Following his training with the Great Western Railway, Morgan would set up a car dealership in Malvern Link, Worcestershire. Here, and in his spare time, the young Morgan would build his own iterations, one such three wheeled version using a Peugeot engine and independent front
suspension. Believing in the genius of his son, Morgan’s clergyman father would finance the establishment of the Morgan Motor company in 1910, then manufacturing the now famous 3 wheelers using JAP engines. Immediately successful, the company would hit a production high of 1000 by 1914, then after World War 1 sales would boom, particularly with the release of the four-seater “Family Morgan” of 1919. The V-Twin engine proved tractable and powerful, and would quickly garner legend status with those of a racing inclination.
The first “four-wheeler” came in 1935 with the release of the 4/4, the company forced to add the extra wheel when it became evident the time of the 3 wheelers was coming to an end. The final 3-wheeler was manufactured in 1952, and the 4/4 was replaced by the 2.1 litre Plus Four in 1950. H.F.S. Morgan would pass in 1959, however he left the company to his four daughters and son Peter. Many thought the company would soon fold, but instead it would flourish. The Rover V8 powered Plus 8 was released in 1968, it using design cues from the original 3 wheel two seat design of 1910.
Collector Notes: Morgan has never been into volume production and the number reaching Australia has always been limited. But Morgans' value has rising sharply since the late 1980s. Between 1946 and
1950, the 4/4 sports roadster was produced, with a 30 kW 1.3-litre Standard engine. The Plus-4 came in
1951 with a
Standard Vanguard 2.1-litre engine.
1955 saw the arrival of the restyled four-seater coupe with a 2.0-litre
Triumph TR2 engine and sloping radiator grille. The
1956 Series II 4/4 had a 1.1-litre Ford engine and gearbox. A
Triumph TR3 engine was fitted in
1956 and a limited number of cars built with lightweight bodies. Girling disc brakes were added.
The Morgan Plus Four Plus was introduced in
1963 and came to Australia a year later as an addition to the range. The fully enclosed two-seater had a 2.2-litre
Triumph TR4 engine. The range then included the 4/4 Series V, the Plus-4 tourer, Plus-4 fourseater, Plus-4 two-seater'Super Sports and a Plus-4 coupe. The Plus-8, powered by a 3.5-litre Rover unit, was launched at the
1967 London Motor Show and came here during
1968. It was still going strong in
1977 when a five-speed box and other detail changes were introduced, and demand always exceeded supply. That demand has never wained, so rating them as extremely collectable is academic. Everyone knows they are.
Also see: Morgan Heritage |
Morgan - Hand Built Masterpieces (USA Site)
