Geneva 2013 Press Release The Morgan Motor Company has a unique place in the motor industry. It is a small and flexible business, focused on building environmentally friendly cars in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Malvern in Central England. For over 100 years the company has withstood all the challenges that the world can throw at it. The family atmosphere at the factory is very special and is not just one of the main reasons for our commercial success but also why the company is held in such high esteem throughout the whole world. The company builds on a passion that has been shared by three generations of the Morgan family. It is a great pleasure to be back in Geneva at the Salon de l’Automobile, the most important car show in the annual automotive calendar, in a city at the heart of the market for Morgan sports cars and it is an honour for Morgan to be here side by side with the most prestigious car manufacturers in the world. Morgan is here in part thanks to Banque Baring Brothers Sturdza who for the last ten years has recognised the value of being associated with such a famous historic British Marque. We thank them for their joint sponsorship of our efforts here. Morgan is now the oldest British owned luxury car company in the world. Even China has now succumbed to Morgan’s charms. Morgan has a respect for tradition and history but Morgan does not stand still. “You can never repeat the past but always be inspired by it” is our motto. In spite of a timeless look changes and updates are made to the specification of the cars year by year to ensure they are practical and appeal to customers around the world. 2013 has seen no less than around 50 improvements across all our range of cars as well as the addition of the Morgan 3 Wheeler.
Transcript
Geneva 2013 Press Release
The Morgan Motor Company has a unique place in the motor industry. It is a small and flexible business, focused on building environmentally friendly cars in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Malvern in Central England. For over 100 years the company has withstood all the challenges that the world can throw at it.
The family atmosphere at the factory is very special and is not just one of the main reasons for our commercial success but also why the company is held in such high esteem throughout the whole world. The company builds on a passion that has been shared by three generations of the Morgan family.
It is a great pleasure to be back in Geneva at the Salon de l’Automobile, the most important car show in the annual automotive calendar, in a city at the heart of the market for Morgan sports cars and it is an honour for Morgan to be here side by side with the most prestigious car manufacturers in the world.
Morgan is here in part thanks to Banque Baring Brothers Sturdza who for the last ten years has recognised the value of being associated with such a famous historic British Marque. We thank them for their joint sponsorship of our efforts here.
Morgan is now the oldest British owned luxury car company in the world. Even China has now succumbed to Morgan’s charms.
Morgan has a respect for tradition and history but Morgan does not stand still. “You can never repeat the past but always be inspired by it” is our motto. In spite of a timeless look changes and updates are made to the specification of the cars year by year to ensure they are practical and appeal to customers around the world.
2013 has seen no less than around 50 improvements across all our range of cars as well as the addition of the Morgan 3 Wheeler.
Morgan found a new niche in the car market in 2012 with the launch of the Morgan 3 Wheeler. This car combines performance and economy and has made people think again about the best way of getting about. Over 500 people have now taken delivery and are discovering for themselves what fun it is to drive and own.
The Morgan Classic has always had a strong following and is arguably one of the last proper sports cars on the market today. By proper sports car I mean a car that you want to drive to the country on a hot summer’s day to experience (but not to spoil) the beauty of a natural environment…. like your wonderful mountains here in Switzerland.
The famous Morgan Plus Eight continues to be refined so that it competes with outright supercars in performance and handling. The Morgan Aero Coupe offers further levels of refinement for those who want an effortless Grand Tourer that can also show its pace on the racetrack. Every Morgan car has a unique shape and it is our unique method of construction that gives it that shape.
Perhaps the difference in manufacture is best summed up by the difference between a plastic mass produced shoe and a handmade English leather shoe. One is pressed out by the thousands and the other is handcrafted for a particular customer.
All the materials used in the manufacture of a Morgan are natural and are environmentally sustainable; Metal (often recycled aluminium),Wood and Leather.
A Morgan is gently moulded into shape by the Superform process and then a dedicated staff in Malvern carefully assembles each component. When laid out individually each part is often a beautiful object in its own right.
This assembly team has experience of the traditional skills of coachbuilding but is also familiar with the need for accurate components designed and made with the latest computer technology. The quality standards followed in the factory in Malvern follow the best practice of the motor industry.
The specification of a Morgan combines the latest electronic technology with craft skills to finish off any surface of the car that can be touched. Leather is often hand stitched and components joined together with complex screw fastenings completed by hand with an air fastener. The parts of the car can be taken apart and reassembled which is the reason that so many of the 40,000 Morgans built in Malvern are still on the road.
The way an owner can watch his car take form at the factory in Malvern is unique in the car industry.
Changes to the Range of Morgan cars for 2013
A new model…..The Morgan Two is a bicycle! Inspired by the founder of Morgan, HFS Morgan, who was a keen enthusiast of the bicycle, the Morgan Two is a minimalist design as light in comparison to other bikes as the Morgan car is to other cars. Although it looks like a “Fixed-gear Bicycle” it has gears and brakes concealed in a simple classic design. Pedal backwards and the gear changes and if you hold the pedals back further, the back brake is applied. The wheels and tyres offer the latest technology for road and city use.
The Morgan 3 Wheeler. Over 500 examples have now been delivered. The Gulf Edition reflects Morgan’s participation in the World Endurance Championship with the Morgan LMP2. The Morgan LMP2 built by Oak Racing in Le Mans France will be at Le Mans 24 Hours and is hoping to win the class in 2013.
The Morgan Four Four is economical and reliable and has been in production longer than any other car in history.
The Morgan Plus Four. For 2013 there is a special “Baby Doll” limited edition of 50 cars with 250bhp, inspired by a famous Morgan race car that successfully competed in Sports Car Championships in the USA.
The Morgan Roadster now has 300bhp and a total weight of only 950 kilos. This gives it a better power to weight ratio than a Porsche 998. Power steering for 2013 is standard.
The Morgan Plus Eight can be up to 50 kilos lighter with new optional forged aluminium wheels and carbon seats making it an even more focussed driver’s car. Both the Morgan Plus Eight and the Aero Coupe have a new hydraulic power steering system for a greater feel of the road and of the track.
A Morgan is the only car in the world you can order in exactly the colour you want rather than the colour the manufacturer offers you. The Matt silver Plus Eight and the liquid silver Aero Coupe are to demonstrate the versatility of the surface finish of colours on offer from Morgan. The Gulf Morgan 3 Wheeler is an example of how we can personalise a car with a livery of unique historic importance.
2013 has seen Morgan gain a good many new fans. 50,000 people visit the Morgan website www.morgan-motor.co.uk each week and thousands of fans now follow our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The company wants to keep these fans updated with imagery and stories about Morgan from our factory in Malvern and from around the world where Morgan is present. Adding stories throughout 2013 the company will keep communicating to the thousands of fans and followers of Morgan.
We will be operating an exciting new Web Shop online. Many new products as well as our existing range of Morgan presents will be available from the Morgan Shop throughout 2013. These products can be ordered speedily and efficiently on line or obtained from our growing Morgan dealer network.
