The story of the owner who has admired the Morgan 4/4 since his teenage years
The Morgan Motor Company of the United Kingdom is a manufacturer that has been making cars since before World War II. The story of the owner, who saw a Morgan car when he was in junior high school and longed to own one, and his beloved car, and how he finally acquired a “4/4” about 16 years ago.
A “living fossil” of the automotive world produced in England
Old cars gather at Okutama Lake in Tokyo early in the morning on the third Sunday of every month. We focus on one of the cars we came across in the parking lot of Okutama. This time, we would like to introduce the “Morgan 4/4,” which recently became the talk of the town after its production was announced to be discontinued.
An old-looking car that we spotted at the event was a British Morgan 4/4, according to its owner, Mr. Arai.
The Morgan 4/4 is a vehicle produced by the British Morgan Motor Company, which was born in 1936 before the war and has been produced ever since without changing its basic design. The “4/4” in the name refers to the four-wheeled vehicle with a four-cylinder engine. Although the vehicle has such a long history, it has made headlines in recent years when it was finally discontinued in 2019 due to its inability to meet various European regulations.
This vehicle is a 1970 Morgan 4/4 competition model, which is said to be a higher grade with a larger diameter carb, high cam, and special gear ratios compared to the standard model. The engine is a Ford 1.6L 4-cylinder, so-called Kent engine with a 4-speed manual transmission.
He became a Morgan owner with a long-cherished wish
When Mr. Arai saw a Morgan for the first time when he was in junior high school, he fell in love at first sight with its beautiful body lines, and since he was a teenager, he had been thinking, “I want to drive a Morgan someday! He then obtained a driver’s license and started to drive a Datsun. After that, he got his driver’s license and drove a Datsun SR “Fairlady,” but his dream of driving a Morgan remained, and about 16 years ago, after searching for about half a year, he came across this car and acquired it.
Although it is a 1970 model, as mentioned above, the basic design has not changed since before the war, with the fenders protruding from the body, and the engine cover opening to the left and right, with the engine mounted in the center. The suspension is also quite primitive, with the same wire-spoke center-lock wheels as before.
The parts supply is still OK
He says that there are relatively newer year models in Japan, but very few older models like the 1970 model. However, there is a manufacturer in the U.S. that produces external parts, so surprisingly, parts supply is not a problem. Also, since Kent engines and transmissions were installed in many other British cars, used parts are relatively easy to obtain in the UK.
A racing screen is installed inside the front window, and the car can be driven with the front window rolled forward. In cold weather, a tonneau cover can be attached to the passenger seat, and driving with the heater on will keep your feet warm.
Currently, the engine hood is covered with leather.
Aside from the addition of a leather hood belt to the engine hood and fog lights on the front, the car is basically in its original condition. Mr. Arai said he hopes to continue to drive the car in its original condition.
