The making of Morgan: Inside the iconic auto maker's factory
Peter Cheney explores the Morgan plant, where hand-craftsmanship is still championed
Workers assemble three-wheeler Morgans at the Malvern factory in 1928. Three-wheelers became popular in England because they were classed as motorcycles, and taxed at a lower than rate than cars. Morgan introduced a new three-wheeler in 2011. It is now its top-selling vehicle.
This undated photos shows former Morgan Motors chairman Peter Morgan in one of his company’s classic sports cars. After inheriting the company from his father, Peter ran the company from 1959 until his death in 2003. Despite pressures to modernize the production process, he preserved Morgan’s tradition of hand craftsmanship.
Arched wooden supports for the Morgan’s rear fenders are shaped in a clamping jig that has been in use since Winston Churchill was prime minister. The fender arches are made from thin strips of ash that are glued together under pressure to create a laminated curve.Peter Cheney/The Globe and Mail
A worker prepares a sheet of aluminum in the Tin Shop at the Morgan Motors factory. Skilled craftsmen shape the flat aluminum sheets into body panels that are fastened to wooden sub-frames like the ones seen in the background.Peter Cheney/The Globe and Mail
A master mechanic assembles the chassis of a Morgan Aero-series sports car. Unlike the company’s “traditional” models, Aero series cars are based on a bonded aluminum chassis formed from jig-bent panels and massive extrusions.Peter Cheney/The Globe and Mail
A Morgan Plus 4 goes through final assembly at the Malvern factory. The wooden subframes that support the aluminum body panels are milled and planed into shape by specialist carpenters. The finished wooden framework is dipped in a bath of preservative before assembly, and wheel wells are sprayed with a waterproof mastic coating after the aluminum fenders are installed. The suspension system of the Plus 4 is a traditional setup, with a live rear axle mounted on leaf springs.Peter Cheney/The Globe and Mail
A Plus 4 under construction in the Morgan Motors chassis shop. Unlike the Aero series cars, which use a bonded aluminum chassis, the Plus 4 uses Morgan’s traditional structure – a ladder-style steel frame with a sliding pillar front suspension and rear live axle with leaf springs. Hand-formed aluminum body panels are supported by wooden sub-frames.Peter Cheney/The Globe and Mail
An Aero-series Morgan chassis await the installation of its body panels and interior. There is no assembly line at the Morgan Motors factory – instead, cars are rolled through a series of buildings where teams of expert craftsmen work on each machine for weeks at a time.Peter Cheney/The Globe and Mail
An Aero 8 sports car at Morgan Motor Company. The vintage appearance of the Aero series cars is deceptive – beneath their swooping bodywork is a high-tech aluminum chassis, a 4.8-litre BMW V-8 engine, and race car-style suspension and brakes.Peter Cheney/The Globe and Mail
Although it looks like it was built in 1948, this Morgan Plus 4 is a brand-new car. The Morgan Motor Company was founded in 1909, and prides itself on hand craftsmanship and classic design. This photo was shot in front of The Abbey Hotel in Malvern, the hometown of Morgan Motors.Peter Cheney/The Globe and Mail