Morgan completes Midsummer production
50 bespoke units of the Pininfarina collaboration are finished - what's next?
Even by the standards of limited run Morgans, the Midsummer was something very special indeed. Designed in collaboration with Pininfarina, limited to just 50 units globally and with an unprecedented level of customisation for a Morgan sports car, it surely won’t be the last of its kind. Not with all 50 of them already built and Pickersleigh Road surely ready for whatever’s coming next.
We’ll grant you, ‘car finishes production run’ is not the biggest news story in the world, not with a small batch of cars and some parts familiar from other models, but any opportunity to celebrate a British sports car success story is one we’re going to take. Especially with some lovely pics behind the scenes at Pickersleigh Road to accompany them. While every Morgan is unique, the Midsummer is said to have taken bespoking to another level again, with each customer receiving multiple one to one consultations: ‘Every Midsummer commission is a true one-off with each car featuring several special requests or “off menu” items, proudly telling the story of a bespoke specification process that is as unique to Morgan as it is to the owner behind it.’ When paying Midsummer money, presumably anything goes.
Although don’t be surprised if greater personalisation makes it to the rest of the Morgan range thanks to what’s been learnt from this project (and think of what’s already been done with the Super 3); more than perhaps any other car, Morgans are bought out of passion rather than any concern for resale, so a truly personal touch would surely be popular. No least when Morgan suggests that these 50 cars have ‘strengthened in-house craft capabilities and delivered quality enhancements across the model range.’
So the final Midsummer leaves Morgan, with its craftspeople more skilled than ever and the customer base surely broader than ever - there must be a few who were new to the brand thanks to this car. The perfect foundation, then, for similar projects. Particularly if they look as good as this. Morgan’s Chief Operating Officer, Paul Hand, said: “Building Midsummer has been a remarkable undertaking for our production teams. The project introduced new levels of complexity and a greater number of hand-formed elements than we see in our core models, requiring close collaboration across every area of the factory. Our craftspeople have embraced that challenge, applying traditional skills alongside modern engineering methods to deliver fifty truly individual cars. The experience gained through Midsummer has served to strengthen our production capability and further reinforces the craftsmanship at the heart of every Morgan.” And while you’ll be waiting a while for one of the 50 to be for sale, there are plenty of the new Supersport - with its Midsummer-inspired design - available: Midnight Emerald Metallic over Fawn, with the Nitron dampers and forged wheels, looks absolutely fantastic.
I've grown up with Morgan's buzzing around because I'm from Malvern, and I've always liked them for being an example of bonkers English eccentricity, because I don't think they're particularly pretty or elegant and they're not exactly a technological or dynamic tour de force. But they're fun.
I think it is just amazing how, from an engineering perspective, minor tweaks to the shape can have such a dramatic impact on a car's appearance. I have no feel for this stuff, so to me Pininfarina appear to be capable of witchcraft.
Transforming a boggo mid market saloon into the Peugeot 407 coupe is another example of Pininfarina sorcery.
And clearly all the buyers weren't that bothered and perhaps even reassured that tried and tested mainstream kit is underneath the skin.
From the PH launch article
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.
Regards
Tim
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