A much admired 1937 990cc Morgan Tricycle

Morgans have always been raced...
...if you can't see forward look from the side!

Henry Fredrick Stanley Morgan was born in the village of Moreton Jeffries, Herefordshire, in August 1881.

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He was known as Harry to family and personal friends (or simply ’H.F.S.’ throughout the industry). He developed a passion for cycling and then changed his allegiance to the motor car. After a hair-raising first drive in a 3hp Benz that ran away with him down the 1-in-6 gradient of a hill, he emerged intact but considerably poorer. Damages to the car cost about £28 for repairs and delayed his ambition of owning his own car.

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In 1901 H.F.S. was apprenticed to two of the greatest railway engineers of the period, William Dean and George Jackson Churchward, Chief Engineers of the G.W.R. Railway Works at Swindon. During his time at Swindon, Harry bought his first car, a 1902 Eagle tandem, which was replaced in 1904, by a Little Star, a well built machine from the Star Motor Company in Wolverhampton. He soon realised that his loyalties were divided between the locomotive and the motor car. The motor car won!

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In 1905, Morgan purchased a house called Chestnut Villa in Worcester Road, Malvern Link where built a small garage alongside. Here he set up business to attended to the needs of the Edwardian motorists and became a dealer for Darracq, Wolseley, Siddeley and Rover cars.

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The success of the Morgan Motor Company was founded on an icon, the Morgan Three-Wheeler. This brilliant but simple design inspired a new type of vehicle which generically became known as the ‘Cyclecar’. Thus the fashion for ‘new motoring’ introduced the freedom of the open road to those of more modest means.

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Harry Morgan can be regarded as the man who first introduced motoring for the masses.

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In 1913, H.F.S. purchased a plot of land on Pickersleigh Road, Malvern Link, a quarter of a mile from the Worcester Road factory and here, in the summer of 1914, two large workshops were built. This is now the site of the present factory, which has traditionally been known as the "Works".

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Due to the outbreak of the First World War output dwindled as men were called up to fight and existing resources were allocated to munitions production. One wartime customer, the famous flying ace Capt. Albert Ball of the Royal Flying Corps, had ordered a special-bodied Grand Prix, of which he said “to drive this car was the nearest thing to flying without leaving the ground”. Alas, Capt. Ball was shot down and killed shortly after taking delivery of his car.

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Racing successes encouraged the introduction of another sporting model in 1927, called the Super Aero with lowered streamlined bodywork. Following the successes of the earlier cars, the Super Aero was immediately in action on the trials hills and on the race track. In 1930 Mrs. Gwenda Stewart broke the One Hour World Record at the banked race track at Monthléry, south of Paris, at a speed of over 100 mph. She was later to achieve 117 mph in a single-seater Morgan on the long straight at Arpajon nearby.

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In 1936, after a prototype had been tested in trials and on the track, a four-wheeler was exhibited at the London and Paris Exhibitions. The new model was called the Morgan 4-4 to differentiate it from the three-wheeler, indicating four cylinders and four wheels. The car had a Z section full width steel chassis with boxed cross members and the body was an ash frame panelled in steel. The combination provided the durability of a coachbuilt car with the lightness required for a sports car. The car was an immediate success.

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In 1938 Miss Prudence Fawcett, a 25 year-old novice driver with little previous competition experience, entered for the Le Mans 24-hour race in a Morgan 4-4 tuned and prepared at the works. Together with co-driver Geoff White, Prudence completed the 24hours finishing 13th overall and qualifying for the Biennial Cup. Geoff White returned To Le Mans in 1939 and together with co-driver ’Dick’ Anthony, came 15th overall and second in class.

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In 1945 many skilled employees came back from the Forces to re-join the factory and car production resumed a year later. In 1947, after being demobilised, Peter Morgan, H.F.S.’ son, joined the firm as Development Engineer and Draughtsman. The last twelve twin cylinder three-wheelers were manufactured in 1946 using mostly a stock of pre-war parts, and shipped to Australia. Due to post-war shortages export orders were favoured over those for the home market when allocating supplies of steel. Three-wheelers did not enjoy this popularity overseas and therefore the decision to discontinue their production was made in 1950. The last Morgan three-wheeler left the factory in 1953.

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The Plus Four had immediate success in competition, with Morgans winning the team award in the R.A.C. Rally in 1951 and 1952. H.F.S.’s son Peter Morgan was a driver in both teams.

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In 1955 the Morgan 4/4 was reintroduced as the Series Two. This was a car of similar design to the Plus Four but fitted with a smaller 10 hp Ford engine and gearbox. The 4/4 continues to use a Ford engine today, over half a century later!

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The Morgan world suffered a great loss in 1959 with the death of the company founder H.F.S. Morgan. Harry Morgan was one of the great pioneers of Motoring and very much respected throughout the industry. Unfortunately he just missed the Company’s 50th anniversary celebrations which took place in April 1960.

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In 1962 success was achieved again at the 24 hours endurance race at Le Mans. A Plus Four Super Sports prepared by the company and Christopher Lawrence, competed and won the 2 litre class. The car was driven by Lawrence and Richard Sheppard-Baron and covered a total distance of 2,261 miles at an average speed of 94 mph. Driver changes, refuelling and adjustments took a total of 32 minutes, so the actual running speed of the car was 97 mph...

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....After the race the car was happily driven

back to England on public roads

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The Morgan Plus Eight was announced to the public at the Earls Court Motor Show of 1968. The Plus Eight used the new aluminium Rover V8 engine.

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In the mid 1990s a remarkable new Morgan began to take shape. In order to remain competitive on the race track and to maintain Morgan’s reputation for producing world class sports cars, Charles Morgan decided to develop an entirely new chassis. Together with Morgan dealer Bill Wykeham, Charles raced a specifically designed aluminium chassis Plus 8. This car proved that the factory were capable of making and running a successful race car although the aerodynamics of the existing shape were the major limiting factor to success.

Worcester Road

The first 3 wheelers had tiller steering

An early 3 wheel racer

Inside the "Works" at Pickersleigh Road

The new Morgan 4-4

Taking the Chequered Flag

4/4 making as splash!

Even a modern Morgan still has a frame for the body made of wood

The Morgan Aero 8. A traditional Supercar!