Friday 10th November 2023

Morgan teams up with Pininfarina for new special

We loved the CX-T - can Morgan go one better with Pininfarina handed design duty for limited edition car

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Morgan has announced that it is working with Pininfarina on ‘a yet-to-be disclosed collaborative vehicle project’. The outcome is intended to celebrate ‘more than two centuries of combined coachbuilding’ which is doubtless a worthy undertaking - especially when it involves a ‘limited run of individual commissions’. We can virtually hear the Pickersleigh Road cash register ringing from here. 

As you might expect, Pininfarina is taking the lead on the design front, while the actual cars are likely to be built in Malvern. Based on Morgan’s limited (in a good way) portfolio, it’s probably safe to assume that we’re talking about a swept-back roadster powered by a BMW engine - but a novel interpretation of its traditional styling language is a welcome twist. Or we assume it will be at any rate, if Pininfarina’s legacy of ‘purity and elegance in design’ comes to the fore. 

“Coachbuilding goes to the very essence of creating a car and is something that we have nurtured and protected at Morgan,” noted Massimo Fumarola, Morgan’s CEO. “Coachbuilding is not constrained by trends and borders, as we are discovering through this collaboration. The shared passion between Morgan and Pininfarina is clear, and we look forward to sharing much more with our community in due course.” 

Morgan has been down the special edition route multiple times before, of course - most recently with the CX-T (a ‘gentrified Ariel Nomad’ to quote Matt B) a car that was intended to demonstrate the flexibility of its new aluminium CX platform. It was built in collaboration with Dakar specialist, RallyRaid; just eight were produced and all of them immediately sold despite a £200k asking price. Naturally, two of them are currently for sale on PH - we quite like this one, in Land Rover borrowed Sand Glow Yellow. As for the Pininfarina project, expect to hear more news at the start of next year. 

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• 2021 Morgan CX-T | PH Review
• 2022 Morgan Super 3 | PH Review

 

[Iamnotkloot]

Let’s hope it’s something beautiful!

[SuperPav]

To be honest this seems like a fantastic opportunity for a brand partnership, I hope they make the most of it.

Underneath it all it's just about Morgan using Pininfarina which is a design studio (which a manufacturer of a skateboard or saucepan can just as easily employ!) to help them with a project, but both brands benefit from each other's exposure when it comes to a coachbuilt car..

[nismo48]

Wish them well

[Kipsrs]

I so what this to look fantastic.. .

[Super Sonic]

This could be a beautiful 30s looking car like Figoni+Falachi or Saoutchick.

[anonymous-user]

It cant possibly be worse than that mini.....

[swisstoni]

Morgan are probably my favourite brand these days.
Still proper enthusiasm after all these years.

[Silvanus]

Super Sonic said:

This could be a beautiful 30s looking car like Figoni+Falachi or Saoutchick.

I love Morgan, but I bet it isn't anything like that.

[Super Sonic]

Silvanus said:

I love Morgan, but I bet it isn't anything like that.

You're probably right mores the pity

[Mikebentley]

I hope it’s something striking like the Aeromax and looks beautifully bespoke.

[ATG]

This could produce something wonderful. The input from a firm like Pininfarina can have a huge impact as the difference between visually great and gopping can be so small in terms of the actual physical tweaks needed. Tired, cliched, but nonetheless relevant example: 406 coupe vs rest of Peugeot's contemporary models.

[Gecko1978]

The early special was so special 2 of the 8 are for sale and have been for a long time....I like Morgan but you might as well buy one and have some one else modify it than buy there idea of special if you really want to use it

[Motormouth88]

Could be amazing or terrible, nothing in between

[Silvanus]

ATG said:

This could produce something wonderful. The input from a firm like Pininfarina can have a huge impact as the difference between visually great and gopping can be so small in terms of the actual physical tweaks needed. Tired, cliched, but nonetheless relevant example: 406 coupe vs rest of Peugeot's contemporary models.

Not all of their cars are as good looking as the Peugeot, there have been some dogs.

[Sevenman]

Iamnotkloot said:

Let’s hope it’s something beautiful!

Ideally a hybrid SUV

[GTRene]

could be something nice, maybe a mix of some old and classic?

in the past Morgan made some super rare and cool cars.

Morgan SP1, did not new this one from 2014?





Morgan Eva GT



and that ultra low rectangle-ish Morgan only 2 or 1 made? forgot that name,

but this one I also love the Morgan SLR

[Mr Tidy]

Silvanus said:

ATG said:

This could produce something wonderful. The input from a firm like Pininfarina can have a huge impact as the difference between visually great and gopping can be so small in terms of the actual physical tweaks needed. Tired, cliched, but nonetheless relevant example: 406 coupe vs rest of Peugeot's contemporary models.

Not all of their cars are as good looking as the Peugeot, there have been some dogs.

And all the 60s BMC horrors like Austin A40s, A60s and Westminsters!

[B10]

Hmm. Pininfarina is owned by Mahindra. Morgan is owned by an Italian private equity company. Might we see Morgan flogged to Mahindra?

[RosscoPCole]

I hope that what they produce is elegant and has swooping lines, not aggressive and angry like a lit of modern car design.

[ettore]

Mr Tidy said:

And all the 60s BMC horrors like Austin A40s, A60s and Westminsters!

You may think them horrors but they’re actually really handsome things if you look at them objectively.

There was a Farina Morris Oxford I saw as part of an art installation in Lisbon recently - looked great!

Edited by ettore on Friday 10th November 10:46