Hey Will,
You wrote: << QUESTION: Who designed the car? Was it Papa Morgan
himself? Whom ever... he was a genius! >>
HFS Morgan (Papa Morgan) personally designed the first Morgans
(including the sliding pillar front end) but that is only the tip of
the iceburg.
I believe that more than more than any other car Morgans have
"evolved" rather than "been designed." In virtually all cases, form
has followed function but, even more imortantly, each model has
evolved from the previous model.
If you line up photos of Morgans from the the 20's through the 90's
you can clearly see the relationship from one model/type to the next
(with the notable execption of the Plus 4 Plus which is beautiful for
other reasons). The early barrel-backed speedsters evolved to hold a
spare tire, the F-type Trikes retained the barrel back but added a
weather tight (more or less) housing for the water cooled Ford engine,
the first (1936) four wheeler kept the weather tight housing for the
water cooled Ford engine but added the 4th wheel and a rear designed
to still hold a spare. As tire reliability improved, the need for two
spares vanished and so did the second spare...
Very few model changes were undertaken for sake of change itself
(again, with the notable execption of the Plus 4 Plus). And when
changes were required, they occured slowly, some might say TOO slowly,
but THAT is the genius of the Morgan family. Virtually any change made
to accomodate "modern" production techniques was recognized as being
incompatible with the car's basic hand-built appeal.
It is also, I think, very important to consider the competition
background of the cars. Many of the mechanical changes were the
direct result of "track research." Imagine how different the Edsel
would have been if Mr. Ford were personally driving it on a road
circuit every weekend! Bear in mind that the Morgans PERSONALLY
competed with their cars from the very beginning.
Now that is "hands on design!"
--Colin Cobb, Las Cruces, NM, USA
'66 Morgan Plus 4 Four Seater Roadster & '66 Tiger MKI
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