Jaw-dropping Morgan Midsummer unveiled
That Pininfarina design collab Morgan's been teasing? This is what we've been waiting for...
There must be easier jobs in the car industry than conjuring up a special edition Morgan. The unmistakable aesthetic is a huge part of why the brand is so adored; deviate from it too far and there’s a risk of alienating dedicated fans. Yet change it too little and your limited-run collector's item may struggle to justify the premium. And that’s before even involving a company like Pininfarina; they’ll want to have a say, of course, or there would be little point buddying up. But they can’t overdo it. The last thing anyone wants is a clash of cultures on four wheels. What everyone is after is the best of both worlds.
Hopefully we can all agree that the new Morgan Midsummer achieves that. It’s instantly recognisable as a product of Malvern, yet at the same time a very different prospect: the angle of the rear deck, the profile and, yes, the teak, certainly ensure that much. This car exists to celebrate all that is good about coachbuilding, with artisans and designers from both brands taking familiar running gear - in this case, the Plus Six - and draping a sensational look over it. Inspiration has come from all over, including Riva speedboats, classic Lancias designed by Pininfarina and, of course, the Morgan back catalogue. Having seen the Midsummer in the metal (and wood), it really is as jaw-dropping as it seems in the pictures.
The name might actually be a good place to start from, this being the first Morgan in yonks not to be a Plus this, an Aero that, or something celebrating three wheels. That’s significant in itself. There’s validity beyond just being a roofless roadster that’ll be at its best during June and July, too, because there’s a Midsummer Hill close to Pickersleigh Road; way back when it was used as a test route for some very early Mogs. Probably still is, in fact. This neatly encapsulates much of the appeal: it’s coachbuilding, a tradition almost as old as automotive itself, but for the 21st century, with Morgan’s CX aluminium architecture underneath it.
With a whole lotta wood on top. The teak is impossible to avoid when drinking in the Midsummer, so must be mentioned as a priority. What would be very hard to explain without images is beautiful in reality; where the decking of something like a Rolls-Royce can look a bit OTT, here it complements the whole barchetta vibe (‘little boat’, remember) just perfectly. This being Morgan, the woodwork accounts for a heck of a lot of the build hours (the aim is for one a week to be built over the next 12 months). Where previously it’s remained hidden, Pininfarina suggested such a significant part of the heritage should be celebrated and put on show. The visible teak around the cabin uses hundreds of hand-selected, sustainably sourced teak layers no more than 0.6mm thick that are then laminated together so they can be sculpted. More layers means more durability for the exposed sections, too. Every Midsummer will feature nine teak sections (83 square metres of the stuff in total!), and more than 30 hours of work; the dash tops feature 126 layers each.
Draw your eyes away from the wood, and it’s easy to appreciate the almost hot rod effect of the Midsummer. Though the tracks are identical to a Plus Six, the redesign makes it look broader and meaner - but also more beautiful - than any Morgan of recent memory. (The panels take 250 hours of work in total.) There are obvious aspects to that, like the new wheel design and the dramatically shallower rear end, but some delightfully subtle details as well: the headlights are further inboard and the front arches redesigned, to emphasise the width; the wings aren’t as steep for a smooth profile; and the rear lights actually nestle ever so slightly into the boot rather than standing proud. The Morgan design team talks of reducing visual noise, and where the Morgan stereotype may still be too much chrome and wire wheels this feels very clean - yet with magnetic presence. Encouragingly, we’re told to expect Midsummer cues to make it into future series production cars as well.
The design of the wheels apparently didn’t take long to decide between the two parties, again capturing the modern and retro vibe very smartly; they’re lighter than a Plus Six rim and also use a chunkier profile of Michelin Pilot Sport 5 to fill out the reworked arches and enhance the old-school roadster feel to great effect. Details, see - not just the wood.
As for the Pininfarina input externally, it’s worth drawing attention to the ‘piano keys’ - the black hand-formed aluminium vents inspired by its old Lancia designs - as well as the badges. Where we’re used to ‘Pininfarina Design’ on some cars, the Midsummer features ‘Pininfarina Fuoriserie’ - the very first time it’s been used. It means ‘out of series’, reflecting the Morgan’s status as a collaboration. It’s not a full Pininfarina project, though neither is it all Morgan; the lovely new emblems are a nice touch.
Though Midsummer running gear is familiar from the Plus Six - 340hp BMW straight-six, with eight-speed automatic - doing away with any roof whatsoever means weight will be saved: the targeted dry weight is just 1,000kg. The new Morgan will be fitted with Nitron dampers, too, which should address some of the donor car’s occasional waywardness. The promise is of a ‘raw and visceral driving experience that is synonymous with Morgan sports cars’. A more substantial windscreen will be offered for those who don’t want to wear a helmet everywhere, and a Schedoni luggage set will also be on the options list. There will be no other extras available for the Midsummer, though naturally the 50 customers will have the freedom to choose whichever paint and upholstery they so desire. Don’t be surprised if a few emerge in this gorgeous pearl white.
Inside, the Midsummer’s origins are fairly clear, and the fact that the ubiquitous BMW gear selector survives is a pity. That being said, it’s the details again that really elevate the feel. There are new dials, for instance, said to be a nightmare to work with modern ECUs - or ‘requiring a full electronic re-evaluation’, in press release speak - but worth the effort for the classic font and off-white colour. The steering wheel has changed, too, dishier than usual and with forged aluminium centres - it’s tangibly more expensive-looking as a result.
What’s so exciting about the Midsummer, even stationary, is that the longer you look, the more there is to enjoy. Hopefully these Morgans will be used and driven, but if ever a car could be appreciated merely as a static object, this is it. Nothing is superfluous, either; the piano keys help extract air from the bonnet, the suave new look is more aerodynamic, and the vents up front all benefit the air flow. It's not design for design’s sake, which must always be a concern when two brands pair up and want their influence made clear. From where we stand, the Midsummer is the perfect amalgamation of what Morgan and Pininfarina do well. It’ll be at Festival of Speed later in the summer, and we’d implore you to go look - the pics, as lovely as they are, don’t quite do it justice. You’ll be at the Morgan stand longer than expected, guaranteed.
With all 50 Midsummers already spoken for, production will begin later in the year and continue into 2025. Morgan’s CEO Massimo Fumarola said of the new car: “We are incredibly proud to present Midsummer, a limited-run special project that celebrates two centuries of coachbuilding and represents the embodiment of Morgan’s core values and the pinnacle of craft skills of its talented workforce.
“Midsummer is dedicated to enthusiastic individuals who enjoy an unconventional, sensory, and analogue driving experience. By identifying and reinterpreting Morgan’s admired ideals, Midsummer turns our legacy into a charming, sophisticated, and timeless aesthetic.” A year - or even just a few months - will certainly feel like a long time to wait for the lucky 50. And those future Morgans inspired by this can’t come soon enough.
prefer a nice colour and surely there must be a nicer steering wheel to have? I’m guessing it’s for airbag
reasons but a lovely metal and wooden wheel be way nicer. Same for the gear selector must be possible to swap the plastic cover for something nicer?
prefer a nice colour and surely there must be a nicer steering wheel to have? I’m guessing it’s for airbag
reasons but a lovely metal and wooden wheel be way nicer. Same for the gear selector must be possible to swap the plastic cover for something nicer?
The steering wheel looks familiar as well although I cant place it. I thought it was out of the Elise but its not quite the same.
The steering wheel looks familiar as well although I cant place it. I thought it was out of the Elise but its not quite the same.
Some of the interior details are ridiculous - the gear selector for example; you'd think having gone to so much trouble they'd think beyond dumping such a incongruous looking off-the-shelf item in there, and instead have something bespoke to the car....
It's as though they *wanted* to draw attention to the BMW powertrain.
have been better resolved as well.
And that steering wheel looks awful.
Given how retro styled the rest of the car is, why wouldn’t they have addressed those obvious aesthetic issues?
As others have mentioned the wheel looks out of place. Maybe if trimmed the same as the rest of the interior it would work but surely a wooden one would suit it better. Can't forgive that gear selector though - that's awful and just a bit lazy IMO.
Well done though - what a wonderful thing.
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