Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

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I consider myself lucky to have grown up in the 1960s and 1970s when many of the cars now considered classic were current and I was even luckier to have been given rides in and even driven many of them.
For example, a friend of my father's bought a new Cortina Lotus in 1965 and journeys in it were memorable. I had my first ride in an E Type in the same year, a 4.2 Roadster and I knew someone who was given a brand new Escort Twin Cam on his 21st birthday in 1971. What a machine!

Despite seeing and experiencing such delights I have never been in or sat in a Morgan. In fact I don't remember or recall seeing one until the 1970s.

Every year one of the Morgan clubs stay overnight in a hotel here and the sight of anything between 40 - 50 Morgans parked outside is something to behold.
Morgan owners are a friendly sort and two years ago I had a long chat with someone who owned a primrose yellow Plus 4. It was 30 years old then, it looked better than new and he had bought it new having waited 5 years for delivery.

Close to I was surprised at how small it was and I couldn't help but think that I would have preferred a Triumph TR5 or 6.

Timeless, classic British engineering and iconic a Morgan may be but I still know very little about them and I wonder if any of you can recount any Morgan experiences or can shed light on the magic they seem to have.

Ellis[/img]
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Ironhead]

i don't know anything about the Morgan 4-wheelers,but the 3-wheeler Morgans are an awesome sight racing the motorcycle sidecars in the VMCC classes.i reguarly watch them at Mallory Park,the sound of the Morgans is worth the entrance fee itself!

[ukdave2002]

Drove one once, thought I was going to love it, but didn't
Just was the worst blend of old & modern
Dave

[Rick]

I confess that Morgans of recent decades don't do a great deal for me either, I respect the history and how they're built (we visited the factory briefly last year) but there are too many modern bits in view to make me warm to them much. Old style looks, old methods, but recent build.

RJ
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[Mog]

As a poor under paid apprentice , the way to go was with a 3-wheeler Morgan. You could drive it at 16 without anybody with you. I bought my first one at 15.5 years, my brother had to drive it home. An apprentice who was 1 year older than me , was known as Big Ben. He was tall good looking, for the ladies. He always had a smile. I did buy my first lathe from him/father . He had a motor bike and side car but it was only the frame. He died when he hit a light pole only 50 mts. from the works gate. I can tell you of some others that have met the same fate. So I only drove a moped.

The first was UA 9363 and the last was OV 3049 both are still on the road.

[Mog]

I will tell you another true story , that i hope you will pass on to your teen age sons. His parents gave him a Mazda car to go to work. He drove it like a racing car. He was an apprentice boilermaker where I worked. The car often broke down and as he lived in the next street I often gave him a lift to work. He offered to pay me petrol money but I said I had to to go to work, as a tradesman , so it did not matter. He soon had enough money to buy a motor bike....Much to his parents regret. He was also a good looking guy, a blond surfer guy, I did ask him if he was any good at surfing and he said he was. His parents had retired and moved to the north coast of NSW. His grandma lived not far away, from Dee Why, so he would go for a visit and feed once a week. As he passed the end of my street , about 50 mts. away he hit a taxie that was doing a u- turn , on his motor bike. He died after a couple of days. I will add that he was a drug user. I had to go across the road and tell another boilermaker trades man that he had died. His parents came to Sydney and took his body back to the North Coast.