Mary’s Marvelous Morgan
Mary Pinkston isn’t necessarily a car enthusiast, but she does possess a love of classic design. She also enjoys classic British drama, including Downton Abbey during its seasons on PBS. And one lovely morning in March when Pinkston visited The Amelia Concours, she was smitten with a Morgan Plus Four sportscar from England. She was even more pleased when she discovered a brand-new Morgan could be ordered through a franchised dealer in Daytona Beach who would provide follow-up service and warranty.
The classic British sportscars that landed on our shores after WWII are nearly all memories and the few MG, Austin Healey and Triumph models that remain are restored and lovingly cared for by collectors. Remarkably, Morgan Motor Company is quite unique in that the venerable automaker has survived for 115-years by crafting its two-passenger vehicles by hand for discerning clients. They’ve persevered just like other artisans who produce a small quantity of classic products for those who want something special.
Once she decided to buy a new Morgan, Mary discovered that it’s not at all like purchasing an ordinary vehicle. The company fabricates the chassis, using its time-tested English ash wood for the frame then installing the suspension and power components. The hand-crafted body panels are then produced along with the wiring, instruments and leather upholstered seats and trim. When her Morgan was produced a few years ago, the powertrain (engine and transmission) were shipped separately and assembled by the dealer to comply with EPA rules. Today the cars are shipped complete.
Pinkston’s Morgan is a Plus 4 model powered by a 2.0-liter Ford engine connected to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Although an automatic transmission is available, Mary is quite comfortable shifting her own gears. She learned self-shifting early in her driving life and has traveled in the Diplomatic Corps where driving a variety of vehicles is a helpful attribute. And of course a legendary sportscar like Morgan begs to fully engage the driver.
The new Morgan was delivered on Pinkston’s 60th birthday during the COVID pandemic in 2020 and the charming sportscar has not been a garage queen. Mary joined the Morgan Owners Club and has embarked on an 8-day journey, has shown the Morgan at The Lake Mirror Classic show in Lakeland and in a few short years has nearly 10,000-miles on the odometer. Her friendly dog Havana, a Havanese breed is a frequent companion so the Morgan was named Cuba.
Not long ago, one of our Auto Legends Amelia club members urged Pinkston to join the organization because the club needed a Morgan. Mary joined the club and the group of members who recently displayed their cars at Classic Motorsports Amelia Island Kickoff Show. During judging, her car was chosen by Bill Warner, founder of The Amelia Concours and notable classic car expert Wayne Carini as the show’s Best Morgan and she drove away with the class trophy!
The hand-crafted Morgan was also accompanied with a suitcase created from the car’s wood and leather. It’s quite lovely, but weighs as much empty as a fully-packed travel bag so it now resides on a nice stand in the house. And while factory air conditioning was fitted in the Morgan, it’s about as useful in mid-summer as the crafted suitcase. But Pinkston is hardly troubled by these trivial setbacks. She has ordered a Caterham Seven, a lightweight roadster with roots that connect directly with Collin Chapman’s original Lotus and a car that’s racetrack quick. For someone who was not a car enthusiast, Pinkston has joined the car community with remarkable speed.