In a shed in Worcestershire lies a workshop. Compared to the faceless multinational corporate giants of the autoproducing world, Morgan appears to be a speck of an establishment, like a solitary brick in a skyscraper. But it is really a diamond in the rough. I mean, just look at these raw and unfinished sirens, beckoning you to come hither.
It is in this quaint central part of Britain wherein metal alloys are superformed into exotic, radical shapes. Sandwiched between the superformed exterior and the advanced bonded aluminum chassis is the most peculiar of building materials: ash hardwood. A material that is utilized for its properties of strength, durability, and light weight. And you thought titanium and carbon fibre were unconventional.
Complete with taillights reminiscent of the Bentley GTZ Zagato, the latest creations to spring forth from the fertile minds of H.F.S. Morgan’s successors are the Aeromax, as seen above, and its convertible stablemate, the Aero Supersports. The £125,000 coupe and £130,000 roadster hearken to an integral part of the history of modern Britain, a period during the blastocytic transformation of the automobile where the country boasted hundreds, if not thousands, of idiosyncratic establishments devoted to the construction and development of four-wheeled transport. Today, Morgan lies on the periphery, on a peninsula of ingenuity unto itself.
The Aeromax was designed by Matt Humphries, who was a design student at Coventry when he penned its Coleopteric rear and retro-modern front. Mr. Humphries has since graduated and taken on the role of head of design for Morgan. There is no doubt in this author’s mind that the man has an uncanny talent, the likes of which wouldn’t have left him out of place in the decadent Art Deco period of the 1920’s. This having been said, one of his more unusual design flourishes on the Aeromax is attributable to the Jaguar E-Type, not Matt Humphries. Of course, I’m referring to the triple wiperblades on the front windscreen. But if two is good, three is better, no?
Then there are the trunk openings. Yes, plural, as in multiple openings. Whereas most trunks have a single opening, and some strange vehicles like the BMW 5GT has a smaller one and a larger one, the Aeromax has two symmetrical glass trunk covers that open towards the spine of the car. Perfect for quickly tossing in your handbag or briefcase, but less than ideal for anything larger. I guess that means runs to the airport are out of the question.
When you think about it, the previous siren analogy was particularly apt, the Aeromax is actually very much like the dangerous bird-women of Greek mythology. The workmanship of the exterior and chassis are flawless, the engine is a rock-solid BMW V8, and yet you cannot shake the notion that the electronics and the interior may not be up to snuff. Yet it calls you with its songs of seduction and lures you to your demise. Except demise with a Morgan is not like crashing your ship onto a rocky coast, it’s heaven.
[Photo credits: Flikr]
[Video credit: YouTube]