R&T dedicated most of 1980 August issue to Morgan, which turned 70 at that time. It’s amazing to think how many car manufacturers vanished completely, whilest Morgan is still with us- thirty-five years after that birthday back in 1980.
I’ve included most of these articles in this post. We start off with Some words and illustrations of Morgan:
Next is a Morgan +8 Turbo (!) Road Test:
Next we have two guys driving in a three-wheeled Morgan across America. Note the CCs in the background:
I’ve mostly stopped uploading the “Salon” articles, because they are really not in-line with CC, but this one is inevitably about Morgan, and fits this post:
Lastly, we have the amusing Henry Manney III mingling with Club Morgan:
Some brave soul in Napier is using a four cylinder three wheeled Morgan as a daily drive, I see it parked roadside down near the port almost every time I go past and its not there at night when Ive been carting Fert out from ships, Its been on the cohort before but I’ll shoot it again just because.
I find the flat-rad mildly attractive, but never got into the old-timey slavishness of these cars.
The traffic cop who lived in the power station village where I was in the late 70s had a 37 Morgan 4 wheeler along with a TF MG and a Magnette his wife drove the Moggy was his pride and joy, theres a 57 4 banger around here I see it every now and then has a Standard engine same as TR3 it goes ok and the owner drives it well, but not a flat rad model too new.
I think they were being built in Geelong (though not at Ford) some time in the eighties or nineties.
It’s not really for me to criticise, cars are definitely an each-to-their-own proposition and some people really love the old fashioned nature of these.
Having said that, what on earth is the appeal of the aero ‘Clarence the cross-eyed moggy’ model?
Can’t see the appeal myself compared to the classically styled Morgan. it looks like something Boyd Coddington built
“Little slow tonight…..huh Lloyd?”
Not a lot of Morgan love here today
I never knew the founder was Harry Morgan, I loved him on MASH and Dragnet….
The TT Replica article was neat.
It’s a LOT to get through. 16-18 scanned-in pages depending on how you count the artwork spreads.
Never knew a +8 turbo ever existed. I’m sure a turbocharged version of the Buick/Land Rover engine wouldn’t last long anyway. That said, I have been a distant admirer of the Morgan +4 for some time. Who else can build cars the way they always have, and use wood as an integral part of the chasis for almost a century.
The 3.5 was turbocharged in the early 60’s too, it was a pain because, well, 1960’s turbo voodoo with the “Rocket Fluid” distilled water injector, but the engine itself was strong, most were converted to regular 4bbls and ran for years and years.
Britain’s answer to the SBC engine swap. Found in hot rods, kit cars and as a replacement for many troublesome engines, eg Triumph Stag. They have a good reputation here.
The turbo-LPG to beat emissions was not a bad move in one way, but you wonder how much of the market would have been interested?
There was a similar thing here around the same time, a Cobra replica called the Taipan (an Australian snake & the most venomous in the world) that ran a 454 Chev twin turbo!