FOUR MORGANS & A RECALL

FOUR MORGANS AND A RECALL

2022 has been such a momentous year when seen from the Editor’s chair, the driving seat and from the sofa it is hard to let it go without comment, so here’s that comment.

he year started ordinarily enough for me as T on New Years Day the VSCC returned to the Oak at Much Marcle in Herefordshire. Once again the Morgan Three Wheeler Club was there in strength with many variants of “Runabout” in evidence. Once again the stewards were very strict in enforcing the “nothing after the war rule”, so once again there were some wonderful classics and four wheeled Mogs parked on the verges and all seemed right with the world. Indeed, with the gradual relaxation of all COVID restrictions it really did seem that the new year would be a wonderful and memorable one. Time would tell a different tale, as we all now know.

Whilst we were all looking forward to regaining our freedoms, it had always been understood that 2022 would be an important one for the Morgan Motor Company as it was the 60th anniversary of the Company’s finest hour on the track, the win in the the 2 litre GT class at Le Mans. We all knew that there would be some commemorative items produced for the anniversary, and it was a reasonable assumption that there would be a limited edition car among the offerings, but nothing had prepared me for the LM62. MOG was about to go to press when the news was released, but I had to pause from my editorial duties for a while to just take it all in. Sharing the news on MOG’s Facebook page I wrote “You can’t buy TOK, but you can buy one of these.” As soon as had I posted that I picked up the phone and called Henry Williams. With only 62 available I knew I had to be quick. “Would you like manual or auto?” Henry asked. I’d driven both Plus Fours a few months before so I knew the answer straight away. “Automatic, it is quicker isn’t it?”

A couple of days later when I popped down to the dealership to pay the deposit I asked the price! Not only

that but the car was already there! It was love at first sight. Oh well, I had always intend ownership my Plus 8 and Four Seater to be extended test drives, so now those test drives would be over. Not only that but all the memories contained in those two cars would have to go. But no worries, this really was the car I had always wanted.

As things turned out I hadn’t quite got all my finances in place, and the car wasn’t quite ready, so I didn’t actually take ownership until March. On the meantime the world became a nastier place. Putin’s army invaded Ukraine and for a moment the world seemed as dangerous a place as it had during the Cuban Missile Crisis, ironically also 60 years ago. I was only 3 years old at the time, but I do remember being “evacuated” from London with my mum to go and live for a while with my grandparents in Worcester. My dream of new Morgan ownership suddenly seemed doomed, and even though I was placed on the

retired list of officers of the Royal Naval Reserve 12 years ago , I began to wonder if I would be wearing uniform again some time soon.

News from the front was bad, evacuees were arriving in the UK and Morgan conveniently parked a pale blue car next to a yellow one at the Experience centre so I could come up with a Morgan themed Ukrainian flag design.

Not only that but Morgan launched the Super 3 on the day of the invasion, the unveiling having an almost religious feeling to it with a Super 3 at the head of the room under a shroud like an altar and all the proceedings lit in a red glow.. We could only hope that the Russians wouldn’t be launching anything in our direction.

After a few weeks, any threat of Russian “buckets of instant sunshine” raining down on Cheltenham rescinded and the day for picking up the newly named TOK the Younger, or TOKty for short, dawned. I had taken Cossie the Plus 8 for one final visit to Malvern College and now it was time to say goodbye. Henry was taking her in part exchange so I drove her down to the dealership to do the deed, with my good pal Ian Smith in his blue ARP4, Morag, for moral support. Ian had surprised everyone when he had exchanged his Plus 4, Molly for the newer model, so I knew he was the right man for the job.

I felt no pangs of regret as I drove home in my brand new Mog, only excitement. Those early months seemed so carefree as I drive everywhere in TOKty. Not only that but I had no less than six runs up Shelsley Walsh at the Gumball preview and got her up to 120 mph going round Goodwood at the Brands Hatch Morgan track day. Then at the Bromyard Parking Festival, formerly known as the Bromyard Speed Festival, someone came up to me and mentioned that they worked for Morgan and there was something wrong with my brakes. In fact there was something wrong with everyone’s CX car’s brakes, both Plus Sixes and Plus Fours. A couple of days later I drove down to Devon for the day, then Henry called me with the

bad news. I wasn’t to drive the car, at all.

Oh well, someone said recently that a Mog is for life not just the summer, but all of a sudden this summer was looking awfully dull.

“Cheer up”, I thought, “worse things happen at sea”. Then I heard a small voice add “and in Ukraine”. Life didn’t seem so bad, after all in a former life something had gone so badly wrong on my aeroplane we had needed all our skill and experience to keep the thing in the air. Afterwards we were told that the manufacturers had known that this chain of faults could happen, but the chances of it were so small they hadn’t bothered to tell anyone. Beside, we had coped with it, hadn’t we? At least Morgan were behaving in a much more, professional manner than that.

It didn’t seem so long when a transporter arrived from Williams to take TOKty south, initially for her historic meeting with TOK herself, and then to have the “fix” done.

It was as if she hadn’t been away, what fun we had! Then the world changed again. The country had its second

Prime Minister in a year, then on September the 8th two days after meeting her 15th but the first to share her christian name, it was announced that Her Majesty the Queen was gravely ill. I will never forget the time I heard the news, as I slightly lost concentration driving on the M5 and failed to notice that the speed limit had reduced from 60 to 50 mph. Lesson learned, and with the help of a wonderful online course, I can now consider myself a better motorway driver than ever!

I don’t think the news really sunk in until the new King Charles III made his television address to the nation. Then a few days later I attended Worcester’s Proclamation of the new King. The mayor coped admirably with the PA failure, right up to the moment he finished with “God save the Queen!” He quickly corrected himself and the crowd have a hearty three cheers. The day before the State Funeral I escorted my mother to the Queen’s memorial service at Worcester Cathedral. Mum drew some startled gazes as she walked across Cathedral Plaza, can’t think why, and after the service Charles Morgan, a Deputy Lieutenant for

Worcestershire asked me if I was in the Merchant or Royal Navy. You see I had put on uniform this year after all! I politely pointed out to Charles that the Merchant Navy don’t wear swords, and left it at that. We then had a good chat about the state of everything, and I was delighted to hear how he had recently enjoyed a Factory Tour to see the new models in build.

Soon after that we had our third Prime Minister, and I’ve lost count of the number of Home Secretaries.

A highlight of the year was my airline reunion at the de Havilland museum where I parked TOKty, my old airline cap on her bonnet, under the nose of a Mosquito, and on the 8th anniversary of my trip to Gheluvelt in Belgium I parked TOKty this time with a replica Worcestershire Regiment cap on her bonnet at the gates to Gheluvelt Park in Worcester.

It’s been such a year though hasn’t it, and as I write this it’s not over.

Have I forgotten anything? Well of course Morgan has a new boss in Massimo Fumarola, who has promised a proper chat soon, Morgan has announced upgrades to the Plus pillar of cars, (what is it about Morgan and Pillars?) and England didn’t win the World Cup.

W hat will 2023 bring? W ho knows? But so long as I can drive my Morgan all year round, I don’t really care, bring it on!