In a quiet corner of Worcestershire they've been making some of the world's best sportscars for almost 90 years. Clare Bowen reports.
Hammers tapping on metal, the fresh aroma of new wood and the luxurious whiff of leather . . . not the sounds and smells you expect in a car factory. But the Morgan Car Company, creator of a very distinctive British sportscar, is not like any other.
Here fewer than 100 people work on a production line of just 50 cars, all built to order. No more than 750 will be built this year and half the production is for export, most to Germany.
Situated under the shadow of the Malvern Hills in a picturesque corner of Worcestershire, Morgan is the oldest independent car manufacturer in the world. It has been turning out classic sportscars for almost 90 years and business is still booming.
While the design of the cars has remained faithful to the original, the technology has moved with the times. The latest model, the macho-looking Aero 8, is one of the most advanced sportscars in the world.
Just three models are produced - the 4/4, powered by a Ford 1.8 16v Zetec engine; the Plus 8 with its Land Rover 4.0 V8 power unit; and the potent Aero 8 driven by a BMW 4.4 litre V8 engine. All are open-top two-seaters but the Plus 8 has the option of four seats giving the rear end a gangster car image.
Both the 4/4 and Plus 8 are built on a steel chassis with marine ply used in the floorpan construction. This wood, which gets its name from its use in boat building, lasts for 40 years and has the advantage of costing around £3 to replace - if that's ever necessary.
Traditional coachbuilding skills are used in carving the seasoned English ash to create the wooden sub-frame. The grain is followed meticulously to form the dash out of one piece that looks so beautiful it begs you to run your finger along its curvy lines.
For every ash used in making a Morgan the company plants another seven.
The flowing lines of the bodywork are achieved through a cutting-edge technique called superform which uses air pressure to mould the steel into its fluid shape.
And now, with a new state-of-the-art paintshop, you can choose any colour you like for your Morgan.
One customer opted to have his 4/4 the same colour to match the existing Rolls Royce in his garage.
A dedicated facility has been created purely for the Aero 8, Morgan's first completely new car for 60 years and the first to offer power-steering and air-conditioning. But it's not only the dramatic looks of this car which has made it such a special Morgan.
The use of aluminium instead of steel has given the €34,000 Aero 8 the distinction of being the lightest, aluminium-bodied, V8 car in the world and the first to use aluminium bonded construction, a method just adopted by Jaguar for its range-topping XJ6 model. It's also one of the safest cars around, meeting 57 tests on safety, emissions and the environment required by the EU.
People are prepared to wait almost 12 months for their new Morgan. This due not just to the retro looks - or the privilege of owning a car which has been specially built for you. "Morgans have the highest power to weight ratio of any normal car," claims managing director Charles Morgan. "They are the best British sportscar. A Morgan can drive well round the twisty bits but it will also spirit you to the south of France and you can take the roof off when you get there."
And you're bound to make someone's day wherever you go, because Morgans come with the added bonus of being real headturners.