Morgan 4/4 : FOUR TO THE FLOOR

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BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Think Morgan and you'll probably recall the Plus Eight, the archetypal British gentleman's car, or alternatively the radical Aero8 supercar. The 4/4 model line rarely gets a great deal of attention, having been soldiering on as the entry-level Morgan for many, many years. Despite its low key appeal, sales of the 4/4 are in rude health and the Range is now wider than ever before.

Originally titled to denote a four-cylinder, four-wheeled sports car, the name should give some clue as to its long a rich history. 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 Four Four 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 aluminium. The combination provided the durability of a coachbuilt car with the lightness required for a sports car. The car was an immediate success. Prior to the Four Four first appearing, Morgan was more famous for producing three wheeled vehicles and the car offered a touch of elegance to the Range. The early Forties saw further developments to the 4/4. A Ford 22 horsepower V8 Pilot engine was fitted to the Morgan chassis, which gave a most vivid performance. Due to a taxation increase from 15 shillings to 25 shillings per horsepower, this project was abandoned at the prototype stage. This second experiment was to fit a car with an Anott supercharger. This vehicle, although only 1000 cc, was capable of over 80mph. The Second World War interrupted production for a while, with P.H.G Morgan being called to arms, but shortly thereafter, the family business was back turning out cars, the Four Four then being fitted with a 1267 cc. Special Standard engine. The Morgan Plus Four was introduced in 1952 and this model became the focus for the company's competition aspirations, leaving the 4/4 to appeal to those with more modest budgets. In 1954, the Morgan Four Four was reintroduced as the Series Two. This was a car of similar design to the Plus Four but fitted with a Ford engine and integral gearbox, the object being to provide a sports car of first-class performance and appearance for the enthusiast with moderate means. It wasn't until 1968 that the Plus Eight was introduced at the Earl's Court Motor Show, and this really divided the Morgan brand into two distinct lines. The Seventies and Eighties saw the 4/4 soldiering on with only minor modifications, on its way to becoming the world's most enduring car model. 1992 saw the rather tired Ford engine updated with 16 valve Zetec technology but it wasn't until 2000 that the 4/4 model received a punchier 1.8-litre Ford Zetec powerplant. The 4/4 line was further diversified in 2003 when the budget 4/4 Runabout model was introduced. With a simpler specification, it once again offered keen value to the enthusiast without a bulging bank account.

"Don't let all the nostalgia divert you from the fact that the Morgan 4/4 is still a cracking car to drive"

As ever, the 4/4 Range offers a choice between the sleek two seat shape or the rather bulkier four seat version. Prices start at £21,772 for the two seat-only 4/4 Runabout with the regular 4/4 two seater - which adds greater colour choices, a leather interior and custom carpeting amongst other things - retailing at £24,193. There's also a `Lowline' no cost option for the more extrovert customer which comprises low profile wheels and tyres as well as wider wings. At the top of the 4/4 Range is the four seat model which is priced at £28,864. Despite claiming that Sir John Harvey-Jones' findings upon his initial visit to the Malvern factory were poppycock, Morgan has done much to modernise its operation. All cars are now Type Approved and waiting lists have come down to around one year. The application process is still charmingly quaint. £250 will get your name onto the waiting list, despite the fact that you don't need to name what model you want until later. You then undertake to pay the list price when your car is delivered without knowing in advance quite what that list price may be. This may seem to be a huge investment of faith, but this is Morgan we're dealing with here - a company that likes to do things differently. Rustproofing, for example, is a £323 optional extra! Their allocation process whereby cars are allotted to dealers has always been scrupulously fair. Celebrity owners have famously tried to jump the queue but Morgan has always stuck to its guns. Morgan Chairman Peter Morgan maintains that this is all part of the fascination, quoting his father, the company's founder, who maintained that you should always, "let demand run just a bit ahead of supply." People want nothing more than something they can't have, so the wait, the build-up, the anticipation, becomes part of the appeal. They spend years choosing between 35,000 different paint schemes before getting to the front of the queue and deciding that they'll have British Racing Green with a tan leather interior like everyone else. Some order the car in their early fifties so that delivery will coincide with retirement; others simply buy out someone else further up the queue than they are. Don't let all the nostalgia divert you from the fact that the Morgan 4/4 is still a cracking car to drive. If you're used to climate controlled air conditioning, satellite navigation, multiple cup holders and hoods that concertina themselves into the boot at the touch of a button, things might seem a little primeval, but the car has character and the ability to paint a huge smile across an owner's face in seconds. The 114bhp engine only has to propel 880kg of car up the road which gives the 4/4 a power to weight ratio of 131bhp per tonne - superior to an Audi TT180 Roadster. An allied benefit of the lightweight and modest power is respectable fuel economy. Returning an average of over 34mpg, the Morgan 4/4's admirable parsimony and hefty residual values must make it one of the cheapest cars to run it's possible to buy. Saving money is usually pretty dull. Not here.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Morgan 4/4 Range
PRICES: £21,772 - £28,864 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 13
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9s / Max Speed 106mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 24.8 (extra urban) 44.9 (combined) 34.5mpg
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height (mm) 3890/1500/1290