Five Morgan Sports Cars Achieve the Challenge of Driving the 5,500 Mile Return Trip from Malvern England to Nordkapp Norway. 

On May 5th 2013 Five Morgan Cars left the UK en-route to Nordkapp (Norway), one of the most northern landmarks in Europe, well inside the Arctic Circle.

The objective of the 14-day, 5,000-mile journey, through 9 countries, was to raise awareness for a little known medical condition called ‘Marfan Syndrome.’

The condition currently affects up to 18,000 in the UK, yet only 50% of that number are currently registered with The Marfan Trust and are receiving appropriate medical attention. The UK figures are similarly reflected all over Europe.

Statistics show that if an early diagnosis is not made, up to 1/3 of those with the syndrome will suffer from a fatal heart condition, before reaching their mid-twenties.

Thus, a key objective of the trip was to generate as much media awareness as possible, doing so through harnessing the strength and commitment of the extensive European Morgan owners and dealership community.

Did the Challenge meet its objectives?

This can be answered with a firm YES.

The Challenge has been featured on numerous television and radio news broadcasts, most notably the BBC. After each broadcast, there was a notable spike in online traffic to show the impact the message was making.

Furthermore, an extremely active online community has been developed that has generated a substantial amount of awareness, especially through social media and Talk Morgan (leading UK discussion forum) following.

These outlests have driven a substantial amount of traffic to the individual pages of the ‘Driven at Heart’ website, generating several hundred unique visits every day to the site.

In addition, the Challenge has also raised over £50,000, which will be donated directly to the incredible research work of The Marfan Trust to assist them in their plight to find a cure for the condition.

However, the most touching moments have been the numerous emails and messages that have been received from the people (and also from their families) who have Marfan syndrome, thanking the Team for all their efforts to raise awareness for the syndrome.

Can I still get involved?

Another clear YES!

Primarily, please come and learn about the symptoms of Marfan syndrome, and also listen to the incredible story of Lucy Morris, who inspired the team to take on the Challenge.

Furthermore, come and view the Driven at Heart website or the website of The Marfan Trust – both of which will provide you with much more information on Marfan syndrome and ensure you keep up with the additional events that are planned and the launch of the commemorative DVD of the trip.

A superb initiative worthy of all of our support!

The MMC board of directors & shareholders have released a brief press release which states:

The board of directors and shareholders at Morgan are pleased to announce that Steve Morris, presently the Operations Director, has now been appointed as Managing Director with immediate effect, responsible for the day to day running of the companies within the Morgan group.
Charles Morgan will concentrate on his vital role as the face of Morgan internationally, promoting the brand and selling the Companies products worldwide.

Morgan Car News wish Mr. Morris every success in his new role at MMC. Having had the pleasure of meeting him in the past, we have no doubt he will undertake this new position with the same professionalism, passion and intelligence that he has shown during his time as Operations Director.

Matthew Humphries Design is open for business

Matthew Humphries Design and Morgan Design join forces to develop future Morgan sports cars and bespoke one off vehicles.

Morgan Design has obtained the services of Matthew Humphries Design for future vehicle design and development projects. This collaboration extends the seven year working relationship between Matt Humphries, the former chief designer of Morgan cars, and Morgan Motor Company.

The Morgan Design team was assembled by Matt and under his guidance has successfully evolved Morgan into a design-led company. The team specialises in a tremendously wide variety of design applications including product and merchandising, graphics, advertisements, brochures, exhibition design and of course vehicle body and interior design. Amongst the team’s many achievements Morgan Design has defined strong new identities for both Morgan Motor Company and the Morgan 3 Wheeler Ltd.

Throughout the past seven years the most noticeable evolution is apparent in the products Morgan companies now manufacture. Morgan Design led by Matt has been responsible for a range of concept and production cars. These include the Morgan Aeromax, LifeCar, Aero SuperSports, EvaGT, the new Morgan 3 Wheeler and constant visual improvements to the Classic range of cars.

Newly established Matthew Humphries Design, fuelled by Matt’s extensive experience, offers customers a bespoke design service. MHD specialises in automotive, brand and product design that exudes a strong British, hand crafted and unique style.

Matthew Humphries is very proud to be associated with Morgan whilst relating his skills to other projects and companies. For more information about Matthew Humphries Design or to contact Matthew about the services he offers please contact matthew@matthewhumphriesdesign.com or visit www.matthewhumphriesdesign.com

End of release

MCN wishes Matt every success in his new venture and look forward to seeing what springs from the creative mind of the man who gave the automotive world the wonderful Morgan Aeromax. If you would like to know more about Matt, this interview is a great introduction to some of his time at Morgan Motor Company.

AutoSport UK had the following report:

“The revised version of the French team’s Pescarolo-based LMP2 prototype will be badged a Morgan LMP2 following a partnership deal with the British sportscar manufacturer. The deal encompasses the solo works OAK entry in the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes Le Mans, as well as customer versions of the car.

Morgan boss Charles Morgan said: “It is a source of great pride that we have the opportunity to work with a racing car designer and constructor that has achieved such success on the international stage.

“While Morgan sportscars enjoy a great history, we have also gained a reputation for pioneering new technology, and I believe LMP2 represents a superb proving ground in which to develop innovative new methods.”

OAK owner Jacques Nicolet said he was “deeply honoured and proud” to be working with Morgan.

“In Morgan I feel the same passion that has inspired me since childhood, as well as the family spirit that I hope I have been able to create at OAK Racing,” he continued. “Who better than Morgan to embody the gentlemen drivers’ spirit needed for LMP2 competition?”

Morgan is this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1962 class win at Le Mans with the Plus 4 Supersport. It will be the first time its name has appeared on the entry for the 24 Hours since the factory ran a GT2 class Aero 8R in 2004.”

Morgan Car News and Talk Morgan wish MMC and OAK every success at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2012!

“During the past 6 months, Morgan has secured funding from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to allow it to participate in and manage a £1.4 million collaborative project to use revolutionary materials in a chassis application. The project named MagMog consists of 5 partners who are all experts in their relevant fields. The project partners are:

· Morgan Motor Company Ltd – Lead Partner in the project

· Penso Consulting Ltd – a design house with expertise in several premium sportscar designs.

· Superform Aluminium – the current supplier of Morgan Motor Company wings and body panels, Superform have the forming knowledge required to make this project succeed.

· Coventry University – Specialists in panel joining and fatigue testing

· Magnesium Elektron UK – the world’s largest manufacturer of Magnesium sheet, M.E. have unrivalled knowledge in all areas of Magnesium usage.

The MagMog chassis development project started on November 1st 2011. The project aims to develop appropriate technologies to enable magnesium alloy to be used as the primary material in the construction of a body-in-white structure for the EvaGT. This will improve structural performance at a reduced comparative weight. Magnesium is the lightest structural metal available, 30% less dense than aluminium and is the eighth most abundant elements globally. Due to its inherent properties, use of sheet magnesium for vehicle structural applications will require hot-forming, increasingly being adopted by premium car manufacturers as it can produce larger and more complex panels. Morgan Motor Company intends to provide the initial route to market by adopting the developed technologies on its next generation of premium sports car, the EvaGT.

This project, along with Morgan Motor Company’s desire to exceed the standard safety requirements for the EvaGT has resulted in the planned launch date being delayed. We now intend to launch the EvaGT at the 2014 Geneva Motorshow. While this delay is undesirable and inconvenient, we have taken the decision to pursue these projects to ensure the EvaGT is at the forefront of both environmental and safety technology.”

Here, in brief, are my initial impressions of the 2012 Morgan +8;  The first things that impresses you about the reborn Plus 8 are both the ride quality and steering feel. After spending many hours behind the wheel of a standard Aero 8, an Aeromax and a variety of Classic Morgans, the new +8 went straight to the top of the pile in terms of steering precision.  The poise is aided by the chassis being closest to the Series 1 Aero and thus with the minimal overhang of the Plus 8 bodywork, the car feels both nimble and lithe (this is also helped by the fact the 2012 Plus 8 will have an excellent power to weigh ratio).
This power to weight ratio also meant the Plus 8 felt extremely quick – acceleration was always rapid (no need for the right gear or the right RPM, the torque seemed to mean the power was always on tap) and it was only the rules of the road that restricted your ability to proceed at a physics bending pace; all the above was only exacerbated by the superb handling adding huge confidence, even on a slightly damp British winter road. A quick nod should also be made to the exhaust note, which in typical V8 fashion is there to egg you on – in the new Plus 8, you cannot help but fall in love with the idea of pressing down on the accelerator, simply to hear the tune it plays.

Aesthetically, the 2012 Morgan Plus 8 is a very purposeful looking Classic. The rear and the front perspective afford it a wonderfully wide stance; in the Black bodywork of the development car, the Plus 8 possesses an attractively menacing quality, more subtle than many performance cars but with plenty of presence. The profile is more difficult to judge because I simply don’t like the wheels on the development vehicle and therefore, tried to imagine it with another set in situ. Were a set of Classic Morgan wheels fitted, I think you’d be hard pressed to tell it apart from the rest of the range from afar (which given the heritage of the profile, is certainly not a bad thing!). I will watch, with interest, which wheels MMC choose to fit to the production cars because I believe getting them correct is essential to completing the package. I’m sure the company will devise a suitable solution; their Sport line for the Classic range has proven they understand simple beauty and the elegance of clean lines.

Whilst not fair to judge a development vehicle on fit and finish, the interior was a nice place to sit, the cut down doors adding to the elbow room. The dash was still a work in progress but was coming together nicely: blending Classic and modern with panache. The hood seemed substantial and consideration has been given to the side screens and the fit of them when the Plus 8 is at speed. As it stands, the development car was rattle free and felt very solid and well put together. I look forward to sitting the finished product but all signs point to another Morgan cabin that is a pleasure to spend time in.

I believe that gives a fair reflection of my opinion on the new Morgan Plus 8. It is quite easy to fall under the spell of this wonderful vehicle and even in development form, it is an extremely attractive package. Once the development process is over and the car has reached the public,  I believe the Plus 8 will sell itself;  the words of others, such as myself, will become superfluous to the individuals experience behind the wheel. This is a Morgan which needs to be driven to truly appreciate the depth of its potential and the magic it is capable of.

This new Morgan 4/4 Sports car is being offered in 3 colours: Sport Black, Sport Red and Old English White. All come with black perforated leather interior, carpets, hood and wheels. The dashboard is polished Tawny ash and a Mota Lita wheel is standard. The combination of the Ford sourced 2.0 engine from the Classic Plus 4 and the narrow wings of the standard 4/4 should make for a very spirited drive. The car is available for £38,750 + on the road charges from Morgan Motor Company and their associated dealers. To discuss the 4 4 75th Anniversary specification photographs and information, or to see more photographs of this exciting Morgan sports car, visit Talk Morgan.

For those who wish to pay their respects, there will be a thanks giving service of Chris Lawrence’s life at the Great Malvern Priory on the 30^th September 2011 at 2 p.m. followed by refreshments at the Morgan visitor centre at the Morgan factory. All are welcome to attend both the service and the subsequent refreshments. If anyone has any questions please contact Larry Webb at admin@larrywebb.co.uk.