LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW: Morgan to bring the Aero 8 to the United
States
http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=7386
By Dale Jewett
Automotive News / December 30, 2003
LOS ANGELES -- For the past four years, Charles Morgan has
focused on ensuring that the classic car design that carries the
family's name is prepared for the future.
Morgan's strategy for accomplishing that is embodied in the
two-seat Aero 8, which has sold more than 300 units in Europe
over the past 18 months. Now the family-owned company is prepared
to bring it to U.S. customers next year.
But creating the Aero 8 has called for the same type of
entrepreneurial daring-do that would be understood by those
willing to pay $95,000 for the car.
"The company has been absolutely stretched to build this car for
the U.S. market," said Morgan at the Los Angeles auto show on
Tuesday. He would not say how much money the company spent on the
project.
"Now we need the support of the customer," said Morgan, managing
director of Morgan Motor Co. and grandson of founder H.F.S.
Morgan.
The money was spent to develop a car with an aluminum chassis
that is glued and riveted together, covered by aluminum body
panels and powered by a BMW engine. In preparation for U.S.
sales, the interior has been enlarged slightly and amenities such
as air conditioning and window defrosters have been added.
The Aero 8, which weighs only 2,500 pounds, meets U.S. and
European safety and emissions regulations.
The company expects to sell 100 Aero 8s in the United States in
the last half of 2004, after production of the U.S. version
begins in June at the plant in Malvern Link, England.
Morgan anticipates full-year sales of about 250 cars in 2005. The
company has nine franchised dealers in the United States and does
not plan to add any more soon.
But the arrival of the Aero 8 will mark the end of U.S. sales for
the Morgan Plus 8, a design nearly 40 years old that won't meet
U.S. regulations for the 2004 model year. Morgan sold 90 units of
the Plus 8 in the United States in 2003, its best year ever in
the market, a spokesman said.
Charles Morgan said the company is planning to bring a second
model to the U.S. market in two or three years that would be
priced around $50,000. But that car would not be a revised
version of the Plus 8.
"I am absolutely embarrassed that the Aero 8 costs $95,000, I
wanted that car to be $50,000," Morgan said. "But that was the
cost of getting the car we thought was right."
The company leaned heavily on BMW AG for help in creating the
Aero 8, which has been on sale in Europe for 18 months. Morgan
buys the car's 4.4-liter V-8 engine from BMW, and two BMW
engineers have been working on the car's development for two
years.
Morgan said it was important to him that the Aero 8 was designed
from the ground up as a driver's car. Standard equipment includes
anti-lock brakes and variable ratio power steering. But
technologies such as traction control or stability control aren't
available.
Morgan said, "That is the difference between us and volume
manufacturers. I believe the car can sell itself."
|