SOUTHERN FOURS AND EIGHTS

NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTHERN MORGAN GROUP MOGSOUTH VOL. 2/13 MOGSouth

LIFE’S TOO SHORT, DON’T FORGET TO PLAY!! 1 83RD GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 7-17 MARCH 2013 Excerpts from the MMC Geneva Press Release  A new model…..The Morgan Two is a bicycle! Inspired by the founder of Morgan, HFS Morgan, who was a keen enthusiast of the bicycle, the Morgan Two is a minimalist design as light in comparison to other bikes as the Morgan car is to other cars. Although it looks like a “Fixed-gear Bicycle” it has gears and brakes concealed in a simple classic design. Pedal backwards and the gear changes and if you hold the pedals back further, the back brake is applied. [I just don’t know enough about this to comment intelligently however I might be more excited if it was something like the RENOVA wooden framed bicycle out of Portland. At lease then I could see some connection. Ed.] The Morgan Two! - Pic Courtesy MMC’s Geneva Press Release Per the MMC Website  ‘The Special Edition bicycle, the first from Morgan Motor Company and Malvern Cycles is limited to a run of 50. Each bicycle offers a unique sense of excitement for an affordable £997 + VAT’  ‘Steel cromoly 4130 track geometry frame • Brooks B17 Honey saddle, challenge tool roll • Riser handlebars and Brooks slim leather grips • TRP sealed bearing lever and Shimano Tiagra front caliper • Sturmey Archer FCT48 crankset with DMR V8 pedals • Front Wheel Sturmey Archer HBT30 track hub with 42mm deep section rim • Rear Wheel Sturmey Archer S2C 2spd Duomatic hub inc coaster brake hub with Renova Wooden Frame - Pic Courtesy 42mm deep section rim Renova’s Web Site.

Other notable quotes from the MMC Geneva Press Release  ‘The Morgan 3 Wheeler. Over 500 examples have now been delivered.’  ‘The Morgan Roadster now has 300bhp and a total weight of only 950 kilos. This gives it a better power to weight ratio than a Porsche 998. Power steering for 2013 is standard.’ [I suspect this is the electric power steering unit we have seen installed on a few MOGSouth cars? Ed]  ‘‘We will be operating an exciting new Web Shop online.’ [This is now available at morgan-motor.co.uk and you can buy the Morgan Two online if you want one. Ed] Geneva Motor Show - Muirhead leather & Morgan, www.motortorque.com  ‘In addition, members of the media that visit the Morgan show stand will receive press info on a custom-designed USB car key and low carbon leather fob supplied by Muirhead’ 'Downton Abbey' Cars with a Modern Twist http://money.cnn.com/  ‘In the meantime, Morgan is working on engineering its next generation of four- wheeled cars to pass regulatory muster in Also from motortorque.com - A quick shot of the Morgan Stand on DAY 1. Looks the U.S. You might start seeing those cars in like two Aero 8 Super Sports, two MTWs and some number of classic Morgans about 2016.’ at the far right in the image. Lots of Silver except the two MTWs. One is the Gulf Edition and the other MTW is painted gray. Continued Next Page 2 A few photos of the Morgan Stand at Geneva courtesy www.talkmorgan.com THE OLDEST NEW CAR IN GENEVA HAS SUCH A GREAT VIBE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW MORGAN MORGAN 4/4

Peter Orosz 3/06/2013, http://jalopnik.com

New new cars. Too heavy, doors too high to cock your elbow out, weird plastics, the works. It’s not a problem old Morgans have. Come and join us in the oldest new car on the show floor, the Morgan 4/4.

Maybe not that literally: it’s a two-seater. But legroom is splendid. Máté and I are both 6'2" and we sat there in The new Plus 8 in Flat Silver. The front fender seems a bit boxy? perfect comfort. Fundamentally unchanged since 1936, the 4/4 in its current form has a 1.6-liter Ford engine with 110 hp and maxes out at 110 mph. Crazy numbers in an age of 900+hp hypercars with limited top speeds of 220 mph but what need is there for more when the wind is all around you and the car weighs something like 1,700 pounds?

The car we eased ourselves into came with a bike rack. Morgan’s senior designer Jon Wells told us he’d built it the night before the show and spray-painted it black. Morsels of old-school British engineering! The rack held a Morgan bike, one of fifty the company will build, which looks like a fixie but has a concealed gearshift operated not with Bowden cables but with kicks on the pedal. Also, cool leather Brooks saddle. Morgan, by the way, is doing just fine, in case you’re enticed: Jon says it’s their biggest stand at Geneva ever, with every model on display.

How would you mount the Morgan Two to a car with a spare?

A shot of the Aero 8 Super Sports by Charles Morgan

God, I could use a long drive in a 4/4. It’s the bee’s knees. The near one appears to be a Coupe and the other one has the removable hard top panel. (From Twitter.com) 3 18TH ANNUAL 7 - 10 MARCH 2013 AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

he spring means lots of things to all of us, but to me, it means the Amelia Island Concours. This Concours has become a tradition for us. It is typically our first Morgan adventure of the year. We have attended some 7 or 8 years now (this was the 18th occurrence of the show) and usually travel up from Orlando in a Morgan and T in convoy with Rick and Sam Frazee. This was the first year the Frazees traveled up in their recently acquired 2005 BRG Roadster. Quite a departure from my 1981 Propane 4/4. But the old 4/4 didn't miss a beat all weekend but it was hard pressed to keep up the Roadster.

We drove up to Amelia Island on Friday the 8th and stayed in downtown Fernandina Beach. Fernandina Beach is where most of the hotels and restaurants are and it is only some 5 miles from the show. We make a long weekend out the event and usually find things to do on Friday and Saturday before the show on Sunday. The event is becoming quite popular (spelled crowded) and other car shows and auto auctions are sprouting up on Amelia Island during the weekend. These new events aren't actually ‘sanctioned’ by the Amelia Island Concours, but do add to the activities available to the crowd coming to town for the weekend. The number of hotels and restaurants doesn't seem to be growing as fast as the crowd so reservations need to be made a good six months in advance, else you’ll find yourself staying someplace weird and eating fast food. The crowd was estimated at 24,000. And, the experience of eating at all the great Fernandina Beach restaurants is half the fun.

At least three of the previous shows (of those I have attended) included a Morgan being judged. Alas this year there were no Morgans in the show. However, there were lots of Morgan folks in attendance. Some we physically linked up with and some we just talked to over the phone. Everyone had their own agenda. Morgan folks in attendance included Peter and Myrna Ballard, Martin Beer (Morgan Distributor in Canada), Mark and Andrea Braunstein, Rick and Sam Frazee, Charlie and Beth Miller, Ray and Susan Morgan, Oscar and Bonita Roberts, Joe Speetjens, Joe and Sharon Topinka, Scott Willoughby and Ruth, Don Pollack and Bob ‘Kermit’ Wilson with Grandson. There were undoubtedly others so my apologies if I missed a few names. With this level of ‘Morgan’ attendance, perhaps we should plan for a Morgan party at one of the local watering holes on Saturday night each year? And, I would hope more folks might drive their Morgans to Amelia. The weather is normally quite good, and the cars always draw a crowd. This year, I believe the Continued Next Page 4 only Morgans in Amelia over the weekend were Rick and Sam’s Roadster and our 4/4. At least I didn't seen any Winston & Laura Hoy others.

The Concours honoree this year was Sam Posey. There were a number of his former race cars on the lawn. In addition to the Sam Posey race cars, the Concours recognized the 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 911, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Lamborghini, the race cars of Harry Miller and the motorcycles of Ducati, as well as the heralded Ford GT 40. I do have to admit I am not really a Porsche or Corvette fan, albeit there were some very pretty cars in the show, but I absolutely love the Ford GTs. What a Requisite Morgan Pictures At the Hotel tremendous story and what a beautiful car. There were 14 GT 40s in the show, to include the 1967 and 1968 Le Mans On the Ferry winner. Things of dreams . . .

There were countless cars and motorcycles that caught my eye. Everything was special, and everything was shining and gleaming in the sun. Sort of mesmerizing in its own way. And, if this wasn't enough, they had numerous fly overs with acrobatic planes and war birds.

North American B-25 Mitchell One of my favorite cars was a 1936 SS100 painted in chocolate brown with Alligator hide interior. Perhaps a bit over the top, but absolutely gorgeous. Even the Brooklands ‘like’ windscreens were tinted brown. SS100

I didn't stay for all the awards. I reached a level of sensory and information overload by mid afternoon. The Amelia Island Concours has two major awards, the Best of Show Concours d’Elegance, and the Best of Show Concours de Sport.

According to the reports the 2013 Best of Show Concours d’Elegance went to the 1936 Duesenberg SJ owned by Jack and Helen Nethercutt, while the Best of Show Concours de Sport was awarded to the 1968 Ford GT40 entered by the Rocky Mountain Collection.

Another superb event and I am sure our yearly tradition of SS100 attendance will continue. Haven’t been? You need to go! Continued Next Page 5 More Amelia Island Concours. The 50th Anniversary of the Ford GT 40s. An amazing collection of these fabulous cars.

The cars presented at Amelia Island are always impeccable. It is all about the details . . . truly pieces of automotive art.

Words Mark Braunstein Music and

6 RETURN TO LIME ROCK

When we moved from Somers, NY to Holly Springs, NC, one of the things I knew I was really going to miss was Lime Rock Park, a beautiful race track nestled in the Berkshires in Connecticut. The track is 1.53 miles in length, has two elevation changes, a 7500 foot straight, and some great curves. Spectating is done from hillsides and vantage points around the track.

Left - Andy Leo at Speed in his Lotus 7, This was where I vintage Series 1. Circa 1984 raced my Lotus 7, Series 1, providing me with Below - Andy, Lee Gaskins and Jim several adrenalin red Nichol (Back Turned) Circa 1984 lines many mechanical challenges, and great memories of fellow competitors and their cars. Also, over the eighteen years we lived in NY, many times when I was not racing, Anne and I and our two kids would hop in the yellow/black four seater (the bumblebee) and head up to Lime Rock for the SCCA races. It was a beautiful ride up the Taconic Parkway and then country roads across NY and into CT. I had not been to Lime Rock since we left NY in 1993, and with Virginia International Raceway(VIR) being only an hour away, I was able to get my fill of vintage racing. But during that time I had managed to get to Watkins Glen, Elkhart Lake and Sebring in conjunction with Morgan club road trips. When I heard that Sir Sterling Moss was to be the honored guest at the Lime Rock Historic Vintage Festival 30 in 2012, I decided that would be the perfect occasion to return to Lime Rock. Even though it was a year off, our good buddies Pat and Judy Buckley, were quick to embrace the idea and we immediately got reservations at the Wake Robin Inn in Sharon, CT., just 10 minutes from the track. For this event, it necessary to make reservations well in advance. The route we would take would be the same one that we took when we and the Buckleys went to Watkins Glen when Morgan was honored on the 100th anniversary. It is a route that I highly recommend for those wanting to go north and avoid I85, I95 and all of the dense traffic associated with those routes. From the Raleigh Durham area we traveled up routes 86 and 29 thru Leesburg, VA and then connected with route 15 in Frederick, Maryland. Route 15 goes all the way into NY, and one can cut east across NY into Connecticut or go north and connect to routes going to Watkins Glenn. All of those routes are very scenic and relatively uncongested....perfect Morgan roads. Leos and Buckleys, in their Morgans, with the The Historic Festival is a 4 day event, beginning on Friday and running crowd watching on from their hillside vantage. through Monday over the Labor Day weekend. Racing has never been permitted at Lime Rock on Sundays as there is a Church across the road and the track agreed to that stipulation when it was built in 1957.. Practice and qualifying takes place on Friday and Saturday, Sunday is car show day when cars are displayed around the track (this year there were over 500 cars on display), and Monday is race day. Another neat Continued Next Page 7 aspect of this race weekend is that there is flea market ongoing at the track where one can find just about anything for that old vintage car. Back in 2000 when I restored my blue/silver 4/4, I had done the engine in its original form...a single downdraught Weber, just as it had been in 1964. I had seriously thought of putting 2 side draught Weber 40s on it, but did not do so. As the event drew closer, I fantasized about finding an old set of 40 DCOE 18s there, but knew it was a long shot. Although, back in 1980, I had found an extremely rare and desirable Cosworth cam cover for my Lotus Twincam at the flea market. When we arrived at the track on Friday morning, the first place I headed for was the flea market vendor area. At the sixth table visited, what should meet my eyes but a pair of 40 DCOE 18s, complete with air horns and linkage. The vendor was asking $450 for the pair, but when I offered $ 300, he took it--an incredible find and price! Those Webers are currently providing lots of extra oomph to my blue/silver 4/4. As expected, there was a terrific turnout of fabulous vintage race cars, including 4 cars that Sir Sterling had raced. Three of the Morgans there are pictured on the track in an accompanying photo. It was great to see Chris Towner and his neat Trike, a car that he was racing back in the 80s when I raced. Chris bought my trailer when I sold the Lotus 7 and he is still using it today. If you get the 3/4 Group newsletter you Chris Towner’s Trike will see many notes on the factory by Chris as he seems to be over there several times a year. There were a few Lotus 7s there, and one of the owners whom I have know for years told me that my Series 1 now was owned by an enthusiast in Maine. Throughout the weekend, Sir Stirling was signing autographs. He would be set up in a vendors tent area and lines would form well in advance of the designated time. I opted for the Vintage Motorsports magazine signing event. I knew exactly what I wanted to say to him. Sir Sterling Moss in discussion with Andy. Judy Back in the early 60ʼs I was going to sports car races at the Marlboro Buckley In Pink, far right. Raceway in MD, located outside of Washington, D.C. Moss was there to drive a works Lotus Cortina. As was typical for him, he could be found among the crowd, shirtless and enjoying himself. When he was interviewed by the PA announcer, he referred to the Marlborough course as a “Mickey Mouse course.” The great Stirling Moss was booed by the “hometown” crowd! So while I was getting his autograph on the event poster, I relayed that memory to him. His reaction was to look up at me, smile and say, “yes, I remember.” On Monday during the lunch break, British cars were featured in the parade laps and this represented a very emotional moment for me, being back on the track that held so many memories. I remembered the final race and the last pass I made. I remembered how it was not until my second season of racing that I was able Above - The Leos in the 4/4. to go flat out down the notorious and daunting L - The Buckleys in their downhill. Roadster. Lime Rock was not the only emotional lure for this trip. Pat and Judy had gone on their first “date” back in 1992 to the Hopkins Inn, located about one half hour from Lime Rock. After visiting the track Saturday morning, we hopped in the Morgans and headed for the Hopkins Inn. Judy and Pat fondly remembered that day and the fact that they were driving her 57 Plus 4 that had just been restored by Bob Couch. We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon sharing the memories with Pat and Judy. Anyone who enjoys vintage cars and racing should make the trip to Lime Rock . I would be happy to provide more information about the event, the Judy Buckley in new Three Wheeler with Larry Eckler of Morgans of New England. area, accommodations and travel directions.

Andy Leo 8

Low Country Morganing The Morgan gathering at Did You Know? Peter and Myrna’s home and the Fish Tale Restaurant, Savannah, GA. 'INTERIM' RADIATOR MORGANS On March 2, 2013, Peter and Myrna held an open house for Morgan travelers from Charleston SC, to Jacksonville, FL. It was a cool morning, As the supplies of the traditional flat- temperature in the low 40’s, but sunny as we arrived at the Ballard’s fronted radiators and free-standing home. Waiting for us in the driveway was Graeme Addie’s new Trike, chrome bucket headlamps came to an and in the Ballard’s garage were Peter’s trike and his partially restored end, coupled with the desire to move to a early 4/4. more modern appearance than the flat radiators provided, Morgan opted for a Among those arriving from South Carolina in Morgans were Bruce and front-end makeover in late 1953. Dolores Reynolds, Bill and Linda Metcalf, and Charles and Beth Miller. Perry and Ritamarie Nuhn accompanied them from Beaufort, but in a Morgan’s first attempt was what has much warmer Honda mini-van. From Jacksonville came Chuck and become known as the ‘interim cowl’ with Karen Bernath also in an SUV... Other Morgan enthusiasts on hand a sloping valance that incorporated the were were Milt Morgan and Michael Amburgey. headlamps in a pair of cylindrical fairings. The radiator became a separate item After introductions and car gazing, muffins and coffee were served in the under a cowled grill which gained a Ballard kitchen. Mryna was soon crowned the “Muffin Queen” as she quarter-moon trim panel at the top to had home baked all those delicious “calorie free” muffins. Near noon we sport the Morgan badge. all headed to the Fish Tale restaurant on the banks of the Ogeechee River, south of Savannah. After a filling lunch of seafood and southern A change in vehicle regulations soon delights, most headed home and a few went sightseeing at the Fort forced Morgan to raise the headlights, MaAllister Historic Park, also on the Ogeechee River. but the result remained dissatisfying and led to a further revision that saw the 'interim' radiator grille replaced by a curved design and the headlamps placed in teardrop-shaped housings atop the valance. This ‘high cowl’ model was much more appealing and is now the trademark look of Morgan, as most of us know it. Only 19 of the interim cowled

model were made. Report and Pictures Courtesy Perry Perry Courtesy Pictures and Report

All photos taken at Fish Tale Restaurant Courtesy - Perry Nuhn

Ritamarie Nuhn eying the new Trike - Perry Watch Out. They’re addicting. Ed. 9 10

SuperDave's

Garage

(770) 330 - 6210 [email protected]

1965 4/4 sn B1043 62,000 original miles Rebuilt engine Rebuilt trans Survivor Morgan Wire wheels Disc brakes Green exterior Black interior Black top/side curtains. All original! Clear title As is, on the road, or restored... Call SuperDave

MORGANMORGAN WANTSWANTS && SELLSSELLS Folks with Morgan ‘Wants or Sells’ should send an email to Mark or Randy with the details. You can reach us at [email protected] Morgan Parts for Sale and Morgan Library Additions (Great Gifts??) Series V 4/4, +4, 3.5L +8 - including lever shocks, +8 intake manifold & SUs, SU wedge air cleaner and more. See www.morganstuff.com for full list. I also get extra copies of the mother club's magazine, Miscellany. If you've never seen an issue, you should. Single copies of recent issues free upon request. Send your mailing address, lower 48 only, to David Crandall at [email protected]. Need a Morgan gift? Give your favorite Morganeer the must-have item of the decade – Fred Sisson’s Morgan Bedside Reader, aka “the Bible”. David had a Holiday Season discount. He may still honor it. Contact David for details. ‘Fergus’ Number Plaques Now Available !!! Morgan owners of cars sold through Fergus who are looking for the Fergus stock number plaque now have a solution. An American Morgan-owner, whose plaque was missing too, has taken the initiative to produce reproduction plaques. Numbers will not be engraved in the plaque until there is at least 99.99% certainty about the correctness of the number.

The cost per plaque is USD $60, postage per plaque is USD $3, world wide. If paid per PayPal, an extra USD $2 will be charged. To order a copy, or ask for information, please drop a line to [email protected] (Hermen Pol) or Jack Claxton at (678) 450-0703 or via email [email protected] 11 12 [Some may remember Jean Shepherd, the prolific author and radio and television personality for his storytelling that was sometimes compared with that of Mark Twain. However, Shepherd is best known to most folks for the film ‘A Christmas Story’ (1983), which he narrated and co-scripted, based on his own semi-autobiographical stories. ‘Shep’ as he was commonly known, passed away some dozen years ago, but his writing of Morgans lives on and is a must read. Ed.]

THE MORGAN SYNDROME • Long ago I gave up trying to explain just why the hell I hang on to my Morgan +4 Drophead. As in the case of all eccentricities, owning a Morgan cannot be rationalized by conventional means of applied logic. Our lives are full of the secret knowledge that there's a hell of a lot more that cannot be explained than the law trivialities of existence that can. The classical concept of a kid, any kid, lying flat on his back gazing up at the unplumbed heavens, peering at the countless galaxies, asking the eternal question "What's it all about?" says it all. Unfortunately, or maybe inevitably, as we grow older we cease to ask that question, knowing damn well it will never be answered. For that reason and others beyond the scope of this lecture, I no longer attempt to rationalize owning a Morgan. Oh. I have my credentials. Push a fanatic to the wall and he'll whip out his letters of endorsement, a well-thumbed book of dogma, an icon. In a feeble attempt to prove that he is on the right track. Mystics sit cross-legged peering at the searing sun until they are blinded forever! Old ladies with blue hair quote Redbook; downy-faced youths squirt chemicals into their veins, all In a scrabbling futile attempt to get at it. If you think I'm a late convert to the inexplicable world of the Morgan owner, I'll lay my credentials on you. During one brief catastrophic period in my life I was a Morgan dealer! If there's anything harder to explain than Morgan ownership it is Morgan dealership. Face it, if you dig a thing you dig it and there is no explaining the Why. There certainly are undeniable truths about the venerable English marque which has clung to the outskirts of the automobile world with masochistic tenacity for decades. Let others follow the trends. Peter Morgan (and presently his son) persisted in building these uncomfortable, drafty, body punishing Spartan machines. Curiously, in its anachronistic way the Morgan is one of the few cars built anywhere that could make it with today's seed-eating, earth digging youth. The Morgan, is composed largely of wood. Mull that over for a moment or two. Wood, real rotting, termite prone, flammable wood. Morgan owners are the only car cuckoos in the world who exchange tips on how to combat termites. aphids and Dapple Oak Fungus. The seats of my Drophead +4 consist of stitched leather pads which are not filled with foam rubber, springs or plastic sponging but inflatable natural rubber bladders that you blow up with your mouth, lust like inflating any damn balloon. These repose on little wooden removable platforms, and that's all there is. The fenders, bonnet, miniscule doors are made of what appears to be armor plate of the sort that was so valuable to Monty at El Alamein. The control panel is hewn of solid walnut. I repeat, solid walnut; not veneer, not plywood, not Formica. Since a Morgan has a turning ratio that approaches 1:1 the steering wheel resembles that on a 1923 Mack truck, a huge black perfect circle dissected by four very solid nickel plated spokes, in turn the whole thing bolts up to the steering column with a large nickel nut, and that in turn moves the front wheels which are held free of the chassis by Morgan's unique "sliding pillar" suspension. All of which gives its driver the sense of being connected directly with every pot-hole in the road. Going over a set of railroad tracks in a Morgan has to be one of the more violent experiences available to modem man short of total war. Since the Morgan was designed for Englishmen, the tortures built into it are acceptable as mere manifestations of the English national character. Alter all, they are the race that bred Richard The Lion Hearted who, would have made a great Morgan owner. Like Mount Everest a Morgan is simply there - Value judgments are unnecessary. And also like Mount Everest, conquering, a Morgan Is not everyone's dish of tea. In fact, damn few. And those who do are constantly tortured by a love/hate relationship that never slops. One instant, as you drive through a difficult S-bend, your Morgan hanging in low and tough, you feel there can be no greater ecstasy in driving. The next instant, after inadvertently driving over a pebble in the road, you have received a near-fatal shot in the Kidneys and are wrestling to regain control as you curse the day you ever heard of the goddamn Morgan. Yet any man who has ever owned one and sold it, vaguely regrets that day he

[This is a reprint of an article originally published in Car and Driver in their April 1972 issue. and 1972 published in their Driver April Car in originally [Thisarticle of a an reprint is let it go. Why? No one knows. There are other facets to the Morgan that are part of its curious charm. If you can call it charm. No two Morgans are alike. I have seen hundreds, and each is distinct and separate from the next in a thousand countless ways. When you

Continued Next Page 13 have acquired a Morgan, it is truly your Morgan. In that respect they are like horses. There may be superficial similarities but deep down inside each has its own individual soul. There are unpleasant Morgans: there are docile, friendly, and reliable Morgans. There are rakish Morgans. I have yet to meet a dull Morgan. I have owned several, but the one I currently harbor and feed suits me, personally better than any I have known. Built In 1963, it Is one of the comparatively rare Drophead models powered by a TR4 engine, equipped with disc brakes, it is a curiously satisfying machine. Fast, noisy, with spectacularly clean lines. It seems to be a permanent part of my life. There are other odd side effects to Morgan ownership. For example, I rarely leave the car parked anywhere but what there isn't a note stuck under the minute windshield wipers when I get back. They usually read: How much do you want for it? I'll pay anything! Signed: Distraught. And occasionally the notes get more exotic, for example, one read: My god, you're the first Morgan nut I've run into in this state. It is crawling with Corvette creeps. Am restoring a '53 Roadster which I trucked in from a junkyard in San Diego. Call me, l have to talk to a friend. It is a rare day when there isn't a small crowd of admirers and scoffers hanging wound my Morgan wherever it is parked. But these are only superficial benefits to being saddled with one of the beasts. For example, there is the constant need to explain to the unwashed what it is and why you own it. Every Morgan owner develops a set story which he automatically parrots every time he’s asked by the inevitable slack-jawed dill dock: "Guh . . . what is it, one a'them old MG's? Guh . . . can't afford a new car. huh? Har de har har. Guh . ." My own story, after hundreds of different variations, is now designed to infuriate and further compound the mystery. ME: No, I don't know exactly what it is. CLOD: What do you mean you don't know what it is? Says 'Morgan' on the radiator. ME: True. But l never saw another one. So l figure some guy named Morgan must a made it in his basement and put his name on it either that or It's a fake name, it might be some kind of a Model A. CLOD: No kidding, I’ll be damned. Can't be no Model A. It's too low. Still all Morgan owners motor through the world alone; romantic, faintly damned riders who drive lo a different tappet knock. Like Lawrence of Arabia they go their violent way dreaming incomprehensible dreams that have no place in today's world. Interestingly enough, most Morgan owners have found that even among owners of so-called sports cars—the Sprites, the TR6s, the 914s—they are completely persona non grata. It is a rare Porsche owner who will even glance at a passing Morgan. Does he feel inferior? Is he afraid of exposure? Does the unknown strike terror into his heart? The other day something happened to me in my Morgan that brought this whole thing home, I was invited to appear on a Miami television show called PM MIAMI to talk about my book, Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters. I wheeled up to their studio on Biscayne Boulevard in the Morgan. The guy who does the show, Sally Jessy, took one took at the car and cried. "Oh, what & cute car. Isn’t it cute! What a cute car! Wouldn't it be daring if we had the car on the show!" I figured what the hell, that’s Showbiz. First they were going to talk about Wanda and now the goddamn car has upstaged me again. Oh well. At the time I did not have the slightest suspicion that disaster was rapidly approaching, fangs dripping, talons clutching. They told me to drive around the back of the station so we could get the car into the studio. I wheeled up to the huge metal electric doors, which silently slid upward. Every TV station has a loading dock where sets, props, heavy equipment and so forth are brought into the building. The concrete floor of the studio was about five feet above the level of the driveway. They had placed two narrow metal tracks that rested on the driveway and led up to the floor level. They ware adjustable in width but just lay like two narrow iron planks that looked a little shaky to me, but I figured what the hell, they must know what they’re doing. A cool, bearded director stood at the top of the ramp, giving me what appeared to be authoritative hand signals. I inched upwards. The car tilted at such an angle that I couldn't see the tracks. "A little to the left. Easy now. Little to the right" I inched up the groaning metal ramp. All drivers have a secret fear of falling off a grease rack. I am not immune to this fear. Okay, you're doing fine." He motioned me forward. "Y'got it mate." My front wheels had just reached the main floor. The car was tilted almost 45 degrees. I felt a sudden tremor, and KARASH! The left ramp gave way and the bottom dropped out of my world, the ceiling spun and the Morgan hung suspended, its tough frame clinging to the top ledge, its right front wheel spinning in space, and me expecting the car to flip over on top of my head any second. A crowd of directors and cameramen stood around the scene of disaster, their mouths hanging open, eyeballs popping. I crawled gingerly upward through the opened right hand door to the concrete platform. There hung my Morgan. For a second I figured, forget it, she's bought it, but I had underestimated the tough bastard once again. "Quick let’s grab the back and lift her up." We crowded to the rear and seven or eight of us just lifted up the rear wheels and coasted the car safely to the concrete level to which it had been inging so tenaciously. That night, in full color, the Morgan was the sensation of Miami television. The next day I took it in to Alpha Motors, Fort Lauderdale for a complete checkup. Not a damn thing out of place, not even a scratch. I can't think of another car in the world that could have pulled it off. Unless it would be another Morgan. [Car and Driver, April ‘72] 14 We don’t tend to think about the

MORGANMORGAN possibilities of our Morgans getting hit while we are on the road, but these things do happen. We know the car is built well and is strong, but there are times when things will go wrong. John Mott (MOCA) has developed a reasonably inexpensive fix, one that we can all accomplish in our own garages. Sheet steel and adhesive are readily available at Home Depot or Lowes if you don’t already have some in the garage. I do know of one Morgan that was destroyed like this. Don’t want to take a chance with MORGAN TECHNOLOGY INFO your car, if you can avoid it. TECHTECH

Rear End Collision Risk extracts from a John Mott Article for Morgan Owners Club Australia Have you ever considered what would happen in an accident if another vehicle collided with the back of your Morgan? In anything other than a minor bump there is a good chance that the petrol tank would be punctured with a consequential high risk of fire quickly engulfing the car due to the escaping petrol igniting. This event is likely to happen due to the close proximity of the tank to the bracket that carries the hand brake mechanism on the differential and the mounting of the tank onto wooden boards with only a few securing bolts. The following picture shows where the tank has shifted forward in a collision and been punctured on the hand brake bracket. […] The [car] ignited instantly and […] was engulfed in flames within two seconds with the occupants only just luckily managing to escape and avoid incineration despite jammed doors. The best preventative for this scenario would probably be to fit a fuel cell in the tank as used in racing cars. This is a costly solution and presents problems with the fuel gauge sender. However, there is a simple modification that can be made which may help to minimize the risk of the fuel tank puncturing on the hand brake bracket and this is to fit a reinforcing plate on the tank to spread the impact. The fuel tank on my 4/4 is just under 8 inches in height [the gas tank in my Plus 8 is 10 inches in height. Best to measure first. Ed.] and I found a piece of 3 mm steel plate and cut a piece 11 inches by 6 inches which when bent into a U shape gave a return of one and a half inches top and bottom. I rounded the corners to prevent them from puncturing the tank. 1/8 or ¼ inch plate would probably offer more protection, but 3mm was all I had on hand and it was easy to bend. After painting the plate I cleaned the tank and attached the plate with some silica sealant. […] This modification now gives me some peace [ Not hard, I did it. Only 10$ of mind when I see in the rear vision mirror a at Home Depot for the Steel monstrous four wheel drive tailgating me sheet and adhesive. Worth it with the apparent intention of climbing into for the peace of mind. Ed.] the rear seat. John Mott 15 MOGSOUTHMOGSOUTH The MOGSouth Spring Meet is just around the corner. I know everyone has it on the calendar and has made all the necessary reservations and sent the checks to Eric and Ann Cummins for dinner, etc. If you haven't done it yet, you have very little time left, get to it! See the update below for specifics. Other MOGSouth events will be highlighted here. Please let Mark or Randy know if you want to host an event, a Club Meet or just a Noggin, like the recent Peter and Myrna Ballard ‘Coffee and Muffins’ event in Savannah. MOGSOUTH MESSAGES AND STUFF

UPDATESUPDATES A

MONTHLY CLUB GATHERINGS !! ND ATLANTA GA AREA MOGSOUTH BREAKFAST! At the 4 August MOGSouth breakfast of Atlanta Morgan owners at the Rexall Drugstore in Duluth we decided

O to schedule a breakfast at the same location on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Call Randy with questions. Address for the Rexall Drugstore: 3165 Buford Highway, Duluth, GA 30096 THER ORLANDO FL GATORMOG BREAKFAST! The Orlando GatorMOG contingent meets the first Sunday of each month, as part of the greater Orlando British Car Club. All owners of British cars ("wanna-be" owners welcome too!) are welcome. Full buffet Breakfast

starts at 8:30 a.m. (Tire kicking starts slightly earlier). Call Rick Frazee (407) 620-0507 or email T [email protected] for more information.

HINGS Address for the Golden Corral: 897 West Town Parkway, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS OF INTEREST !!

SPRING MEET 2013 PLANNING DETAILS!! MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS ASAP! TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

Y MOGSouth Spring Meet, April 19-21, 2013, Helen, Georgia. Room Reservations: Hampton Inn Helen, 147

Unicoi St, Helen GA. Call (706-878-3310) Rooms under “MOGSouth” ($109.00 +tax, Reserve by Mar 19!) OU Friday April 19 - Arrive in Helen, 4:30 PM – MOGSouth Hospitality Room Open, 6:00 PM - Dinner on Your

Own. The Hotel is right in downtown Helen so there are shops and restaurants within walking distance. 8:00

S PM – Noggin at the Hotel. Hospitality Suite, Noggin and Nibbles courtesy of MOGSouth.

HOULD Saturday April 20 - Breakfast at the Hotel, 9:00 AM - (Departing Hotel) Scenic Mountain Drive, 10:00 AM - Stop at Brasstown Bald. Brasstown Bald is the highest point in Georgia at 4,784ft above sea level. On a clear day you can see all the way to Atlanta from the Observation Deck. Park Fee is $3.00 per person in the vehicle. The trail from the parking area up to the Observation Deck is a pretty (approximately 0.6 mile) walk but moderately steep. They do have a shuttle for those that do not wish to walk. ($5.00 per person)

11:00 AM – (Leave Brasstown Bald) Scenic Mountain Drive to Lunch, 12:00 PM –Lunch at “Hawg Wild BBQ K and Catfish House” in Clarkesville, 1:30 PM – Return to Hotel (Return on Your Own), 4:30 PM – Drive to

NOW “SkyLake” for Noggin and Nibbles, 6:00 PM – Dinner Catered by CRAVE Catering at “SkyLake”. DINNER PER PERSON PRICE IS $25.00 PAID IN ADVANCE. PLEASE SEND CHECK (BY APRIL 2ND) MADE OUT TO ERIC CUMMINS IN THE AMOUNT OF $25.00 PER PERSON FOR THE SATURDAY DINNER TO: ANN CUMMINS , 284 QUAIL RUN, SAUTEE

NACOOCHEE, GA 30571. 8:00 PM –Noggin continues at “SkyLake”, After Noggin drive back to Hotel

!! !! Sunday April 21 - Breakfast at the Hotel, Depart for Home - Questions please call Eric or Ann Cummins at

(706) 878-3318

16 A few new things have been FACTORYFACTORY brewing at the factory through the winter doldrums. They have been working out their plans for the new year and doing what they can to maintain a good image in the public opinion polls. The Geneva International Motor Show is typically used by the Factory as the ‘big reveal’ for the year. See the article on the Geneva International Motor Show, elsewhere in this issue, detailing the all the news out of Geneva. Big News - The Morgan Two ! ??

MORGAN MOTOR COMPANY NEWS NEWSNEWS NEW INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP 3 WHEELER DRIVING SKILLS www.morgan-motor.co.uk Working in partnership with the Morgan Motor Company, 3 Wheel Drive is a brand new company aiming to become a centre of excellence for the development of driving skills for Morgan 3 Wheeler owners and enthusiasts. Morgan has made the ground-breaking decision to provide a half-day driver development package completely free of charge to all UK buyers of a Morgan 3 Wheeler taking delivery of their vehicle from 1st March 2013, with European buyers and the rest of the world to follow later in 2013. Each course will be offered from the Morgan Motor Company’s factory in Malvern [I wonder how the US buyers will be addressed? Ed.], and will include a comprehensive one to one introduction to this unique vehicle, together with a number of hours driving on the road under the guidance of a highly experienced advanced driver. 3 Wheel Drive Limited also plan to offer more advanced elements of driver development which are available to purchase in half-day modules and can be tailored to meet the individual needs and abilities of all drivers. A shorter, two -hour introduction to the 3 Wheeler will also be available. [. . .] Colin Terry, the managing director of 3 Wheel Drive and MOG’s Advanced Driving columnist, said: “The 3 Wheeler is very different to a normal car: the acceleration and deceleration are phenomenal, and this coupled with the handling, the exhaust note and being exposed to the elements makes the whole driving experience very exhilarating. “However, because it is so different, many buyers may not have the experience or confidence to safely enable them to get the very best from their vehicles. [. . .] Morgan dealerships have been invited to come along and experience for themselves what we will be offering to their customers. We are also hoping to speak to owners who have already taken delivery of their Morgan in 2012 to offer them elements of the course at a subsidized rate. For more information please contact your local dealer or visit: www.3wheeldrive.co.uk. [Colin Terry has a house just south of Orlando and has visited the Orlando All British Car Breakfast. He is scouting US locations so that he can offer driving instruction to US owners. Watch this space. Ed.]

Great Morgan Videos Accessible Via the MOGSouth Web Page All ‘YouTube’ videos are available. Just go to the Video Viewer on the MOGSouth Photos Web Page. http:// www.mogsouth.com/Videos.htm (or you can go to www.YouTube.com directly) and click on the YouTube Logo, then put the following text strings (the words in red) into the YouTube Search Box 1932 Morgan Three-Wheeler - Jay Leno's Garage (A New Review and Drive of the MX4 Aero Super Sport by Jay Leno) 1962 Morgan +4 (Plus Four) Rebuild FINAL (An older piece but a fairly complete photo record of a restoration. Good.) The Morgan Project - Short Film (Talking about a more recent restoration in work (Twin Spare DHC)) Charles Morgan and his Aeromax - XCAR (A pretty good piece on the origins of, and driving, the Aeromax) 17 How A Three-Wheeled Car Is Saving Morgan Motors, 1/15/2013, www.forbes.com

Founded in 1910 in England, Morgan Motors is the world's oldest car company owned by a single family -- not to mention the most elegant. To me, it has always been the Wonka factory of Los Angeles car showrooms. Nobody every goes in, nobody ever goes out. But the tidy collection of classic-looking vehicles on West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles never fails to stop me in my tracks. Recently, I visited Morgan Motors West to get the inside story and see what the Oompah Loompahs were doing with all those gorgeous, streamlined vintage-looking automobiles. Turns out it’s an amazing tale. Founded in England in 1910 by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan, Morgan Motor Company was the first true sports car manufacturer, and endures as the oldest car company run by a single I want a Morgan and I want one now! Photograph by Nicolas Sage family. Morgan still builds cars the old-fashioned way: one at a time and by hand in the Malvern, England, factory. They use wood body frames – yes, wood – with hand-cut aluminum panels for a look and feel that makes you reach, without thinking, for your scarf and driving goggles. Morgan West is the only west coast retailer and has the biggest collection of vintage Morgans for sale in America. Morgan Motors has an august, romantic history. Mick Jagger used to drive a Morgan around St. Tropez. A young Ralph Lauren drove an off-white Morgan with a drop-top back to make his first deliveries in the garment biz. And, in fact, it’s a nostalgia-inducing Morgan vehicle that’s keeping the company rolling: The new 3-Wheeler. Since it first appeared at the Geneva Auto Show in 2011, the Morgan 3-Wheeler – picture a silver hot dog on three wheels – has captured the fancies of car enthusiasts from Germany to Japan. Designed by Matthew Humphries, the 3-Wheeler is modeled after the original three-wheeled vehicle that made Morgan famous a century ago. No, it’s not for carpooling with the kids but as a dream machine, it’s got everything: a starter button hidden behind a safety hatch, an open cockpit straight out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a heart-pounding, curve-hugging ride and a two- cylinder motorcycle engine (it’s officially a motorcycle) that rockets the hot dog to 125 miles per hour – West Side of L.A. traffic notwithstanding. The car retails for around $50,000 and there’s a one-to-two year waiting list for custom orders. Production is limited to around 750 vehicles a year. Mick Jagger and his Morgan in St. Tropez After a test drive around Santa Monica and onto the freeway, it was hard to get me off the Morgan West lot. I felt like stomping my feet and screaming, “I want a Morgan 3-Wheeler and I want one now!”

Pla, Brundle and Heinemeier Hansson to share OAK Racing’s #24 Morgan LM P2 in WEC By Mel Fabrikant, www.paramuspost.com, March 03, 2013 OAK Racing is pleased to announce that Olivier Pla, Alex Brundle and David Heinemeier Hansson will team-up for this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship aboard the French squad’s #24 Morgan LM P2. Frenchman Pla remains with the Le Mans-based squad for a second WEC campaign after establishing himself as one of the world’s fastest prototype drivers during 2012. Meanwhile British ace Brundle, who raced for the team in Bahrain and Brazil, will contest his first full World Endurance Championship season after moving across from single-seaters. The trio is completed by Heinemeier Hansson who will hope to continue the rapid personal development witnessed last year when driving a Morgan LM P2 in the American Le Mans Series, as well as appearances for OAK Racing at Spa, Le Mans and Silverstone. A pair of Morgan LM P2s, which will both carry the team’s traditional pink and black livery in 2013, have received full-season entries for this year’s WEC. The driver line-up for the #35 car will be announced shortly. 18 19091909 MOGSouth activities in 2013 are in full swing. If you have an event that we need include for 2013, please send details to Randy or Mark at [email protected]

We have typically included significant MOGSouth events, historic racing events, car shows and Concours d’Elegance, as well as, British Car days but if you think there are other categories we need to add, please let us know.

2013 US (and a few International) EVENTS will have MOGSouth participation. willMOGSouth have

* 20132013  All British Car Show - Orlando, Apr 6, Mead Garden Winter Park, FL  MOGSouth Spring Meet, Apr 19 - 21, Helen, Georgia Eric and Ann Cummins Hosting  The Mitty at Road Atlanta, Apr 26 - 28, Braselton, GA - Tentative  Pinehurst Concours d'Elegance, May 2 - 5, Pinehurst, NC  Atlanta British Motorcar Day*, May 11, Berry College, Rome GA - Tentative  Le Mans 24 Hours, Jun 22 - 23, Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France  Goodwood Festival of Speed, Jul 5 - 7, Goodwood UK  Keeneland Concours d’Elegance, Jul 18 - 21, Lexington, KY  Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, Jul 20 - 21, Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, PA  Concours d'Elegance of America (Formally Meadow Brook), Jul 28, Plymouth, MI  Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Aug 18, Pebble Beach, CA  Norcross British Car Fayre, Sep 7, Norcross, GA  Goodwood Revival, Sep 13 - 15, Goodwood UK  HSR Atlanta Historic Races, Sep 19 - 22, Road Atlanta Braselton, GA  MOGSouth Fall Meet, Dates TBD, Huntsville AL, John and Carolyn Wade Hosting are MOGSouth sanctioned events, and those shown with an with shown and those sanctioned events, MOGSouth are  Euro Auto Festival, Oct 18 - 20, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC - Tentative  Petite Le Mans at Road Atlanta, Oct 19, Road Atlanta Braselton, GA - Tentative

 HSR Savannah Speed Classic, Oct 24 - 27, Hutchinson Island, Savannah, GA Red Text Red  Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance*, Nov 1 - 3, Hilton Head, SC - Tentative  Winter Park Concours d’Elegance*, Nov 8 - 10, Winter Park, FL - Tentative  Formula 1 US Grand Prix, Circuit of Americas, Nov 17, Austin, TX

 MOGSouth Christmas Party, Dec 7, Location TBD Events shown in Events shown

More Pictures from the Savannah Noggin [Peter and Myrna - Thanks for hosting the Noggin! Perry, Thanks for the report. Ed.] 19 MOGSOUTH REGALIA - We are still working the MOGSouth Club car badge issue. It is a real challenge these days as car badges are not that common anymore and thus the number of suppliers are dwindling. Quality and cost seem to be in direct opposition and we decided that we would rather ‘quality’ be our determining factor. We are still waiting for supplier proposals so continue to watch this space for more regalia news. Hopefully we can report shortly. If there are things desired, other than badges, let us know.

Spring Meet Deadlines are Rapidly Approaching! Sign Up Now!!

We use the Email contact list for communication, however, for those Many thanks to those that have without email, we will continue to send a hard-copy of the news contributed articles and photos to this letter. To read the electronic newsletter you need Acrobat Reader. issue. Articles and photos are always Download Adobe Acrobat Reader free from http://www.adobe.com. welcome. Please send any comments, If you have problems reading the newsletter call Mark at (407) 322- suggestions or contributions to 5060, or update your email by sending it to [email protected]. [email protected]. SOUTHERN FOURS AND EIGHTS

NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTHERN MORGAN GROUP MOGSOUTH VOL. 2/13

Not a Member of MOGSouth? It’s Easy to Join!!! Dues for the calendar year are $25. They are due and payable January 1st. To join us, please mail your check payable to MOGSouth to: MOGSouth c/o Randy Johnson, 296 Lakeshore Drive, Berkeley Lake, GA 30096

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