The Morgan Evolution
©By: John T. Blair (WA4OHZ)
dot_clear Va. Beach, Va. 23464; (757) 495-8229

Last updated: March 30, 2006


The following is a discussion was between Colin Cobb and William Zehring and Bjørn Schage on the design of the Morgan.


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 iceberg.

I believe that more than any other car, Morgans have "evolved" rather than "been designed." In virtually all cases, form has followed function but, even more importantly, each model has evolved from the previous model.

If you line up photos of Morgans from the 20's through the 90's you can clearly see the relationship from one model/type to the next (with the notable exception 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 exception of the Plus 4 Plus). And when changes were required, they occurred slowly, some might say TOO slowly, but THAT is the genius of the Morgan family. Virtually any change made to accommodate "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


Hi Colin

You wrote: As tire reliability improved, the need for two spares vanished and so did the second spare...

Actually, the second spare wheel disappeared when the factory removed the trunnion tube and used shackles on the rear of the springs. When the tube disappeared, there was nothing to fasten the vertical bar between the twin spares to at the bottom. Good thing then, that the quality of the tires was getting better...

Bjørn Schage
-62 +4 4-str.
-69 +8


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