Building a Morgan

The timeless  Morgan sports car is bespoke and hand built, employing traditional skills, the finest of materials, modern technology and stunning design.

Every car is like an individual work of art, commissioned by its owner to a unique specification, and handcrafted in a process that's not to be rushed, with it taking several weeks to build each Morgan.

To find out more about the skill, passion and craftmanship that goes into the construction of every Morgan, enjoy the video clip or click on the headings below.

  

 

Craftsmanship

The Pickersleigh Road Factory where Morgans have been built since 1914, is itself built into the foothills of the Malverns. The staggered floor layout then sends each car down the natural slope of the hill as it passes through the stages of production.

At the heart of every Morgan are three core elements: wood (ash to be precise), aluminium and leather. These are painstakingly hand crafted by the highly skilled workforce, employing long established traditional techniques, and then seamlessly combined with thoroughly modern engines and technology.

Morgan Design and Engineering

Morgan’s in-house Research and Design department develop new vehicles and evolve existing models. Although the lines of the 'classic' Morgan may not have changed over the decades, the technology employed within the cars certainly has! The cars are designed for efficient manufacture, whilst retaining traditional materials and all the charms of a hand made car.

Then in addition to the classic Morgan, the designers and engineers have also developed the stunning Aero range, and the quirky and fun-loving 3 Wheeler. And there are plenty more ideas spinning around at Morgan...

The engineers and designers at Morgan work closely with our dealers and customers. Close contact with the ‘front line’ allows the development team to receive first hand owner feedback. This inspires relevant and exciting design solutions.

Chassis Shop

Morgan production starts in the chassis shop. Each platform is carefully hand-assembled by our expert technicians. Engine, gearbox and package configurations are defined around a lightweight, high-performance structure. The rolling chassis undergoes a rigorous series of electrical, engine and quality tests before the addition of bodywork.

Woodshop

Hand-crafted from lightweight ash wood, the frame acts as the structure onto which the exterior aluminium body panels and interior leather work are attached. Traditional techniques passed down through many generations ensure the precision of each tenon joint and laminated curve. The framework is dipped in wood preservative to protect it from the elements, ensuring it remains durable for decades to come.

Ash has always been used in Morgan cars, but its continued use is not simply nostalgic. Ash is lightweight and durable, incredibly flexible to work with, and as a softwood it also yields effective vibration dampening. In addition, as a natural material there are obvious environmental benefits.

Tin Shop

 

Working with lightweight aluminium, the highly-skilled craftsmen in the tin shop fuse traditional techniques with ultra-modern processes. This achieves the free-flowing panels that adorn the body of each Morgan. Rolled edges and hand-stamped louvres meet 'superformed' wings and laser-cut panels in a charming marriage of craft and technology.

Once complete, the ‘body in white’ is metal-finished and rolled into the paint-preparation shop. Surface specialists then undertake a multistage process to further refine the hand-beaten metal panels. Preparation to immaculate standards is needed to ensure the highest quality of finish.

Paint Shop

The latest methods of automotive painting are used to ensure the finish of every Morgan car is as stunning as the design itself. A vibrant array of painted wings and body panels adorn the walls of the paint shop, and there are 40,000 colours of paint from which a customer can choose.

After preparation, each car is hand sprayed in an air tight booth to ensure the paintwork is free of imperfections and consistent throughout each of the panels.

Trim Shop

The cockpit of a Morgan offers a delight for the senses, and requires at least four hides of the finest leather to trim, a task that takes Morgan craftsmen over 30 hours to complete. There's a full spectrum of leather colours and a wide variety of finishing touches, from contrast piping to different stitch patterns.

Once the leatherwork is complete, the trimshop moves onto the manufacture and fit of the carpet sets, and then the making and fitting of the hood and other weather equipment - all highly skilled work. Carpets and hoods are available in a range of colours and materials.

final inspection

Once the main production stages are complete, a rigorous road testing process is conducted. Then comes the final stage of production – PDI (pre delivery inspection).

Firstly a team of experts in the light booth inspect every panel under the strip lighting that mimics natural light. This concludes with a 3 stage polishing process that results in a flawless finish. The interior is then cleaned and all finishings polished to ensure the completed Morgan is delivered in immaculate condition.