Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Morgan Motor Company New Logo

We saw our first Panther sports car in Lyons today. I think the new logo may be closer to that marque's considering the general appearance.

Lorne

Hmmn... I go away for the weekend and come back and find 'this'.

I know - as in: have met and some I call good friends - many of the Aero owners on here. I also have met a few of the members who own traditional cars - again people whose company I enjoy. Therefore, for me, coming late to Morgan, I find it utterly pointless and in many ways slightly repugnant to have even a hint of Trad/Aero divide amongst owners. To my mind, it would be like Porsche owners ostracizing Boxster owners (which some do) or M3 owners looking down their noses at 3-Series owners, classic car owners elevating themselves above the owners of modern equivalents - pointless and embarrassingly shallow.

Manufacturers need a past, present and future to allow us to buy the products we desire - simplistic I recognise; nevertheless, you get my point I am sure.

Morgan need all owners - old and new - in fact, as I have stated on many occasions, they need new for the future now more than ever as I believe their current lack of marketing means their full product line is becoming less and less well known out of Mog-circles (so unless all the older Moggies are procreating like mad, there will be less and less awareness of these cars as current older members shuffle this mortal coil).

Thus, battling amongst members seems terribly short sighted to me.

I called this Forum Talk Morgan for a reason: because it was all inclusive. Had I wanted to call it Talk Aero I could have but I didn't; the same could be said for Talk Trad. I personally do not see a difference amongst owners/enthusiasts and know I always feel that way.

As a side note – to the outside world, all Morgan owners are the same – as I have also said on many occasions, the amount of jokes I had about: flat caps, splinters, wood worm etc, when I said I was buying a Morgan Aero 8 made me realise that to the outside world (i.e. non-owners) a Morgan is a Morgan is a Morgan! Therefore, why is it so hard for some owners and enthusiasts to see it the same way?



Now to answer to Lorne’s question and to further hammer home this point.

I am now Aeroless – we all know that!

I thought I could remain Morgan-less until I build my new garage but it doesn’t feel like I will be able to hold out that long!

So, what am I considering? An S1 Aero or a Plus 8/Roadster/Plus 4.

Does that answer the question and prove my unbiased approach?

So the fact that the works now produce a 1720mm wide (67.7inch) Roadster means that Roadsters are no longer suitable for the UK??

This is 'only' 50mm short of an Aero.

Personally I have never had an issue with the width even on the narrow lanes of Warwickshire and Worcestershire. What is different is the fact that my Aero can traverse these lanes faster than even my old ex race Plus 8. Typically it took me 60mins to get to Shelsley Walsh (much of it lanes) and now I can do it in 50 max in the Aero.

Simon - you were looking for a Series 1 Aero - looks like I'm going to have to sell mine as I clearly dont fit into the correct 'mould' for an Aero owner. I cannot think why a simple jobbing gardener would have the audacity to even think about buying an Aero. Please fellow Aero owners forgive me for being so presumptiuous to join your most illustrious group.

What a load of b.....ls........

Ok I'm going to now say somehting I might regret but then again its one of my early morning thoughts again...

It strikes me that there are some (emphasise some) owners of 'trad' Morgans who think that Aero owners are different. I dont understand why? However I have yet to come across an Aero owner who does not think of themselves as part of the whole Morgan community.

Phil, I'd like to add to your passionately stated point by also saying that not only would I agree that all the Aero owners I've met have stated that they feel themselves to be part of the great Morgan community BUT perhaps more importantly, I have NEVER met one who has spoken negatively about the Trad cars.

This is part of the reason I do not see the reason for any divide - Aero owners want to belong and I believe for the most part, Trad owners want them to belong as well.

There isn't a type of 'Aero Owner' and more than there is a stereotypical 'Trad Owner'. And you certainly don't need to be rich to own an Aero when a used S1 costs the same as a new Plus 4 and a lot less than a well specced Roadster!

It's all about choice and I'm glad we have that variety to choose from!

We are all different. Just like we all are better than average drivers

Absolutely! As long as we can keep our goats and other critters out of it



You can always try calling it a "Barbie Jeep"

Panther was Robert Jankel's marque, made by his company Westwinds, and the Lima was on a Viva chassis with a Vauxhall Magnum 2.3L engine. A similar car became the Kallista with Ford Mechanicals and was made, from memory, up until the end of the 80's.

The last model made was the Solo, mid-engined with a Ford Cosworth engine, and I think that the extensive development costs basically broke the company. It was bought by a Korean, whose name escapes me, and I believe some Solo's were made in Korea, but the marque then disappeared into oblivion.

However, the cars that jankel will be forever remembered for are:

The Panther De Ville


and the Panther J72 which was fitted with a Jaguar V12 engine


Somewhere I've got a photo of BtG sizing one of these up in Steve Simmonds workshop to see whether he can graft a similar front end onto his Aero 8.

phil, they are just jealous!

Simon,

Not to worry. The hostility has nothing to with Aeros or Trikes or Trads or (soon) Lifecars. I have come to see that that type of animiosity has to do with some people, not some models. After all, we moggies are all far more alike than not.

I ran into this curious phenomena after the Factory made the Morgan we have in Canada. It was a fun project, cherry-picking all (we thought) was best in the 30-year Plus 8 line. The staff at the Works all signed its floor and wished us well. A lovely one-off.

Curiously, it draws a angry look or comment from time to time. "Not "REALLY" a Morgan", like the first 4 wheelers at one time, or the first Plus 8s or the Aeros or any other of the MMC one-offs through the ages. Tho God knows what else they are!

These comments do not stem from a resistance to change, or a lack of dosh or even aesthetics. They arise out of a desire to dismiss anything that isn't what they have. Sad but one must be resigned to that attitude in all walks of life.

Lorne