Strutting sitting down
If there is one way to get noticed in Cyprus it is by driving round in a sleek red Morgan, the owner of which is now trying to set up a club
It’s been many a decade since men have stared in lust and envy at my sleek curves, but I discovered something recently that can indeed cause a grown man to drop his shopping and punch the air as I pass by. It’s also capable of generating an effervescent mixture of envy and elation in every middle aged man within earshot. It’s the glorious sight and sound of a bright red, throaty, throbbing Morgan sports car.
Bought in Cyprus, this fire-engine red sports car with its separate rolling chassis, wooden body frame, hand panelled and hand painted object of desire is owned by David Marks, who is now keen to track down other Morgan owners to set up an informal touring club. So, if you are one of the other five owners in Cyprus and you want to strut your stuff, have some fun days out then please get in contact with David (Tel: 26 722317).
As for ‘strutting’, I didn’t realise that, until you slide inelegantly into the seat of a Morgan that’s its perfectly possible to ‘strut’ while seated, and at the same time still not feel a total elderly embarrassment as this red thing powers its way perfectly round tight bends, with a suspension so solid it’s said that you can run over a penny on the road and easily tell if its heads or tails.
Bought in 1988 from the Reliable Sports Car company in Nicosia, David admits ownership of this “thing of beauty” has changed his life, with many firm friendships resulting after perfect strangers have stopped and asked him about the car. And yes, even if David is far too much of gentleman to admit it, this ‘Noddy’ red runner is a definite, classic babe puller, even after doing 66,000km on Cyprus roads over the past 18 years.
David’s Morgan is just the latest in a long line of cars. “I’ve always had a love affair with cars,” he said, “and I couldn’t wait to pass my driving test in 1962, then, my first car was a Vauxhall Victor, later this was exchanged for an Opel Record, and was followed by an MGB. Then I bought an MG midget from one of the roadies of pop group Depeche Mode. He was a bit reluctant to sell but as his wife was pregnant it was time for his much loved, two-seater sports job to go. But, I have always loved the Morgan.”
And what would be his dream vehicle if he won the lottery? “No doubt about it, I’d partner up my Morgan with a two-seater Jaguar SS100.”
The interesting fact about the Morgan is it is still made by the oldest, privately-owned car manufacturer in the world – the British, family-run Morgan Company was established in 1911, then they turned out 55 three-wheel roadsters a week in 1920.
Now, of course, they produce the four-wheel version and with only 100 in the workforce they turn out around 500 hand crafted cars per year, and each is custom built to a specification defined by the client. They can choose from three basic model types, 30,000 colours, 20 to 30 different leathers and wood trims, with engines courtesy of Ford or Rover.
The down side is the waiting list. If you order now you might be lucky to have delivery within three to five years, and pay around £20,000 sterling for a very basic 4/4, so the second-hand market is a thriving one. There’s no electronic paraphernalia, no cyber voiced companion or extra bells and whistles to stun and at the same time confuse the proper enthusiastic motorist – it’s a real drivers’ vehicle harking back to a time when motoring was a real wind-in-your-hair pleasure, when you felt safe and totally secure in the knowledge that you had under your bonnet a potential life time companion.
Mick Jagger, Nicholas Cage and Bridget Bardot have all been seduced by the Morgan and they help form a dedicated worldwide owners club that proudly flaunts one of the best British exports since the Beatles and Sir Alec Issigonis’s superbly designed Mini Cooper S.
