products I have owned have all been metallic; make of that what you may but to my eyes, Matt was onto something when he said he saw the Aeromax in gunmetal paint.

Model wise, I can see appeal in all of them; however, being realistic, I don't have the skills to keep an old 3W on the road, don't fit comfortably in the M3W and whilst I would probably fit in the Super 3, climate and time to use it make it a no-go. This leaves the 4W Morgans, all of which I can make a case for but it really boils down to how you intend to use it AND I can completely understand why people end up with more than one! They may look similar but they do offer differing experiences.

As others have said, the right Morgan seems to find you but for me, that takes 'the right' (to me) colour combination, complimented by trim, wheels and the little personal details.

Couldn't agree more, if the colour combination catches your eye and attracts you when captured in a mere image eg photograph, then rarely do they disappoint when seen in the flesh. It's then a case of whether the feel of the car and how it drives matches the image.

The main differences boil down to this:

Wire wheels or alloys (where available). Stainless or painted.

Spare wheel or not.

Studded soft top or easy up.

Bumpers, over-riders or none.

After that, style of dashboard.

Then paint colour and interior colour.

Width of rear wheel arches is a big thing for me.
I'll take you back to 1969! I was 17 and just passed my test. Autocar road-test a plus 8. It's the fastest accelerating car in Britain according to the test. There's a picture of the back of it. The caption says something like ...this is all most motorists will see of the new Morgan. There's another picture of the rear from the side...those lovely rear wheel arches so narrow...caption says something like....when motorists sit next to you at the lights they know you have rejected everything they care about except performance.
It was a moment of love for me aged 17. Of course it was many more years before I could afford one.
In my mid/late forties we were on holiday near Malvern. I talked my wife into visiting the factory. In those days there were no tours as such. You entered the factory via Peter Morgan's office. He said help yourself and ask anyone anything you like. So we wandered about...no health and safety then....it was fabulous. Outside (sunny day) we bumped into the man who road tested every car made then. Would you like to come with me, he asked. Trade plates on, me in the passenger seat (illegal I believe) off we went around the hills. Back 20 minutes later and he's lifted the bonnet, adjusting the tick over or timing I think. I had a rather large smile and my wife said...oh dear, I feel a large expense coming on. I still couldn't afford new so for a few years I chased used ones with a good friend of mine who'd had his 4/4 since he was 21 and was in the MSCC. But the cars were always sold before I could get there.....rather different from today. But finally I bought my first 4/4 (mid 80's 4 seater). That must have been in the nineties.
There followed cars of each model, a new one from the factory every four years or so. The cars gradually modernised and one day, a few years ago, I awoke to the fact that as I no longer used the Morgan every day, what I really wanted was the experience of the older cars, so I sold my latest and found a mid eighties plus 4. Heaven!
That's how I decided over the years....narrow wheel arches.....!
Nick

Well I think mine found me! In my youth my friend and I were always messing with cars without much money. Living near Dagenham we ended up with Fords. Mine was a 100E with a Cortina 1500cc engine, 4 speed box and 9inch discs on the front. It was very quick and handled well.
Moving on, marriage, mortgage and family, dinghy sailing etc, precluded sports cars of any kind.
Then a few years ago I was sitting browsing through classic cars for sale and came across my Mog. My grandaughter told me to call the vendor and SWMBO didn't say no! So off we went to look it over and take it for a test drive. It was built in 1956 and first registered in 1957 so a few years younger than me. Not knowing much about Morgans but felt it was a good buy, we bought it. It turns out it had been dry stored for some 40 years before having a bare metal respray, rewired and rebuilt engine and gearbox.
We enjoy using it in dry weather and for relatively local trips. It goes well and is fun to drive without all the gismos of more modern cars but we wouldn't want to do long trips in it.

Got divorced from wife number 1 and walked away with nothing. But the house was paid off and given to her. Saw a ad for Miscellany in a Classic car mag. Wrote of, and in return was posted the latest copy. Looked in the back and they she was was. A 1976 4/4. I wanted a Plus 8 but too much money. Best move i have ever made!

My Morgan story actually started in 1948.
At the great age of 18 months I accompanied my parents to the Earls Court Motor Show. There my father crawled all over and under the Morgan 4-4 and the MG TC. In the end he ordered the MG, in blue, for delivery in Australia in 1949. It was the first blue MG to be delivered in Australia and attracted a lot of attention. Unfortunately the arrival of my younger brother ruined the fun and the replacement was a Jowett Javelin (it can't be said that my father had a mundane taste in cars ).
As the years passed and I started to drive: I always had an eye for traditional British sports cars. At one point I drove past the Sydney Morgan dealer (at North Ryde) every day on my way to work. I stopped several times to admire the cars on display. I particularly hankered after a yellow Plus 8 but it was beyond my means at the time.
Fast forward to retirement and a rather long range move to Italy. I have actually crossed the equator many times, but 3 of those were by sea and once by air to change residence.
I decided to finally treat myself to a Morgan for my 63rd birthday. Following a visit to the factory, and a test drive, I ordered my Plus 4.
It has not all been a smooth drive 🤣😂🤣 but since March 2012 we have done 90,000 km, the first 3K of which was to get the car home to Italy from the factory. We were averaging about 10K a year but Covid blocked us for a couple of years. None the less we have made some epic trips: back to the UK several times, France,., Germany, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, all several times, and in 2023 a long trip France - Ireland - Scotland - England and them home. Last year we went to Cantabria (Bilboa in a non-stop overnight from the Barcelona ferry terminal at midnight) and then re-visited some of our favourite places in Spain on the way back.
During that time I have owned the Plus 4 I have made a few small changes 😀 and I am now considering fitting a power steering system. I turn 79 in December and long trips are becoming a bit harder. Couple that with eye problems and I can't be sure just how much longer I will be able to drive.