Very English three wheeler story

Andre40 · 10-27-04, 06:51 AM

H F S Morgan, founder of the company that still bears his name, was said to have written to a customer:

'Dear Sir,

Please do not write any more letters to the factory about the rods falling off your car. They fall off mine, so I know all about it.

Yours faithfully
H F S Morgan'

Hopefully they are better at PR these days. They must be, they've been around longer than most, still building great cars.

Andre 40

Rick Muck- Mark IV · 10-27-04, 08:29 AM

"All the bits that fall off this motorcar are of the finest British craftsmanship" [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

God save the queen!!

Rick [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

RobBeddington · 10-27-04, 04:16 PM

My favourite Morgan quote was from about 15 years ago, when business guru Sir John Harvey-Jones featured Morgan Cars in an hour long 'Troubleshooter' programme. Harvey-Jones was amazed/horrified by the business processes he saw and predicted that the company would go bust in short time.

Interviewing the foreman in charge of the ash frames, who had worked there for nearly 40 years man and boy, Harvey-Jones said: "You must have seen many changes in that time." There was a pause and then came the dour reply: "Not really ... No."

And as the late Peter Morgan said about the company's 7-year waiting-list: "Many companies have gone bust building too many cars, very few have gone bust building just enough."

Rob
PS A long time ago, my father's best man had a Morgan 3-wheeler that unexpectedly became a Morgan 2-wheeler at speed shortly before hitting a bank and somersaulting into a ditch. The (three!) occupants, all slightly the worse for wear on alcohol, survived to stagger home. Good job really as my father was one of them and, if not, I wouldn't have been here to type this.

Lynn · 10-27-04, 04:24 PM

Rob,

Well said, indeed! Cheers

Lynn

BenL · 10-28-04, 11:47 AM

Why do the British drink warm beer?

Because Lucas makes refrigerators.

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Lucas invented the first intermittent windshield wiper.

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Lucas - The Prince of Darkness

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"A gentleman does not motor about after dark."
---Joseph Lucas

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More Lucas jokes

Simon · 10-29-04, 05:07 AM

I've been to the Morgan factory several times to interview Charles Morgan. It's one of those places you HAVE to go to.
I've never been a huge fan of the Morgan car, but just seeing the way it's built makes you appreciate it.
I got to drive the Aero 8. Not the best looking of cars, but again, beautifully built, manically fast and a whole lot of fun. (and of course, when you're driving it, you don't have to look at the front!) [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Andre40 · 10-30-04, 11:20 AM

Hi All,

That's what I love about www.GT40s.com, someone tells a story either technical, historical, informative or funny and the replies just roll in!

I'm just pleased that in January last year, my friend, Ken MacLeod quietly asked me if I had heard of the GT40 website. I hadn't and registered that same day.

It's been great fun and I've learnt a great deal since. Also if it hadn't been for the website I would't have made the new friends I have and I wouldn't have had two visitors from the US and one from the UK staying with us. When all three arrived at the house at different times they said, 'Ah, there are the famous dogs!'

All good fun. Thanks to all
Andre 40

Dave Bilyk · 10-31-04, 04:04 AM

A long time ago, a friend of mine bought a second hand Morgan +4, I went with him to collect it. On the way back, the brakes failed, luckily he wasn't going quickly, and the handbrake stopped the car. Although some would have returned the car, he carried on. It was sunday, and there were few cars out and about, so I spent the rest of the journey leaping out of the very slowly moving car, and running across the junctions to wave him across if there was nothing coming. So since then Morgans aren't my cup of brake fluid (tea) [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img].

BarryD · 10-31-04, 04:26 AM

If anyone is interested here is a pic of a REAL Morgan.
Barry D

BarryD · 10-31-04, 04:33 AM

...and my "other" Morgan...1928 Standard model, in which I am happy to say, the lovely and sadly-missed Peter Morgan rode with me for the slowest ever lap of Donnington when it first re-opened all those years ago.

Please note the total lack of (unneccesary) front brakes.
And the rear band brake is a bit of a misnomer too, as it is only there to give a mildly stabilisting effect and endow(false) confidence in any unsuspecting passanger.

BD.

RobBeddington · 10-31-04, 04:59 AM

Very nice cars Barry!

I was having a laugh last night with my dad about his story of his mate's 3 wheeler Morgan becoming a 2 wheeler. He told me that the third occupant fitted 'into' the Morgan like this: He held onto the back of the seat/passenger compartment for dear life, while lying face down across the back end of the bodywork with his legs straddling either side, and his feet resting on the spare wheel, which on this car was at the back. Apparently his knees would not have been far away from the exhausts either side! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

He had a slight stammer before the accident. His stammer was much worse after it...

My mother's family came from Bromyard in Herefordshire. Father also heard that HFS Morgan's first journey at the wheel of a car was in the early 1900s, in Bromyard. He lost control on a fairly steep hill and he and his car (a Benz?) ended up in a pile of mangled steel at the bottom of the hill. Thankfully he was not seriously hurt (although his pride - and the car - were seriously dented). The good news for Morgan lovers is that it did not put him off cars.

Apparently you could also regularly see HFS Morgan taking chickens to market in his Morgan - yet another truly British 3-wheeler story...

Rob