Description
Author: Michael Palmer, Hardbound, 192 Pages, ISBN: , First Published, 2011, Reprinted, 2015
It was in 1936, after the public had seen what the car could do on the trials tracks, that the story of the 4-4 really began. Following the successful launch of the two-seater Series I, new variants such as the four-seater and the drophead coupe joined the range. Had it not been for motor tax changesand war, more models could well have joined the line-up of Coventry Climax and Standard engined Series Is.
The car became more commonly designated 4/4 after the Second World War, and with the arrival of the Series 2 in 1955 came the styling with which we are all familiar today. The Peter Morgan-designed front end and graceful profile is now protected by copyright, even though the look wasn't expected to last for more than five years. Stand a Series 2 alongside a new 4/4 Sport and the elegance and heritage with which Morgans are synonymous is clear.
Morgan 4/4 —The First 75 Years encompasses the car's competition heritage, details the engines used to power each variant and covers every model, right up to the latest company-backed I52bhpAero Racing Competition model — a far cry from the 34bhp of the first Series Is. It describes and illustrates in detail the manufacturing process, developed extensively over recent years, with substantial investment being made in the areas of quality control and production techniques.
Each Morgan 4/4 is unique.The cars are to this day hand built and finished in the Morgan factory. The book pays tribute to that individuality by featuring owners' accounts and photos of their personal experiences with their 404s and 4/4s.
With the Morgan Motor company confirming its commitment to production of the 4/4 well into the foreseeable future, the little car from Malvern has become not only a motoring legend, but also a record breaker - as the car with the longest continous production record in the world !
