**A Classic Morgan Experience**

Years ago, I had the privilege of spending time with one of my friends' prized possessions - his classic period racing mirror radar mirror Morgan. The car was a beauty, and he took great pride in owning it. As we sat outside, admiring the car's sleek design, he couldn't resist sharing its story with me.

The Morgan has a rich history, dating back to 1910 when it was invented by Henry Farquharson. Its unique sliding pillar suspension system was designed to provide a comfortable ride, but as my friend noted, it can be quite rough on the backside of anyone sitting in the car. Despite this, the Morgan remains a beloved classic among car enthusiasts.

One of the most impressive things about the Morgan is its handling. My friend pointed out that it's extremely light and responsive, making it feel almost like a feather on the road. This is due in part to the fact that the chassis flexes and moves with the suspension, providing a unique riding experience. While this might not be ideal for everyday driving, it's perfect for racing or cruising down the open road.

The Morgan has been modified over the years to suit its owner's preferences. The most notable change is the addition of two-inch wider fenders to accommodate larger tires. This allows the car to handle with precision and stability, even at high speeds. My friend took great pride in showing off his modifications, including dual fuel tanks that allow him to fill up on either side of the car.

As we prepared to take the Morgan for a spin, my friend couldn't resist sharing some interesting facts about the car. Did you know that Morgans are often confused with their more modern counterparts? The classic models are just as beautiful and iconic, with a timeless design that never goes out of style.

The engine powering this particular Morgan is a 215 cubic inch Buick motor. My friend praised its natural aspirated power and docile nature, making it perfect for cruising down the highway. While some might prefer the added boost of turbocharging, my friend was happy to stick with his naturally aspirated engine - after all, there's something special about hearing that distinctive V8 rumble.

As we took the Morgan out for a spin, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and joy. The car glides effortlessly over the road, its V8 purring smoothly as it hits 2000 rpm at 65 miles per hour. It's an exhilarating experience that truly captures the spirit of the original Shelby Cobra.

As we came to a stop, my friend couldn't resist showing off his skills by attempting a burnout. While he was careful not to damage the car or set himself on fire, I couldn't help but admire his enthusiasm and love for driving. It's clear that owning a Morgan is more than just a hobby - it's a passion that brings people together.

As our time with the Morgan came to an end, my friend thanked me for sharing in his experience. He knew I didn't get to drive the car myself, but I was grateful for the opportunity to watch it in action and learn about its rich history. If you're a fan of classic cars or just looking for a unique driving experience, the Morgan is definitely worth checking out - and who knows, maybe one day you'll have the chance to own one yourself.

**The Joy of Driving an Old Car**

There's something special about driving an old car like a Morgan. For me, it's all about the sense of freedom and joy that comes with getting behind the wheel of a vehicle that's been carefully crafted over many years. Whether you're cruising down the highway or taking your car out for a spin on a twisty road, there's no feeling quite like driving an old car.

One of my favorite things about driving an old car is the connection it gives you to the past. The Morgans in particular are steeped in history and have been around since 1910, when they were first invented by Henry Farquharson. It's amazing to think that a company has been producing cars for over a century, with each model building on the previous one to create something truly special.

As you drive an old car, you can feel the weight of history behind you. The engine purrs smoothly, the transmission clicks and clacks as it shifts gears, and every movement is deliberate and considered. It's like driving a work of art - every detail has been carefully crafted to create a driving experience that's both nostalgic and exhilarating.

Of course, there are also practical benefits to driving an old car. For one thing, they're often much lighter than their modern counterparts, which makes them feel incredibly responsive and agile on the road. This is especially true for cars like the Morgan, which has been modified over the years to suit its owner's preferences.

As I sat in the passenger seat, watching my friend expertly navigate the roads, I couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for his driving skills. He was completely at home behind the wheel of his Morgan, using every trick in the book to coax the car into submission on the twisty roads we encountered.

**The Unique Rides of the Past**

As I sat outside my friend's Morgan, watching him carefully prepare it for a spin, I couldn't help but think about all the other classic cars out there that are just waiting to be driven. Whether you're a fan of vintage roadsters, old muscle cars, or anything in between, there's no denying the allure of driving an older vehicle.

One of my favorite things about classic cars is their unique rides and handling characteristics. Take, for example, the Morgan's famous sliding pillar suspension system. While it may not be ideal for everyday driving, it provides a smooth ride that's unlike any modern car I've ever driven.

Other classic cars also offer unique riding experiences. For example, vintage roadsters like the MG or the Austin-Healey are known for their responsive steering and agile handling. And then there are the old muscle cars, like the Ford Mustang or the Chevrolet Camaro, which offer a raw, unbridled driving experience that's unlike anything else on the road today.

As I watched my friend expertly drive his Morgan around the block, I couldn't help but feel a sense of envy. He was having the time of his life behind the wheel, enjoying every moment of the ride and taking full advantage of the car's capabilities. It's moments like these that remind me why I love driving classic cars - it's not just about getting from point A to point B; it's about experiencing something special.

**The Morgan: More Than Just a Classic Car**

As my friend prepared his Morgan for another spin, he couldn't resist sharing some stories and anecdotes about the car. It was clear that owning this particular model meant more than just collecting a classic car - it represented a passion, a hobby, and a way of life.

My friend had been fascinated with Morgans since he first laid eyes on one many years ago. He spent hours researching their history, reading about their design and development, and learning about the people who built them. It wasn't long before he decided to buy his own Morgan, which has become an extension of himself over the years.

As we drove around the block, my friend regaled me with stories of the car's adventures. He'd taken it on long road trips across the country, driven it on twisty mountain roads, and even shown it off at local car shows. The Morgan had become more than just a mode of transportation; it was a trusted companion, a confidant, and a source of joy.

**The Morgan: A True Classic**

As I sat outside my friend's Morgan, watching him carefully prepare it for another spin, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the car's beauty and craftsmanship. It's clear that this particular model is more than just a classic car - it's a work of art.

The Morgan's design is timeless, with clean lines, elegant curves, and a sleek overall aesthetic that's hard to resist. Whether you're driving through the city or taking a country drive, the Morgan turns heads and commands attention. It's not uncommon for people to stop and stare at this beautiful car as it drives by.

But the Morgan is more than just a pretty face - it's also an incredibly capable driver. With its powerful V8 engine and smooth transmission, the Morgan glides effortlessly over the road, making it perfect for cruising down the highway or taking on twisty mountain roads.

As I watched my friend expertly drive his Morgan around the block, I couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for this incredible car. It's clear that owning a Morgan is not just about collecting a classic car - it's about experiencing something special, something that brings people together and creates memories that last a lifetime.

**Conclusion**

As our time with the Morgan came to an end, my friend thanked me for sharing in his experience. He knew I didn't get to drive the car myself, but I was grateful for the opportunity to watch it in action and learn about its rich history. If you're a fan of classic cars or just looking for a unique driving experience, the Morgan is definitely worth checking out.

Whether you're a seasoned car enthusiast or just starting your collection, the Morgan is an incredible vehicle that offers something special - a connection to the past, a sense of freedom and joy behind the wheel, and a reminder that there's still beauty in the world today.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwant another episode of jay leno's garage we are big morgan enthusiasts here that's my morgan three-wheeler in the background a couple of years ago i got to go to malvern and drive their morgan three-wheeler the new one that just came out here's some footage of that and somewhere along the line morgan decided to build cars with four wheels whatever that's all about but they always kept that vintage feel now this car was built by my friend jason len from xk's unlimited in san luis obispo california jason is the guy who did my white jag xj-120 this one here i've been driving that car almost 20 years and uh the red one as well the heavily modified xke so uh you've seen jason he's been on this website before jason come on in good to see you buddy you too jay thanks for having me how are you so tell us about this morgan here what year is this car this is a 1970 plus eight plus eight okay now morgan's have looked the same have had this body style since what 52 yeah basically right up to the present at the same time and there have been minor upgrades the suspension is the same as it was in 1910 basically the difference is the width over the years they've made them slightly wider and wider i don't know what that's about maybe something to do with the people that ride well if you look at us we have both gotten slightly wider and wider over the years as well so i think they've grown with the customer exactly now morgan's originally had oh they would have i think they had the triumph engine they had ford engines triumphs fiats um you name it whatever they could buy an engine but to me this is the best one this is the well at least when it when they had it they bought the 215 cubic inch aluminum uh block buick engine right and they used it in england and everything what rover uh it was the small box chevy of england they used it in everything and almost to this day it's it's still one that just went out of production just recently yeah and this came from the factory with that 215 cubic inch engine but you've modified it how well i've got a 3.9 liter block which is slightly bigger displacement forged piston special cam special oiling system special induction system it's a real hot rod i built it to be a vintage race car that was just barely street legal so so it's still a morgan but heavily modified now you race this car as well but it's a street car it's a street car i will race it eventually okay very good and uh what is the gearbox in it it's a tremec it's actually a racing box out of a british tvr okay and i found the bell housing which they built for their their version of the rover v8 right and adapted it to this frame so very strong gearbox is the five-speed what kind of horsepower are you getting this is about 275 about 275 which doesn't sound like a lot in these days of mclarens and bugatti's but the car only weighs what about 1800 pounds 1800 pounds it's all aluminum and wood all aluminum and wood there you go with a roll bar that's we want a roll bar strapped to a piece of wood that's it that's basically it but you know it's one of the great looking cars of all time can we open the hood and take a look underneath let's see what we got sure they got the classic leather hood strap yes that's a basic morgan necessity keep the hood from flying open at speed wow yeah it's a little modified yeah well there's nothing pretty in weber's on a v8 my favorite application was always in the shelby mustang with the sure oh it looks just fantastic well that's the look i wanted yeah yeah and yeah that engine is more far forward than i would have thought it's yeah it's actually a stock location though and you run on pump gas right yeah i kept the compression ratio reasonable because like i said i wanted to be able to drive it on the street and this is a magneto isn't it yeah of period vertex magneto and how do those work compared to sugar you like it better i do every car i run i run a magneto now you gain you lose a few horsepower because they're harder to turn than a distributor right but they just look so cool and they start instantly yeah and they're self-contained yeah so if your battery dies you could tear all the wiring out of this car and it was still wrong yeah that's what i find fascinating i you know that's what i love about early cars every system works on its own yeah you know so which is kind of cool if the battery goes dead you don't lose everything if the computer failed on this this car would still run that's right that's right and believe me there's no computers on this car and you've got your little uh stopwatch here yes and of course no speedometer just attack yeah that tack we actually hand made that is a chronometric movement out of a motorcycle and we put it in the large jaguar case and then hand printed the the screen is is this a dashboard from uh morgan the wood part is the layout i did myself okay so this normally would have been a speedometer right not okay and of course you have water temperature oil temperature etc classic little morgan mirror i love these arrow screens these are still available aren't they yes actually we still sell them a friend of mine has been making them for the last 50 years in england yeah that's his pride and joy and this is the classic period racing mirror radar mirror yeah yeah yeah and look at the rear end of the car little ad for his business right there and boy it is a lot wider than the morgan's i remember well i the the center body is actually stock 70 but we sectioned the fenders two inches wider to fit the big uh tires under it now do you have dual fuel tanks or all one just both one fuel it's got a fuel cell in it the original plus eight is filled from both sides so when you were touring in the continent you could fill up on either side i say so they just feed into a common film so you can feed on both sides so very nice classic morgan doors and don't have to worry about any side impact door beam on this baby it's all pure wood there there you go pure wood this car has way more can this chassis because morgan chassis flex don't they they're designed to flex it it wouldn't handle if it didn't flex that's like the complete opposite of what most race car people you know like my pause career you get one wheel and this wheel will be off the ground the chassis is so stiff but morgan thinks no no we want we want it to flex well the actual chassis on these they consider it like a shock absorber yeah every 20 years you replace the chassis because it flexes and cracks and breaks and with this much power no no chance of tearing it apart eh i've i've beefed it up where it needs to be it's got trailing arms and panhard rods well it's probably time to take it for friday it's a little chilly outside so i'm going to get a jacket we'll bring it outside and see how it goes i'm anxious to drive this you know this car is so light you'd almost think it had power steering because there's almost no weight at all the great thing about morgan is this could be a 50 year old car or a new car you really can't tell i love these tremec gearboxes because you can put them in just about anything we put one in my daimler and you can always go back to original morgans are a lot of fun because you get the classic feel with the modern powertrain and of course they're very primitive sliding pillar suspension that's a polite way of putting it yeah i mean this will just pound your back on a on a bumpy road but that's okay that's part of the morgan experience this suspension was invented in 1910. he hadn't found a reason to change it yet yeah you know my gripe with a lot of modern supercars is you've got to go so fast to get any sense of speed or excitement whereas this thing even 40 miles an hour feels like 80. let's find a nice open road you wonder why morgan didn't do this sooner i mean shelby did it with the cobra sunbeam did it with the tiger griffin did it with the with the 289 in the uh sort of griffin tvr we haven't even gotten out of third gear this 215 cubic inch buick motor is one of the great overlooked engines i think in america we always think of the small block chevy and the 289 the thin wall 289 but this has been used in everything from rovers to morgans to buick it's got plenty of power doesn't it boy this thing makes you smile let's take it over the freeway see how it cruises 2000 rpm at 65 miles an hour so it engine's pretty relaxed you're just loping along for a race car it's extremely docile but who wants to be docile turbos are nice but there's nothing like a naturally aspirated engine well it's british so i've never tried anything as uncouth and american as a burnout but i think he could do it if uh easily i'll easily do a burnout but it's not my car it's his cars i have to be very careful but uh boy what a wonderful machine to drive and you really get the spirit of the original shelby cobra when you drive one of these things i'm surprised it took morgan that long to put the v8 in it yeah but but uh boy what a wonderful wonderful car to drive uh morgan's are one of the most exciting cars and i think right now just about certainly the oldest car company in britain yeah 100 uh 1910 so 1910 so very cool so uh i hope you enjoyed this motoring experience as much as i did i know you didn't because i was driving you only got to watch it but uh jason thank you my friend thank you jay hope you enjoyed it good see you next weekwant another episode of jay leno's garage we are big morgan enthusiasts here that's my morgan three-wheeler in the background a couple of years ago i got to go to malvern and drive their morgan three-wheeler the new one that just came out here's some footage of that and somewhere along the line morgan decided to build cars with four wheels whatever that's all about but they always kept that vintage feel now this car was built by my friend jason len from xk's unlimited in san luis obispo california jason is the guy who did my white jag xj-120 this one here i've been driving that car almost 20 years and uh the red one as well the heavily modified xke so uh you've seen jason he's been on this website before jason come on in good to see you buddy you too jay thanks for having me how are you so tell us about this morgan here what year is this car this is a 1970 plus eight plus eight okay now morgan's have looked the same have had this body style since what 52 yeah basically right up to the present at the same time and there have been minor upgrades the suspension is the same as it was in 1910 basically the difference is the width over the years they've made them slightly wider and wider i don't know what that's about maybe something to do with the people that ride well if you look at us we have both gotten slightly wider and wider over the years as well so i think they've grown with the customer exactly now morgan's originally had oh they would have i think they had the triumph engine they had ford engines triumphs fiats um you name it whatever they could buy an engine but to me this is the best one this is the well at least when it when they had it they bought the 215 cubic inch aluminum uh block buick engine right and they used it in england and everything what rover uh it was the small box chevy of england they used it in everything and almost to this day it's it's still one that just went out of production just recently yeah and this came from the factory with that 215 cubic inch engine but you've modified it how well i've got a 3.9 liter block which is slightly bigger displacement forged piston special cam special oiling system special induction system it's a real hot rod i built it to be a vintage race car that was just barely street legal so so it's still a morgan but heavily modified now you race this car as well but it's a street car it's a street car i will race it eventually okay very good and uh what is the gearbox in it it's a tremec it's actually a racing box out of a british tvr okay and i found the bell housing which they built for their their version of the rover v8 right and adapted it to this frame so very strong gearbox is the five-speed what kind of horsepower are you getting this is about 275 about 275 which doesn't sound like a lot in these days of mclarens and bugatti's but the car only weighs what about 1800 pounds 1800 pounds it's all aluminum and wood all aluminum and wood there you go with a roll bar that's we want a roll bar strapped to a piece of wood that's it that's basically it but you know it's one of the great looking cars of all time can we open the hood and take a look underneath let's see what we got sure they got the classic leather hood strap yes that's a basic morgan necessity keep the hood from flying open at speed wow yeah it's a little modified yeah well there's nothing pretty in weber's on a v8 my favorite application was always in the shelby mustang with the sure oh it looks just fantastic well that's the look i wanted yeah yeah and yeah that engine is more far forward than i would have thought it's yeah it's actually a stock location though and you run on pump gas right yeah i kept the compression ratio reasonable because like i said i wanted to be able to drive it on the street and this is a magneto isn't it yeah of period vertex magneto and how do those work compared to sugar you like it better i do every car i run i run a magneto now you gain you lose a few horsepower because they're harder to turn than a distributor right but they just look so cool and they start instantly yeah and they're self-contained yeah so if your battery dies you could tear all the wiring out of this car and it was still wrong yeah that's what i find fascinating i you know that's what i love about early cars every system works on its own yeah you know so which is kind of cool if the battery goes dead you don't lose everything if the computer failed on this this car would still run that's right that's right and believe me there's no computers on this car and you've got your little uh stopwatch here yes and of course no speedometer just attack yeah that tack we actually hand made that is a chronometric movement out of a motorcycle and we put it in the large jaguar case and then hand printed the the screen is is this a dashboard from uh morgan the wood part is the layout i did myself okay so this normally would have been a speedometer right not okay and of course you have water temperature oil temperature etc classic little morgan mirror i love these arrow screens these are still available aren't they yes actually we still sell them a friend of mine has been making them for the last 50 years in england yeah that's his pride and joy and this is the classic period racing mirror radar mirror yeah yeah yeah and look at the rear end of the car little ad for his business right there and boy it is a lot wider than the morgan's i remember well i the the center body is actually stock 70 but we sectioned the fenders two inches wider to fit the big uh tires under it now do you have dual fuel tanks or all one just both one fuel it's got a fuel cell in it the original plus eight is filled from both sides so when you were touring in the continent you could fill up on either side i say so they just feed into a common film so you can feed on both sides so very nice classic morgan doors and don't have to worry about any side impact door beam on this baby it's all pure wood there there you go pure wood this car has way more can this chassis because morgan chassis flex don't they they're designed to flex it it wouldn't handle if it didn't flex that's like the complete opposite of what most race car people you know like my pause career you get one wheel and this wheel will be off the ground the chassis is so stiff but morgan thinks no no we want we want it to flex well the actual chassis on these they consider it like a shock absorber yeah every 20 years you replace the chassis because it flexes and cracks and breaks and with this much power no no chance of tearing it apart eh i've i've beefed it up where it needs to be it's got trailing arms and panhard rods well it's probably time to take it for friday it's a little chilly outside so i'm going to get a jacket we'll bring it outside and see how it goes i'm anxious to drive this you know this car is so light you'd almost think it had power steering because there's almost no weight at all the great thing about morgan is this could be a 50 year old car or a new car you really can't tell i love these tremec gearboxes because you can put them in just about anything we put one in my daimler and you can always go back to original morgans are a lot of fun because you get the classic feel with the modern powertrain and of course they're very primitive sliding pillar suspension that's a polite way of putting it yeah i mean this will just pound your back on a on a bumpy road but that's okay that's part of the morgan experience this suspension was invented in 1910. he hadn't found a reason to change it yet yeah you know my gripe with a lot of modern supercars is you've got to go so fast to get any sense of speed or excitement whereas this thing even 40 miles an hour feels like 80. let's find a nice open road you wonder why morgan didn't do this sooner i mean shelby did it with the cobra sunbeam did it with the tiger griffin did it with the with the 289 in the uh sort of griffin tvr we haven't even gotten out of third gear this 215 cubic inch buick motor is one of the great overlooked engines i think in america we always think of the small block chevy and the 289 the thin wall 289 but this has been used in everything from rovers to morgans to buick it's got plenty of power doesn't it boy this thing makes you smile let's take it over the freeway see how it cruises 2000 rpm at 65 miles an hour so it engine's pretty relaxed you're just loping along for a race car it's extremely docile but who wants to be docile turbos are nice but there's nothing like a naturally aspirated engine well it's british so i've never tried anything as uncouth and american as a burnout but i think he could do it if uh easily i'll easily do a burnout but it's not my car it's his cars i have to be very careful but uh boy what a wonderful machine to drive and you really get the spirit of the original shelby cobra when you drive one of these things i'm surprised it took morgan that long to put the v8 in it yeah but but uh boy what a wonderful wonderful car to drive uh morgan's are one of the most exciting cars and i think right now just about certainly the oldest car company in britain yeah 100 uh 1910 so 1910 so very cool so uh i hope you enjoyed this motoring experience as much as i did i know you didn't because i was driving you only got to watch it but uh jason thank you my friend thank you jay hope you enjoyed it good see you next week\n"