The short film features Keith Dalley, Morgan’s proving driver and the person responsible for test-driving every aluminium chassis Morgan V8. Following Keith on his final and most nostalgic V8 driving session around the Malvern Hills, the video ends with lingering views of some notable Morgan V8s from the last half century, before closing with a hint of what will power the next high-performance Morgan.
Due to arrive in 2019, Morgan is launching an all-new ‘Wide Body’ sports car to the premium end of the Morgan product range, positioning it above the Roadster, Plus 4 and 4/4 in performance terms. The car is not designed to be a direct replacement for the outgoing Plus 8 and Aero 8, but it will fit naturally into the vacant slots in the Morgan product range left by both models.
The new car will use a ‘bonded aluminium fabricated’ chassis designed by Morgan and a complete diversion away from ash wood. The chassis will be twice as stiff as the aluminium chassis used on previous flagship Morgans and, combined with a performance powertrain never before installed in a Morgan, the result will be the most dynamically capable production Morgan ever.
The development programme for the ‘Wide Body’ has spanned several years and has been delivered by Morgan’s highly skilled, world class, design and engineering teams. Totalling close to 30 immensely skilled and dedicated personnel, they are based at the Morgan Factory in Malvern, on the Welsh border.
Graham Chapman, technology director, Morgan Motor Company, said: “We are excited to be launching the ‘Wide Body’ car, in Morgan’s 110th year, and over the coming weeks and months, we shall be releasing further details. The 2019 launch of this car is the culmination of several years of unprecedented investment in both design and engineering for Morgan. This has produced the most advanced development programme in Morgan’s history, the results of which we cannot wait to share with our customers worldwide.”
Naturally, while a lot of potential sports car buyers may hanker after a Morgan and its quintessential Englishness, a combination of waiting times (for the hand-built car to be delivered) and affordable but still premium price tags keep many at bay. Morgan drivers are a lot more than just string-back gloves and trilbies, they represent a hardcore of people desiring a thoroughly British way of life and Morgan plays to that tune.
