12th January 2012
The car hand-crafted to your every need
By Phil Barker

There are no robots, Morgan employees wheel each car between bays.

The past couple of decades have seen huge changes to the car industry, with machines taking over from workers, and tolerances getting ever better. It’s easy to think that some of the love and details have been lost, however, which is why a small number of companies like Morgan still make their cars entirely by hand.

In a world where machines and huge assembly lines rule, Morgan stands out like a sore thumb. The Malvern-based company is one of the few UK car manufacturers left, and its traditional approach has helped it to to carry on through difficult times.

The cars that Morgan currently sells look near identical to models that have been on sale throughout the past century, and although there have been some changes and upgrades under the skin, the cars are still put together by craftsmen using the same time-honoured techniques and tools.

Morgan was the first manufacturer to switch to water-based paint, with bigger companies following in its footsteps.

Cars like the Morgan Plus 4 and the (all new, despite appearances) Morgan 3 Wheeler are the only modern cars to use an ash wood frame, for a start. The wood is crafted by hand, with some pieces moulded to shape using bucks that are well over 50 years old.

Some pieces are moulded to shape using bucks that are over 50 years old.

The wooden frame isn’t the only part of a Morgen to receive the hand-crafted approach, with hand-beaten aluminium bodywork that sits over the top, giving each car its distinctive silhouette. The more expensive models also get a bonded aluminium chassis, following in the footsteps of Lotus and Jaguar.

Each car gets the attention and hand-crafted detail of human touch, rather than machines.

There are no expensive robots to move cars down an assembly line, with Morgan employees instead wheeling each car between bays, where more parts can be added and worked on.

Engines are attached to the cars at an early stage in each model’s life, and once the aluminium bodywork is in place it’s time for the car to head for paint. Once again, Morgan does everything by hand, although it’s not all old-fashioned – Morgan was the first manufacturer to switch to water-based paint, with bigger companies following closely in its footsteps.

Morgan prides itself on traditional manufacturing techniques.

As with the exteriors and frames, the interiors are all hand-crafted, with materials and colours available to suit any individual taste.

The overall result is like nothing else currently on the market. Sure, the panel gaps on Morgan’s cars can’t rival computer and robot-made cars from companies like Porsche, but the finished car is closer to a fine hand-made suit than a mode of transport, tailored to your every need and done so with love, care and passion.

The finished article is like a well-tailored suit - bespoke on every level.

Could you live with a hand-made car though, or would you prefer something more uniform? Leave a comment and let us know.

The End