2013 Morgan ROADSTER

While even the standard Roadster is a very special car, our next auction is for something unique. Built for Steve Morris, the Morgan MD, as his personal transport, this one-off Roadster took him to the northernmost point of Norway as part of the firm’s Nordkapp Challenge in the summer of 2013.

Believed to be the only example ever fitted from new with an Aero Racing (the Morgan factory race division) race-spec engine, accompanied by the appropriate brake and suspension upgrades, the vendor states that it develops around 320bhp.

The power upgrade, while very welcome and making it noticeably quicker, is also said to cure the slight rev-hang that other 3.7-litre cars suffer from thanks to the Roadster’s comparatively low kerbweight compared to the Mustang the engine is more usually fitted in.

A film was made of the event (which can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhjK0aa9pOY) and all five cars made the Nordkapp though the driver of the 3-wheeler is said to have had a pretty rough time!

The vendor has owned the car since 2017; she’s now been with Morgan for a quarter-of-a-century, moving up to the Roadster from a Plus 8 and a 3-wheeler after running a succession of Westfields and Caterhams when she was younger.

With the mileage currently standing at under 23,000, this is your chance to get your hands on a fully fettled, factory modified Roadster with an impeccable provenance and a unique specification.

The bright red paintwork is in good shape and looks terrific with decent panel alignment, no serious dents or scratches, and a good shine to the paint. Everything opens and shuts as it should including the bat-wing bonnet, and the leather bonnet straps add a wonderfully vintage touch.

The chromework is all good too, including the useful rear luggage rack.

The black, centre-lock wire wheels, which are almost unmarked, are fitted with matching Avon ZV5 tyres, all of which have good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The roof works as it should, opening and closing easily and sealing as tightly as any Morgan roof ever has. The door tops and side screens are also in fine fettle, and the frame and fabric both look to be in good shape with no rips, tears or other damage that we can see.

However, in our experience Morgan owners tend to use their cars for the purpose they were designed, servicing them on time and not worrying overly about the paintwork.

As seems to be the case here. The Morgan is with its owner in Hampshire, so we haven’t seen it here at The Market HQ but our photographer describes it as: “… lovely, as you would expect. There are a few paint chips, the most noticeable of which is the one on the offside rear wing, which is approximately a 1cm ding, with minor paint chip.”

“The bonnet also has some scratches just behind the bonnet strap, and the whole paintwork could do with a really good polish to remove the swirl marks it has gained from being washed.”

So, no real problems at all. As you can see in the photos, it still looks stunning but it would benefit from a machine polish to minimize the swirl marks, stonechips, and minor marks it has accrued in its eventful life.

One of the two-seater versions, this Roadster’s black leather seats have been trimmed with red piping. Still in great shape, they’re firm and supportive and show only minor creasing.

The engine-turned dashboard is as simple as it is sensational; minimal only really works if everything is of the highest quality – and it is. Backed up by a stunning Mota-Lita steering wheel, the cockpit is a wonderful combination of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern.

Speaking of which, this example has both air-conditioning and heated seats, which enthusiasts will recognise as being very rare options and ones that significantly increase this one’s versatility across all four seasons (the air-con being most useful with the roof up in winter to keep the ‘screen demisted!)

It’s even got a JVC headunit hidden under the dashboard and JBL speakers fitted in the footwells. How very 21st century…

Quirky in the extreme - cynics might argue that the clock has been placed directly in front of the driver to remind them of the years they spent waiting for their new car to be built – we defy anyone to be able to figure out how to use the fly-off handbrake the first time they encounter it.

But, it’s all built with the very best quality materials and assembled with uncommon care. It’s in great shape too, with only a few gentle scratches on the steering wheel and the chrome trim in the footwells detracting from its almost unmarked finish.

The service history, which is backed up by the appropriate stamps, reads:

30.04.2013 and 1,369 miles by the Morgan Service Department

18.07.2014 and 8,016 miles by Williams Morgan of Chipping Sodbury

05.06.2015 and 13,962 miles by A. J. Slade

07.03.2016 and 19,837 miles by Berrybrook

16.02.2017 by Berrybrook

Our photographer reports that it starts and runs well, and doesn’t have any warning lights illuminated. The vendor reports that there is “nothing wrong with the car”. However, we do note that it might be due a service on the grounds of the time elapsed since the last one, if not mileage.

The engine bay is as clean and neatly organized as you’d expect of a handbuilt car, and the underside is as strong, clean and well-presented as you could ever hope to see.

The Morgan’s MOT certificate expires in October 2020 and was gained, as was every one before it, without a single advisory point. It also comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook and wallet, the stamped service history booklet, the Certificate of Conformity, and three keys.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained and modified to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please contact the owner and ask if they can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like them to concentrate on.

A classic car is always a discretionary purchase and few are more completely unnecessary than a Morgan. And yet you, like us, have probably got this far in the advert and now can’t imagine life without this one in your garage.

Still young enough to be as reliable as any seven-year-old car, the unique blend of vintage engineering and modern components deliver an unrivalled driving experience.

And this one, with its carefully modified engine, suspension and brakes, takes what is an already accomplished car and tweaks it still further. Dial in an unmatched provenance, careful service history and great condition, and you can see why we’ve all fallen for it.

While it’s guide price of £40,000 to £50,000 isn’t cheap, it does reflect the fact that it is a well-known, true one-off example with an impeccable back story. And cars like this will always be in demand, so you could reasonably expect to get any premium back when you sell it.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Longparish in Hampshire; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.