VINTAGE
Morgan Sports cars have been a familiar sight in most forms of motor sport ever since the introduction of the first Morgan four-wheeler in 1936. They have found success in circuit racing, hill-climbing, reliability trials and rallies, often out-performing many other vehicles from the major motor manufacturers. These successes have not necessarily been achieved with highly-developed 'specials', but often with standard production-specification cars or mildly-tuned examples, with much of the work carried out by the enthusiastic owner / driver.
Morgan established its reputation for competitive sports cars with the early three wheelers which dominated various categories of motor sport, competing successfully against light cars and also motor cycles. However, in the mid-1930s with the decline in popularity of the three-wheeler, a new four wheel Morgan was developed. From the very beginning the sporting potential of the new car was an important factor, and the prototype was extensively tested in trials and on the track.
The four-wheeler was exhibited at the London and Paris Exhibitions, the new model being named the Morgan 4-4 to differentiate it from the three-wheeler, indicating four cylinders and four wheels.
The car had a Z section full width steel chassis with boxed cross members and the body was an ash frame panelled in steel. The combination provided the durability of a coach-built car with the lightness required for a sports car and was an immediate success.
In 1937 a few special sports models were built for racing fitted with 1098 c.c. Coventry Climax engines developing 42 b.h.p. with balanced crankshafts. The following year, Miss Prudence Fawcett, a 25 year-old novice driver with little previous competition experience, entered for the Le Mans 24-hour race in a Morgan 4-4 tuned and prepared at the works.
Together with co-driver Geoff White, Prudence completed the 24hours finishing 13th overall and qualifying for the Biennial Cup. Geoff White returned To Le Mans in 1939 and together with co-driver 'Dick' Anthony, came 15th overall and second in class.
1938 saw the Climax engine replaced by an overhead valve power unit from the Standard Motor Company, developed from their 9 h.p. side valve engine. This was specially built for Morgan at the express wish of Sir John Black of Standard, who had been a friend of H.F.S. Morgan for many years and as a young draughtsman had produced the patent drawings for the first Morgan Runabout in 1910.
In this period some interesting experiments were made. A Ford 22 horsepower V8 Pilot engine was fitted to the Morgan chassis, which gave a most vivid performance. Due to a taxation increase from 15 shillings to 25 shillings per horsepower, this project was abandoned at the prototype stage. This second experiment was to fit a car with an Arnott supercharger. This vehicle, although only 1000 cc. was capable of over 80 mph.
Car production stopped completely throughout the Second World War, as did all motorsport. With the return of peace in 1946 the Morgan factory resumed production, some of the cars being despatched as running chassis due to the shortages of sheet steel for making the bodies. After the Government linked steel supplies directly with the number of export customers so there was increased pressure on the company to export. Distributors were appointed in the USA, Canada, South America, Australia, South Africa and Europe.
In 1947, after being demobilised, Peter Morgan, H.F.S.' son, joined the firm as Development Engineer and Draughtsman.
Peter began work on a prototype for a new Morgan which was built in 1949, fitted with the Standard Vanguard 1.8 litre engine which gave a much increased performance when compared to the 4/4. 1950 saw the production of this car as the Plus Four. The engine eventually used was the 2088 c.c. Vanguard 68 b.h.p. unit.
The Plus Four had immediate success in competition, with Morgans winning the team award in the R.A.C. Rally in 1951 and 1952. H.F.S.'s son Peter Morgan was a driver in both teams.
The body styles adopted were an open two-seater, a four-seater and a Drophead Coupe. Due to its high-power-to-weight-ratio the Plus Four also began to have many successes on the track.
In 1954 the pre-war design was significantly updated with the radiator now hidden beneath a cowl and grille to improve aerodynamics and consequently increasing the car's performance on the race track, as in this photograph of Peter Morgan in the works Plus 4 at Silverstone in May 1954.
The following year the TR 2 engine was fitted, raising the power to 90 b.h.p.
Due to the increasing popularity of the Morgan, the Morgan Sports Car Club was formed in July 1951 with thirty members. The club is now one of the most active in the classic car scene and for the past 60 years has supported owners in the maintenance, repair & restoration, as well as the enthusiastic use of Morgan cars. The MSCC also organises numerous sporting events to encourage the competitive use of these exciting cars.
In 1955 the Morgan 4/4 was reintroduced as the Series Two.
This was a car of similar design to the Plus Four but fitted with a smaller 10 h.p. Ford side valve engine and integral gear box, the object being to provide a sports car with a lively performance and appearance for the enthusiast with modest means. The 4/4 continues to use a Ford engine today, over half a century later!
During 1956 the TR 3 engine was fitted to the Plus Four, increasing the power to 100 b.h.p. which, when built with lightweight aluminium bodies, were extremely fast as seen here with John Looker driving his Plus 4 at Oulton Park in 1957.
Plus Fours won many production sports car races, particularly in the U.S.A. Lew Spencer was a familiar figure on the winners' rostrum and his Morgans, all bearing the name 'Baby Doll', built up a huge following.
The Morgan world suffered a great loss in 1959 with the death of the company founder H.F.S. Morgan. Harry Morgan was one of the great pioneers of Motoring and very much respected throughout the industry. Unfortunately he just missed the Company's 50th anniversary celebrations which took place in April 1960.
In 1962 success was achieved again at the 24 hours endurance race at Le Mans. A Plus Four Super Sports prepared by the company and Christopher Lawrence, competed and won the 2 litre class.
The car was driven by Lawrence and Richard Sheppard-Baron and covered a total distance of 2,261 miles at an average speed of 94 m.p.h. Driver changes, refuelling and adjustments took a total of 32 minutes, so the actual running speed of the car was 97 m.p.h. After the race the car was happily driven back to England on public roads.
1963 saw the introduction of an entirely new car called the Morgan Plus 4 Plus.
This used a conventional Plus 4 chassis, but was fitted with an elegant glass fibre body made by E.B. Plastics Ltd., of Stoke-on-Trent. The car was not successful and during the four years that it was in production, just 26 were built. In 1964 the Morgan chassis was used as the basis for another radically different car, the Morgan SLR, a racing car designed by Chris Lawrence and John Sprinzel.
The aerodynamic body gave a top speed far in excess of the 134 m.p.h. achieved by the Plus Four at Le Mans on the Mulsanne Straight.
In 1966 the Triumph TR engine was nearing the end of its life and a suitable replacement was sought. The Rover Motor Company offered the forthcoming aluminium Rover V8 engine. Mr. Maurice Owen joined the firm to take charge of development on the new car, the Morgan Plus Eight, and this model was announced to the public at the Earls Court Motor Show of 1968. The Plus 8 maintained Morgan's reputation on the race track as seen here with the second prototype MMC11.
This proved to be one of the most successful cars that the company has ever built and production continued for 36 years until the model was finally discontinued in 2004.
The racing pedigree of the Morgan was enhanced in 1972 and 1975 when Robin Grey driving a Plus Eight won the Fred Dixon Modsports Championship and Chris Alford won the 1975 BRSCC Production Sports Car Championship in a 4/4.
MMC II, the first production Plus Eight, took the BRDC Production Sports Car Championship in 1978, this was followed with victory in the BRSCC Production Sports Car Championship in 1979. The drivers were Charles Morgan, the grandson of the founder, and Rob Wells. Morgans were prominent in the only 24 hour race held in Britain at this time covering the greatest distance by a single car entry in the Willhire event at Snetterton in 1980, 81, and 82. In the USA Tony Arutunoff won the US National Production Championship in class H and in 1982 both British National Sports Car Championship belonged to Morgan with Steve Cole winning in Prodsports with his ultra-lightweight Morgan famous for its one-piece alligator body.
In 1989 the capacity of the Plus Eight was increased from 3.5 to 3.9 litres and this ensured that the Plus Eight continued to be one of the fastest accelerating roads cars. The German magazine "Auto Motor und Sport" crowned the Morgan Plus Eight as the fastest car they had ever tested in fifth gear, "the world champion for flexibility".
The Plus Four was reintroduced in 1985 with a Fiat engine which was replaced two years later by Rover's award winning lean-burn overhead cam 2 litre engine. Also that year, Charles Morgan, grandson of the founder, joined the company full time.
Bruce Stapleton, the London Morgan agent gallantly tried to put the Morgan back amongst the winners in International Sports Car Racing competing with Porsche and Lancia entries in Group 4 and drove an early Plus Eight 12,000 mile to Australia in the London Sydney Marathon setting the fastest time on a number of stages. In the Pirelli Marathon Rick Bourne came second overall in a Morgan Plus Four Supersports and echoed the successes of the Plus Four in the International rallies of the 1950's.
The Morgan Sports Car Championships began in 1987 as an annual championship designed to give owners the chance to race their cars in a one-make series. The championship grew fast and grids of 309 cars became common. The success of the series prompted a Hill-Climb Championship exclusively for Morgans and encouraged the German Morgan Owners Club to start a race series in Europe called the Continental Morgan Championship. From 1987 to 1993 the Plus Eight of Graham Bryant and Matthew Wurr consistently demonstrated how fast a Morgan can go against other makes in the 750 Motor Clubs Roadsports Series and in Morgan marque racing.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the Morgan Motor Company continued building the classic range of sports cars, the 4/4 being the entry level model, the Plus 4 for those who required a little more performance, and the very quick Plus 8 being top of the range. In 1997 the production models were extensively overhauled, with the standardisation of the new Aluminium superform wings (all except the 4/4), longer doors, redesigned facia to allow for airbags the introduction of a 4.6 litre V8 version and generally improved materials throughout.
In the mid-1990s a remarkable new Morgan began to take shape. In order to remain competitive on the race track and to maintain Morgan's reputation for producing world class sports cars, Charles Morgan decided to develop an entirely new chassis. Together with Morgan dealer Bill Wykeham, Charles raced a specifically designed aluminium chassis Plus 8 in 7 rounds of the international 1996 BPR race series.
This became the FIA GT series in 1997. This car proved that the factory were capable of making and running a successful race car, but also that with the higher performance requirements of this series, the aerodynamics of the existing shape were the major limiting factor to success.
To achieve this he worked with engineer Chris Lawrence (who had driven Morgan Plus 4 TOK258 to a class victory at Le Mans in 1962). The new car was developed in the factory and on the race track over a period of five years and was finally unveiled to the public at the Geneva motor show in March 2000.
The Aero 8 was a remarkably advanced car using a strong, lightweight bonded aluminium chassis and all aluminium body panels, still assembled around a wooden frame, creating a revolutionary new Morgan sports car. The B.M.W. 4.4 litre V8 engine gave the car a dramatic performance, the equal of many an exotic supercar. The Aero 8 was an instant success and many orders were taken.
Morgan returned to Le Mans once again in 2002, the 40th anniversary of Chris Lawrence and Richard Sheppard-Baron's victory, with a racing version of the new car called the Aero 8 GTN.
Driven by Richard Stanton, Steve Hyde and Richard Hay, the car suffered recurring vibration from the back axle which was replaced during the race, however, it was engine failure that eventually forced retirement after 17 hours. Despite failing to finish, it was a most creditable achievement for a new car with only a few months development and on such a small budget. Morgan's entry for the following year's race was inexplicably rejected by race organisers the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, however they were back in 2004. This time the drivers were Adam Sharpe, Neil Cunningham, and Steve Hyde. Although the race was eventful, to say the least, with a delay of over three hours with a fuel pump problem, two radiator changes, a broken throttle cable and serious engine trouble, the car completed the 24 hours. Not only was this a remarkable achievement in the world's most gruelling race, but in recognition of the Morgan pit crew's outstanding performance, the authorities awarded them the team prize for the best technical crew in the race.
In 2003 the Morgan community and motor industry in general lost a most remarkable man with the death of Peter Morgan. Peter had steered the company successfully through some particularly difficult periods, and the continued success of the Morgan Motor Company today, when almost all others have failed, is a fitting tribute to this gentleman.
Following its introduction, the Aero 8 was continually refined and updated, and then in 2005 a stunning new fixed-head version called the AeroMax was launched.
Inspired by Morgan enthusiast Prince Eric Sturdza, head of Banque Baring Brothers Sturdza in Geneva, the elegant design was the work of a talented young graduate from Coventry University, Matthew Humphries. Although it was originally intended that this should be a one-off vehicle, such was the interest shown it was decided to put the car into production, but as a very special limited edition of just 100. All were sold within a few months of the model being launched!
The remarkable response to the AeroMax encouraged the Morgan design team to develop another exciting supercar based on the proven Aero chassis. Forward of the windscreen, the car retained the sleek lines of the other Aeros, aft of the cockpit Matthew Humphries and his team designed a distinctive new shape. This now featured a capacious boot which would also accommodate the removable roof panels giving drivers the option of open air motoring in favourable conditions. Power came from the BMW B4.8 N62 engine which had been used in the Aero models since February 2008.
