[ChiragM]

There are various threads about visits to different manufacturing centres including Ford's plant in Chennai, Jaguar's Castle Bromwich (UK) facility, AMG factory in Affalterbach, Mercedes' Chakan facility, Apollo tyres, SF Sonic batteries or even about the logistics behind a car factory and Toyota's customer service initiatives. But here's something unique.

Traditional hand-built British sports cars do not have a good reputation globally when it comes to reliability. Head over to the Talk Morgan forum and you'll find some hilarious quotes like these:

Nobody would be so cruel as to restore a Morgan to the condition in which it left the factory!

There's something wrong with it if it doesn't leak oil!

Over the years, numerous British sports car manufacturers have disappeared and many factories have been closed. What was once a thriving industry has nearly been forgotten. British sports cars were replaced by reliable Japanese cars and hot hatchbacks as well. However, through these times, one car maker stood strong and still makes cars the traditional way - Morgan Motor Company.

Morgan was set up by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan in 1910 at Malvern, Worcestershire (UK). 111 years later, the company is still producing cars using traditional methods in the same location. In fact, some of the cars that are on sale today like the 3 Wheeler were launched in 1911. And some look almost the same. A 3 Wheeler from the 1930s looks largely similar to what's on sale today, and a Morgan 4/4 from the 1950s looks similar to the Plus 4 we get today. At present, Morgan has the 3 Wheeler, Plus Four, and Plus Six on sale.

Since the vehicles are not complex and the parts can be easily replaced, owners tend to re-chassis them or re-body them to keep old cars going. Simple cars and a small team also help in bringing newer cars to life quicker than other car makers. The latest 3 Wheeler took less than 2 years to go from a design sketch to a full production car on the road.

Morgan was a family-run business for a long time. From the time it was set up till 2003, only 2 people led the company - HFS Morgan, and his son Peter Morgan. That's more than 90 years with just 2 people at the helm. Peter's son, Charles Morgan was part of the new management team and was the managing director of the company from 2010 to 2013.

I got an opportunity to visit the factory where these cars are hand-built back in 2017. Since everything here is hand-built, there is no guide book as such for the employees to follow. The art of coachbuilding comes with experience and skill and makes for a unique visit for enthusiasts. Back when I visited the plant, the Plus Six was not released. Morgan had the Plus Eight and the Aero 8 on sale, along with the 3 Wheeler and the Plus Four.

As of January 2020, Morgan has 246 employees. The factory is located in Malvern Hills with the start of production on top of the hill. The rolling chassis can be easily pushed from one building to the other with gravity's help. Pictures were taken on my mobile.

[ChiragM]

Entrance to the reception, where the Morgan factory tour starts. Greeting visitors was this 3 Wheeler:


Inside, there are these nice seats made from rubber tires:


A robot statue made from various car parts:


The electric 3 Wheeler on display. The car seen here is a prototype that Morgan was intending to put into production. However, the project was canned earlier this year:


While walking from the reception to the factory floor, we find a few Morgan cars parked, including this half-cut Plus, showing what lies under the body. It was displayed at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show:


Also on display were these Aero 8s...




...and another Morgan Plus. The 4 / 6 / 8 in the name denotes the number of cylinders the car has. From the outside, they all look the same:




In another part of the factory, there was a 3 Wheeler parked, the car that defined Morgan from the day the company was set up. It has a two-cylinder motorbike engine placed on the outside and the original car was one of the fastest cars of its time thanks to the power-to-weight ratio:


Captain Albert Ball, a World War 1 pilot and an early 3 Wheeler customer said this about the car - "The closest thing to flying without leaving the ground". Even today, the 3 Wheeler is one of the most fun to drive vehicles on the market:


The tour starts off at the original factory building where some cars are placed on display. The building is said to be more than 100 years old:


When customers asked for a hardtop version of the Aero 8, Morgan built the Aero Max, limited to around 100 units. The tail lights are from a Lancia Thesis and this was also the first Morgan to cost more than GBP 1,00,000:


Motor racing was a huge part of Morgan's history. They were competitive thanks to the light weight and powerful engines. Even the 3 Wheeler took part in races. In fact, the 3 Wheeler was so fast that in some races, it was required to start a lap after the four-wheeled cars:


The Morgan Aero 8. The car has a BMW V8 under the hood. While BMW moved to turbocharged 4.4-litre V8s to meet emission norms, they continued to build the 4.8L engines for the Aero 8. The car's light weight helped it meet emission norms:


One of the few cars with squint headlights:


Interestingly, this was the first new Morgan design after the Plus Four Plus from the 1960s. That's more than 30 years between cars with brand new designs!!!


And this is the Plus Four Plus. It was mechanically similar to the Morgan Plus 4. It was an attempt to modernise the Morgan cars:


Only 26 cars were built between 1964 and 1967. Even though it was a flop, Morgan never lost any money with this car:


A few racecars based on the Aero 8. This particular model is a 2004 Le Mans racer and has a Morgan engine powering it:

[ChiragM]

No moving assembly line like you see in other car factories. The chassis is built first and important bits like the powertrain are added on to the car. Notice the clipboards. They contain the details and specifications of each car:


Crucially, each car in this station is built by just one person:


The powertrain placed on the floor waiting to be installed to the cars:


Brakes to be installed on the cars kept to one side:


A rolling chassis with the powertrain installed. It is then simply pushed to the next station. The wheels used are not the ones that the car will be sold with. They are used only in the factory. Modern Morgan cars like the Aero 8 use an aluminium bonded chassis that is sourced from outside. Once the powertrain is installed, all cars are started to make sure everything is in order with the powertrain and the chassis:


One of the main highlights of the Morgan factory is the wood shop. The frames for the body of a Morgan is still hand-crafted using wood:


I can't recall any other carmaker that still uses wood in their car's body / frames. You won't find many car factories putting together solid wood in a wood shop:


This 60-year old device is used to bend the wood to the required shape. It uses brute force to make the shape and it uses three layers of wood. The glue used takes the moisture from the wood which helps retain the shape. This is used to make the rear wheel arch and the wood is left here for 6 hours for it to set into shape:


The tubular body frame of a Morgan made out of wood. Only one person works on one car, making the parts as well as assembling them. Sometimes employees do sign on the chassis / frames they build:


This looks like the frame of a Morgan 3 Wheeler. The wood used is Ash wood and comes from the UK or Europe and is said to be the same material as that used in the handle of cricket bat because it absorbs shock. Another reason why this wood is used is that it grows straight up and not in different directions:


Some wooden parts placed on the wall. The wooden laminates are vacuum-bagged to remove air bubbles. This is the modern method used to make a laminate and takes 45 minutes:


Light-weight frames placed on top of each other:


The next stop is where the bodies are fully built and added to the chassis. This car appears to have come in for repairs:


You can see the aluminium is starting to be added on top of the wood. The car behind seems to be in a slightly more advanced stage of build. Again, each station has only one person working on each car:


Superformed aluminium fenders (wings) for the cars. A body shop worker claims that each piece will fit perfectly on just one car as they are trimmed. They may be used on other cars, but it won't be a perfect fit:


The metal body has been added to the wooden frame. This is how the car looks before the metal floor is added on...


...and how the car looks after the metal floor is added. These are two different models shown in the pics:


A line-up of Aero 8s on the production line:


Some parts of a Morgan, including the bonnet, are hand-beaten into shape by skilled craftsmen. Each louvre is also cut by hand:


A look at some of the parts stored:

[ChiragM]

From the body shop, the cars head to the paint shop, where they are hand-painted, and from there, they come to the trim shop and the final assembly section. The leather used in the cars are also hand-stitched on site. Morgan uses leather from Scottish cows. Reason = There's less barbed wire there for the cows to scratch:


Unique light purple shade on this Morgan. Around 40,000 colours are offered for customers to choose from:


Notice that the fenders and the bonnet are not attached:


A Morgan Aero 8 receiving the final touches:


A few more Morgan at different stages of the build. The windshield and windows are also fitted here. The hoods for the cars are made at the factory and are tailor-made for each car:


Seats waiting to be installed:


With the dashboard and door trims attached. Only four colours are offered for the interior wooden trims. As expected from Morgan, real wood is used and not veneers:


Some of the body panels kept aside during installation of the interior trims:


The fenders are hung on the wall till the rest of the assembly is completed. They are added later, along with the bonnet:


A stunning Aero 8 finished in British Racing Green:


One of Morgan's first products, the 3 Wheeler, have their own separate building where the cars are built:


A look at the interior of the 2-seater. Just like the other cars, the 3 Wheeler gets a production build record which contains the details of the vehicle:


The 585 kg 3 Wheeler has an air-cooled, 2.0-litre, V-Twin motorbike engine placed externally. In the Euro 4 spec, it produces 68 BHP and 129 Nm. The 0-100 km/h time is said to be 7 seconds and the top speed is 185 km/h. The first prototype 3 Wheeler built in 1909 had a 7 BHP Peugeot motorbike engine and a power-to-weight ratio of 90 BHP/ton:


Over the decades, the design has not changed significantly:


Just like the other Morgans, the cars are hand-built, starting with the chassis, and its again the one person, one car philosophy:


Cars at different stages of the build. It takes around 25 hours to build the car:


Due to the high demand for the 3 Wheeler, the engine is not fitted here. The chassis is sent outside the factory for the engine to be fitted. All the work on the 3 Wheeler is completed in just one place:


After the cars are completed, they head to the final inspection area before heading out for a test drive. One person is assigned per car and they check the paint, trim, check the specification and even ensure all the options and colours chosen are correct. Some minor imperfections are rectified by those inspecting the cars:


A Morgan Roadster finished in British Racing Green awaiting inspection. The Roadster has a 3.7-litre Ford V6 in it:




A 3 Wheeler that has arrived for inspection:


A 3 Wheeler undergoing inspection. Every car gets a 28-light bay where they are detailed. The inspection takes 5 to 8 hours depending on the car:


Some body parts placed next to the inspection area:


A fully finished Morgan Plus ready to be shipped. Each car is test driven around the factory. They are driven for around 35 km on different road surfaces:

[ChiragM]

The factory also has a small museum in the premises. This is a replica 3 Wheeler:


This car has a brass radiator grille:


Some more classic Morgans:






This a 2009 concept called the Morgan LIFEcar (LIghtweight Fuel Efficient Car) and features a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain:


There's also a showroom on the premises for you to buy your dream Morgan:


Ending this visit where we started...


...with a Morgan Plus 4:

[Aditya]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Int'l Scene. Thanks for sharing!

[Jeroen]

Thanks for sharing, Morgan stands out in the world of Automative in many ways.

I visited their factory many years ago, Not too much has changed by the looks of it! that is one of the things they stand out with. Their design and product methods are decades behind anybody else in this industry. Various attempts to modernise all failed under the Morgan reign. With the new management things have improved a bit.

What has remained always is a somehow ironclad reputation as being the quintessential British sports car. Whether that is true is in the eye of the beholder, but to date Morgans are quite popular. They are quite expensive cars to purchase, new and or second hand for that matter.

Whereas many people can afford a MG, Triumph or similar, Morgans are way more expensive. Morgan owners are not the types to tinker/fiddle with their cars themselves. Hell, they probably have somebody to clean and polish it for them!

I do like their modern tricycle. I had the opportunity to take one for a quick spin sometime ago. Pretty much hardcore motoring with little protection from the weather.

I will always have a soft spot for old and new Morgans. If anything they do stand out from the crowd and go their own way. And they are successful in their own way. I don’t think Morgan has any competition really. Either you want one or you don’t.

That in itself is always to be admired.

Jeroen

[blackwasp]

Thanks for sharing Chirag.

It is surprising to me that Morgans are still using old techniques to build their cars. Also, the first thing that comes to my mind when someone says Morgan is their wood bodies!

Here is a video of the Trio driving around town in the roofless sports cars and Hammond is in the Morgan Three Wheeler. Say whatever that car stands out and must be a lot of fun to drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiktgVnoOr0

[Storm2.0]

Thanks for sharing your detailed experience Chirag. Before visiting this thread I didn't know that such car makers still exist in this era.

[Rehaan]

An ardent Team-BHP reader reached out with the following info:

Read your thread about Morgan cars...

Let me fill you in on some dope as this is a specialized low volume vintage body style car. This car in three wheeler form cane to India in year 2013 as part of Superdry apparel promotions.
It was showcased in Palladium mall in the Superdry showroom out there. Morgan was supposed to come to India and it had infact even published one dealer in India as their official partner. Search on the internet and you will find this catalogue.

Anyways Morgan cars still use a lot of wood especially in their chassis. They have not passed the crash test or the other mandatory safety tests. I think even they do not have ABS brakes or co driver airbag - but since it is limited production car they manage to sell the cars in the UK market. There is some major relaxation for emission and safety norms in UK for small series car manufacturers. That is how even Shelby cars and Caterham cars are still sold in UK

Attaching a picture of the Morgan 3-Wheeler seen in Mumbai, from this thread:


As well as a BSMotoring write-up (that's BHPian Revvmaster):


EDIT: One more thread - Morgan Aero Supersports *replica* in Bhopal:

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

It is surprising to me that Morgans are still using old techniques to build their cars.

Not really. For a low-volume, expensive car it makes sense. Investment in tooling and equipment for production-line manufacturing would make no sense at all. skilled men, using relatively cheap tooling, makes much more sense.

I think it was written that it takes 25 days to build one car. I'm guessing that it would be more accurate to say "to assemble one car," and that many more man days would be the true number to include the making of the woodwork, shaping of the metalwork, etc.

But these guys don't need to be stamping out body parts in seconds --- and I bet that they have the hand work practised, over many years, at a very high level of efficiency.

I never thought of crash tests. The absence is something of a dark cloud, especially for a high-performance car which is meant to be driven at high levels of, what shall I call it... fun!

Wood, of course, can be pretty strong. Especially stuff like laminates, although it looks like the bent laminates here are used more for the decorative parts of the body. An analysis of the actual strength and safety of these cars would be very interesting!

[avi_swift]

Quite an interesting insight into the manufacturing process of one of the few outliers of the automotive world. All that power and lightweight construction means it must be a hoot to drive, but only in favorable weather. I can't imagine driving something like that in the rain(like in the TopGear video), nor in the current Delhi heat.

But I always wonder why do people buy these cars? All of them looks like they are from another era. I like the Aero 8 from the sides (the tail lights somehow reminds me of the Jaguar XJ's), but from the front, it still looks old and odd. It's sort of like Disneyland, the castles are made to look medieval when they are not. Sure they will stand out in a crowd, but I don't think in a good way. Morgan is almost like Hindustan Motors, making new cars which looks as if they have been driven off a time machine rather than a factory.

Originally Posted by ChiragM

The leather used in the cars are also hand-stitched on site. Morgan uses leather from Scottish cows. Reason = There's less barbed wire there for the cows to scratch

BMW sources its leather for the Rolls Royce from Bavaria for the same reason (saw this in NatGeo).

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by avi_swift

But I always wonder why do people buy these cars? All of them looks like they are from another era. I like the Aero 8 from the sides (the tail lights somehow reminds me of the Jaguar XJ's), but from the front, it still looks old and odd. Sure they will stand out in a crowd, but I don't think in a good way. .

As I mentioned before, Morgan does not have competition, either you love it or you don’t. Very few love Morgan, even fewer have the necessary readies to actually buy and own one, new or second hand for that matter.

Their market share is less than minute. They produce less than a 1000 cars a year! More amazingly in the 80-90 they were producing about half that, say 500 cars a year. Delivery time of a Morgan in those days were about 5 years. Yes, you read that correctly, that is five (5) years.

So it is a very niche market they have carved out for themselves. Morgan owners tend to be fiercely loyal to the brand and quite wealthy too. Nobody owns a Morgan as their daily runner. This is purely hobby/interest. Low numbers, exclusivity, British Heritage, hand made, standing out from the crowd appeals to quite a few folks!

Here in Europe when you drive a BMW or an Audi everybody will assume its a company car and you are just a slick sales rep. Or worse, you do something in IT.

But when you rock up in a Morgan, most people, even car ignoramus’s, will immediately recognise this is something completely different. Rather unique, not main stream.

Jeroen

[sandeepmohan]

I must admit that I have not been a avid follower of Morgan. You hardly ever hear of them. The first time I saw a Morgan was on BBC's Top Gear or whenever Timothy Needell had a go with their cars.

I appreciate the simple, clean interiors and that beautiful Leather. It looks so elegant. Not over the top like current generation cars. There really is no comparison to anything that is hand built with passion. Would love to learn the art of coach building some day.

Thanks for sharing. These are truly unique cars.

[arjab]

One thing always perplexed me:
How does the present day Morgan 3 - wheeler pass the stringent crash norms? Particularly frontal crash?
Are all Morgan's homologated under a different set of norms?
Any light on this would be much appreciated