Morgan 4/4 | PH Heroes
Despite being old enough to have retired, the original Morgan four-wheeler is still going strong
Morgan has always divided enthusiasts. Some regard it as being as quaint and charming and as quintessentially English as drinking warm beer in a queue to watch a test match while complaining about the weather. While an almost equally matched cohort view it as a living anachronism, one that builds woefully outdated cars for people who routinely wear tweed and say "tally ho!" without irony.
I used to be one of the doubters, unable to see much appeal in the idea of a factory fresh classic ticking every cliche and harking back to an age when cars just weren't very good. Morgans had wooden frames and wire wheels and leather straps, plus engines that delivered more rort than sport. The fact people were prepared to spend serious money on them, and to often wait years to take delivery, just added to this sense of eccentric madness.
But then I drove one, and the world suddenly shifting. Having a go wasn't easy; while the company was more than happy to let journos experience its more modern (and much more expensive) alloy bodied cars, there was no inclination to let us near the 'classic' side of the range. Likely in anticipation of all the rude things we'd say. I was sent to the factory to drop off an Aero 8 that had been used in a magazine story and saw a gleaming 4/4 demonstrator parked outside the office. Out of curiosity - and probably the desire to prove my prejudices right - I begged a go in it.
For the first five minutes, it was as bad as I had expected. The suspension crashed over everything, the bodywork shook like a shivering dog and - thanks to a shower - the fabric roof leaked water onto my lap. Yet, despite its flaws, it was also utterly charming - keen, benign in its responses and delivering the sort of sensory overload that made 45mph feel like double that. I returned to the factory wearing a startled grin - one I imagine they see quite often - and I've been a fan ever since.
History repeating
Although Morgan makes several classic models, the 4/4 was where it all began. Quite literally, its name denoting the fact that it had both four cylinders and four wheels, a novelty for Morgan in 1936. There were two production breaks, one during World War II and the other in the early 1950s, with a sizeable gap between the Series I and Series II cars. But even if you choose to date the 4/4's origins only to the launch of the latter version in 1955 it can still lay good claim to be the longest-lived car in the world. Many details have changed over the years, but the similarities are much more striking than the differences. Park a brand new Moggy next to its mid-50s ancestor and you could pretty much swap the plates undetected.
Like Morgan's other 'classic' models, the basic Runabout, the plusher Plus Four and the V6-powered Roadster, the 4/4 is built in the company's traditional way. That means a steel chassis and aluminium bodywork, this mounted onto an ash frame. (That pub bore who insists Morgans are made entirely from timber is an idiot.) Suspension is the oldest of the old school - it probably still writes on a slate tablet - with sliding pillars at the front, a technology first used by Morgan in 1909. At the rear is a solid live axle, suspended between two elliptical leaf springs. Front disc brakes arrived in the 1960s, and the modern car uses a five-speed Mazda MX-5 gearbox, but the rest of the rolling chassis has barely altered over seven decades.
The engine is the newest part of the car, and one that continues Morgan's long tradition of using humble powerplants in its cheaper models. These days the 4/4 packs a 1.6-litre Ford Duratec, normally seen in lowlier versions of the Focus and C-Max. With 110hp and 104lb ft it's unlikely to strain a dyno (although for contrast the Series II launched with a 1.1-litre Ford side-valve producing 36hp.) But the Morgan's lack of pretty much everything means it remains impressively light; the 795kg kerbweight meaning it is pretty much an Edwardian MX-5.
Safety last
The secret of Morgan appreciation is to reset your expectations. The 4/4 can't be fairly compared to a modern sports car, or even an elderly one. For anybody arriving from something more recent - statistically pretty much anyone - early impressions will mostly be of the car's flaws, many of which actually add more character than they subtract. The lack of modern ergonomics are obvious from the moment you get in and slide legs into the tight-fitting footwell to discover the various awkwardly shaped brackets and extrusions you have to share it with. The steering wheel of our test car is a magnificent wood and metal Moto-Lita affair that looks as if it could knock out most of your teeth in an accident, and the column doesn't adjust for reach or rake. The only concession for differently sized drivers is the ability to slide the seat. The cabin itself is nicely trimmed, with some vintage style clocks although modern plastic control stalks. There's plentiful evidence that it's been built by hand, from self-tapping screws to occasional bits of swarf.
Dynamics are similarly Olde Worlde. The steering is unassisted, and vein-poppingly heavy if you try and turn the wheel when stationary. It lightens up as soon as the car starts to move, but only for the first half-turn or so of lock; add more than that and it's back to being a workout. Precious little feedback gets through to the rim, with none of the chatter of a Caterham or a Lotus, and it also needs constant small corrections to stay on a chosen course. Grip levels are sometimes startlingly slight on the period-patterned 165/80R15 Continental tyres, with the front wheels locking on dry tarmac at low speeds under moderate pressure on the unservoed brake pedal. The Morgan comes from an era when driver aids were definitely for wimps.
Fast enough
Yet Morgan has been doing this for long enough to want to keep its customers alive to buy more of its products. Once adapted to its foibles, and the need to keep a decent distance when following other cars, the 4/4 actually feels impressively secure. It feels like there's more lateral than longitudinal grip, the chassis tuned to stay safe and predictable as the limits get near. Excess speed sends the front running wide, but there's no matching sensation of looseness from the rear; even the combination of a low gear, lots of steering lock and an enthusiastic application of throttle doesn't produce any feeling of slip on dry tarmac.
This definitely isn't a car for the ragged edge, or even a mildly unkempt one. Like riding a motorbike - or a horse - the best approach is to try and work together, anticipating risks before they arrive and deploying the 4/4's modest power output to its best effect. With the roof down 60mph feels positively daring, and overtakes are a genuine achievement. The 4/4 isn't fast, but it never feels slow.
Indeed the engine suits the car almost perfectly. In Fords this is a utility grade powerplant, but the Morgan's lack of mass lets it reveal a genuine enthusiasm. Throttle response is excellent, mid-range torque is solid and the upper reaches of the rev range deliver a very rorty soundtrack through the optional sports exhaust (which exits on the driver's side to enhance its snap, crackle and pop.) The gearbox is an absolute joy as well, as slick and accurate as it is in the MX-5; it's a shame the floor-mounted throttle pedal is so poorly mounted for heel-and-toe blipping. But it's still one of those cars you change gear in just for the sheer hell of it.
Getting better
Morgans have a strange ability to distort reality, to win you over. After a couple of days you stop noticing how terrible the ride is, and how much scuttle shake the car exhibits over rougher roads. The pop-fold-pop fabric roof starts to make sense; with a bit of practice you'll get the time taken to put it up or down under three minutes, and with only a couple of swearing fits. Hell, your legs even start to grow calluses where the sills and transmission tunnel rub, to the point they barely hurt. It's proof of just how charming the car is, and an explanation for the cultish appeal that has kept it in production for so long.
But there's also the grubby business of money. Put simply, a Morgan 4/4 has, historically, been among the safest of automotive investments. Back in the 1980s the combination of very gentle depreciation and a multi-year waiting list meant that Morgans were actually worth a premium for a couple of years after they were first registered. These days the waiting list has fallen to months if you want to specify your own car for factory build, and a glance at the PH classifieds reveals there are even unregistered cars out there ready to buy. But a tasteful Moggy still holds onto value remarkably well, with a depreciation curve that - over decades - will ultimately turn and start to climb again. It's entirely appropriate that a solid example from the 1940s or 50s costs nearly the same as a new one.
Tally ho!
Most car companies evolve at huge pace. Often, in the case of small sports car makers, too quickly. Look at the long list of British sports car makers through the ages and see how few are still trading; the ones that have endured are the ones with a loyal following and a product line-up that plays on a familiar theme rather than heading in radical new directions. As such, Morgan is the exemplar - a company which boasts fifth- and even sixth- generation employees, and where nothing changes unless it has to. While the 4/4 definitely isn't a car for all tastes, it's proof that tradition, craftsmanship and just being different can carry you a very long way.
SPECIFICATION | MORGAN 4/4
Engine: 1,595cc four-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 110@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 97@3,000rpm
0-62mph: 8.0sec
Top speed: 115mph
Weight: 795kg
MPG: 44.1 (NEDC)
CO2: 143g/km
Price new: £39,309 (OTR)
[Photos: Tim Brown]
Sorry, but this is a total fail for me, and I'd be more inclined to look at something modern, if only for the abundance of safety features modern cars give you when driving on congested roads amongst other drivers who are likely enough to be distracted by any number of things, assuming they werent driving under the influence of a stimulant in the first case.
Dinosaurs died out for a reason.
Sorry, but this is a total fail for me, and I'd be more inclined to look at something modern, if only for the abundance of safety features modern cars give you when driving on congested roads amongst other drivers who are likely enough to be distracted by any number of things, assuming they werent driving under the influence of a stimulant in the first case.
Dinosaurs died out for a reason.
The Good
- The warm reception you get from everybody who sees it
- A completely uninterrupted view of the world when the roof is down and the side windows are off
- Being able to reach down and touch the road over the top of the door.
- The view down the bonnet
- Watching the 3 windscreen wipers go like the clappers and achieve nothing when its raining
- I never got to grips with the fly-off handbrake. In fairness you could call that a reflection of my own ineptitude, but it really was quite awkward.
- A joke of a roof given English weather.
- I'm pretty sure that if you had a screwdriver you could dismantle the car from the drivers seat given the number of exposed screwheads on show.
A pal has recently inherited a 90's Plus 8, which he brought along to a N.Wales drive last summer and I had the pleasure of being piloted along the A543 (the best bit of The Triangle, but also by far the roughest!!) in the wing man seat. Once I'd gotten past the feeling of the rear axle (is it made of lead?...) trying to bounce us off the road backwards through a hedge on every bump, I could really see the appeal. Sure it's not a car for drivers, but to blat along at 7/10ths it's a lot of fun and pretty rapid down the straights. Although I'm not sure a 4 cylinder one would have the same appeal though. If you're going to buy one, it may as well be a proper one IMO!
Lovely car & was pretty sprightly with 200hp, very high geared though & we got wet with the roof up driving to the LM classic in heavy rain.
Now replaced with a much more practical Chimaera!!
A new one is very, very similar to mine, but better built and faster. The differences are down to the modern bits selected, (although they are often not that modern). The very light weight and simplicity dominate the experience, with scuttle shake on poor surfaces, heavy steering when stationary and a very fiddly roof. If you do not put it on properly, it will leak; you and the car need to co-operate; no pressing a button for the roof to go up and down faultlessly.
I'm a little surprised about the comment on the brakes; both mine and a modern one have huge brakes compared to the weight they have to stop. As there is no servo, pedal pressures are high, but they are easily modulated and almost fade free, (even down the Stelvio). It is a car you need to live with for a long time; the ergonomics are "old school", grip is often down to tyre pressures, (most people put too much air in), and it needs to be 'Driven' in a way that a "white box" driver would never recognise.
My worry for Morgan is they are getting damn expensive; back in the day a 4/4 was the price of a slightly poshed up standard car, XR2/XR3 money. These days you will not see much change from £30k for a basic car with some options. Mainstream cars are relatively cheaper now and Morgan's costs are dominated by the labour element.
I still think it looks sublime, (but I think a Squire is the most beautiful car in the world).
if they keep the design I suspect they'll be out of business in 30 years when everyone of that era is dead
Given the small numbers they need to produce to stay in business I don't think they'll have trouble finding homes. Like on the Lotus threads, the £30k price tag is really irrelevant as long as the customers are there. There's no need to make 1000's of them at £20k if the market is in the 100's and the market will stand £30k+.
I think the other point is the sense of occasion they provide, Morgan coined the term "street theatre".. and that is exactly what they do.
Sure you can buy a Porsche and drive much faster for the same money, but you won't have half as much fun doing so.
Given the small numbers they need to produce to stay in business I don't think they'll have trouble finding homes. Like on the Lotus threads, the £30k price tag is really irrelevant as long as the customers are there. There's no need to make 1000's of them at £20k if the market is in the 100's and the market will stand £30k+.
A pal has recently inherited a 90's Plus 8, which he brought along to a N.Wales drive last summer and I had the pleasure of being piloted along the A543 (the best bit of The Triangle, but also by far the roughest!!) in the wing man seat. Once I'd gotten past the feeling of the rear axle (is it made of lead?...) trying to bounce us off the road backwards through a hedge on every bump, I could really see the appeal. Sure it's not a car for drivers, but to blat along at 7/10ths it's a lot of fun and pretty rapid down the straights. Although I'm not sure a 4 cylinder one would have the same appeal though. If you're going to buy one, it may as well be a proper one IMO!
I would respectfully suggest that they are exactly the car for drivers.
I would respectfully suggest that they are exactly the car for drivers.
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