4398cc V8
6 Speed Manual
Front Engined Rear Wheel Drive
Hydraulic Discs
333 bhp 331 Ft-Lb
Exterior Metallic Silver Blue Interior Tan
Until recently, Morgan was the oldest family owned car manufacturer in the world, first building cars in 1909. They built their reputation on constructing light weight, sporty 3 and 4 wheeled cars by hand using very traditional methods and designs and are often best known for the car bodies having wood framed body (though still mounted on a steel chassis). The overall design of 4 wheeled Morgans remained essentially the same from the 1950s until today, with separate prewar-style fenders and split side opening bonnets. The Aero 8, which debuted in 2000, however, marked a significant step forward in design and a leap into the supercar market, while preserving much of the character and general appearance of what makes a Morgan a Morgan. The Aero 8 was a completely new design, built around an aluminum body, constructed with bonded and rivetted panels, like modern aircraft, but still including some wood. The suspension was updated and modernized from Morgan’s traditional sliding pillar design to a fully independent double wishbone setup on all corners. Power was provided by a 4.4 liter BMW V8 engine going through a 6 speed manual gearbox, yielding a 0-62 MPH time of 4.8 seconds. Weight was kept low at around 2600 pounds. To meet US safety rules the car is fitted with front driver and passenger air bags, but very few examples ever were sold in the United States before further safety requirements led to the car being pulled from the US market in 2007. I am the second owner of this Aero 8. Like most Morgans, the original owner placed an order for the car through a dealer in Arizona and it was built to
match the owner’s preferences in colour and finishes. The car drives and handles much more like a modern high performance car than any of the previous Morgans and lives up to their goal of producing a more modern supercar. The body is reasonably stiff and the car corners with excellent grip and dead flat. Surprisingly the car doesn’t have many features in its design that one would expect, not having any sway bars, anti-lock brakes, or traction control, but the car still remains firmly planted and handles extremely well. The suspension is stiff but not jarringly so. The cockpit is narrow, largely due to the wide fenders, and once in place you are held there firmly with little extra room but it is comfortable enough and the car performs well even on long distance drives. The acceleration is excellent and with the fitted optional side-exit exhaust, it has an absolutely incredible exhaust note, especially when going through tunnels. The appearance, which can look odd in photos, with its “cross-eyed”headlights derived from the VW Beetle, generally looks better in person. The car does have air conditioning and a heater, which work acceptably well, but are very localized to the area round the transmission tunnel and the windscreen defrost is exclusively via embedded heating elements in the glass. With only a handful ever sold to the US, it is a very rare car to see and generates a lot of attention wherever it goes. As a downside for long distance touring, the car is very thirsty and can drain its smallish fuel tank rather quickly leading to a lot of fuel stops on very long trips, but is otherwise a joy to drive.
