Building a car !

[dig deep]

The Morgan Motor Company located in Britain doesn’t change in a changing world. Not only is it still independent, but it also makes each car by hand. A base model is about $44,000, with some cars costing up to $300,000. People wait for over a year to get their exclusive hand-built cars with the shell made out of metal and much of the vehicle made out of wood. Working on the wood interior, workers use metal shears to individually shape a hood because each car has to be different. Every year Morgan produces about 600 cars. The company will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2011. It has a long and interesting history, and is still run by the same family: the Morgans. Founded by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan known as “HFS”, it was then run by his son Peter, and is now run by Charles, the son of Peter Morgan.

[ladylouise62]

Although it's not the sort of thing that people like us could afford, it's nice to see that some things are still independent AND handmade.

I'm sick of cheap and badly made equipment - oh, for the days when you 'invested' in an item. It may have cost a lot but it would likely work for years, could be repaired rather than just replaced - people wouldn't just buy and discard thing willy-nilly, but would really think about what they bought. I just bought a new washing machine and would have been willing to pay a lot more if I could get something that was well made and could last, but even if you can find it, I suspect that repair men are not that easy to find nowadays either. In the end I found a direct drive machine that means that the drum is guaranteed for 10 years and is less likely to break than a belt-driven one - but it took some work to find it.

[Catherine]

I think you're right, Crister! I remember when there were car factories everywhere in this country, but times have changed!

TVR changed hands not too long ago - and of course, Aston Martin was in the Ford Group for a short time. (It's back in British hands again though with David Richards - backed by two investment companies - and will celebrate it's centenary in 2013, so maybe that's something to celebrate?)

Rolls Royce and Bentley used to be the eye-catchers of the road, but now they're a bit of an anachronism I think, well built by the German companies which have taken them over, but hardly practical or environmentally friendly in this new eco-friendly age.

(I hope the motor lasts as long as the drum, Louise. There will be built in obsolescence somewhere no doubt! I guess your new machine will be cold fill only too? So what is to become of the hot water most of us still have in our boilers? We're having to pay more to get the cold heated in the machine now.... GRrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Moan, moan, moan about profit-making manufacturers....)

[rolf]

I've always loved Morgans, had a couple of friends who owned Plus Eights and was a real treat to drive out in them.

One of the lecturers at tech college all those years ago owned a Morgan 3 wheeler with JAP engine, a classic even then.

[Billy]

i used to live round the courner from this factory and id drive up there and watch them roll out new cars... wow they are stunning... thanks for the good memory poke...