Morgan - An English Enigma (eBook)

This book tells the amazing story of the Morgan Motor Company, from the primitive, but very successful cyclecars of Edwardian times, through to the iconic British sports cars of the Classic period in the 1960s. Morgan defied conventions, survived economic hardships, resisted take-over bids and carried on in its inimitable way, hand-crafting 'proper' cars out of the historic row of workshops in the spa town of Malvern. Morgan - An English Enigma takes an in-depth look at the Morgan Motor Company during the Vintage and Classic periods, benefitting from access to previously unseen documents and drawings, and featuring 500 images, over half of which have never before been published. This fascinating story will appeal to those with an interest in motoring history, the motor sport enthusiast and anyone who appreciates fine British sports cars.

Martyn Webb has been the Archivist at the Morgan Motor Company in Malvern since 2009. His first book, Morgan, Malvern & Motoring, published by Crowood Press in 2008, told the story of early developments in motoring and the formative years of the Morgan Motor Company. This volume; Morgan, an English Enigma, takes the story further; through the Vintage and Classic periods, to the late 1960s. Martyn bought his first Morgan, a 1953 Plus 4, in 1985, thus fulfilling a desire to own a classic machine built in his home town. A vintage Morgan Aero dating from 1923 soon followed, the three-wheeler providing a fascinating comparison with the later four-wheeled car. Today, Martyn lives less than a mile from the factory in Malvern Link and currently owns four of the company's cars. He has a background in aircraft engineering but subsequently changed career, and established a restoration business specialising in fine woodworking; experiences that equipped him well to appreciate both the technical and design aspects of Morgan cars. A keen motor sport enthusiast, Martyn's current project is the restoration of the competition-prepared 1956 Plus 4 that was raced, with great success, by Chris Lawrence in the late 1950s. His first book, Morgan, Malvern & Motoring (Crowood, 2008), told the story of early developments in motoring and the formative years of the Morgan Motor Company.