Subtle British invasion

A tale of two roadsters

The MG and Morgan might both have grown out of the English auto industry at the same time and have been aimed at roughly the same buyers, but in many ways they couldn't be more different. The two vehicles look nothing alike, and, considering the Morgans are "handmade," are miles apart in engineering and manufacturing. (Also, not all Morgans are true roadsters — many sport hardtops). Though both draw raves for their zippy engines and handling, the Morgan is regarded as more of a sports car. Its factory engines are far more powerful than anything put in an MG. Perhaps because of that heritage, and because manufacturer Morgan Motors is still churning out vehicles, enthusiasts tend to want to restore the car to its original form.

MG enthusiasts — like the fans of other British roadsters such as the Triumph and Austin Healy — take a more eclectic approach by updating their vehicles with more modern pieces and cross pollinating them with parts from other MG models and even other vehicle models. Kelvin Dodd, British marketing manager for British parts distributor Moss Motors in Goleta, Calif., says the most significant upgrades are performance and safety related. Dodd says enthusiasts often invest in modern suspensions, better tires, fuel injection and disc brakes.

Known as restomods, these updated roadsters are growing in popularity with investors and enthusiasts, many of whom Americanize them with output-heavy Detroit powerplants, typically small block Chevy V8s and eight-cylinder Mustang engines.

John Radovich, owner of John's Cars, a restoration shop in Dallas, says the newer engines liven up performance and give the vehicles much better reliability and fuel economy. Following engines, new transmissions are another popular upgrade. Indeed, Radovich says the two (in their original factory forms) have a tendency to fail at the same time, which is why he has added transmission sales to his business and benefited from the decision.

Along with the increased power, MG fans have been adding modern comfort and convenience items. New seats, especially Mazda Miata seats, are particularly popular, as are stereos and adapter outlets for cell phones, laptops and other electronics.

Some enthusiasts choose to stick with parts made from original manufacturer designs. Fortunately for them, the aftermarket has many to offer, though they might need to abandon any thought of adding pieces with a purely British pedigree. Much of the production has moved to India and elsewhere in Asia.

As for who installs these parts and in what proportion (DIY vs. shops), that remains a mystery. Parts makers and suppliers believe many owners do their own work. Dodd says his company includes detailed installation instructions and pictures along with its products to make sure anyone can install them.

Schuyler Hoffman, president of the San Diego MG Club, says few enthusiasts he knows do their own work. "We hold tech sessions about once a month to talk about repairs. A dozen people will show up, and that's out of a club with over 160 active members," he notes.

Regardless of who does the work or what kind of replacement parts are used, some areas typically need the attention of new buyers. Lucas starters are particularly notorious: so bad, in fact, that many industry experts attribute the downfall of the MG in great part to this component. The vehicle now is enjoying a successful second life thanks to quality replacement parts and the variety of inexpensive MGs to which they can be branded. Prices for the most popular roadster model, the MGB, range from $500 to $4,000. Enthusiasts say the costs of an average restoration come in around a very reasonable $20,000, thousands less than the price of a new car.

Morgans are a bit more expensive — in many cases, quite a bit more expensive. That's due in large part to their small production numbers and the amount of bodywork they sometimes require due to their Belgian Ash frames, which can rot if not properly cared for. Still, fans such as Dave Brownell believe that "Morgans represent a real vintage sports car bargain, with excellent roadsters available in the $25,000 range." (Restored models sell for as much as $60,000 at auction.)

Morgans come in two types — the Plus Four, which features a four-cylinder engine, and the Plus Eight, which sports a V8. Each has its fans. The Plus Four incorporates a more traditional form, while the Plus Eight appeals more to sports car lovers looking for greater performance. In either case, restorations — especially for older models — are geared toward returning the car to its original look, a clear departure from most MGs. Most owners, therefore, look for original pieces. Many of these pieces no longer are in production. That's when owners turn to the aftermarket.

Representatives for Morgan Motors of New England, a Morgan dealer, restorer and parts vendor in Copake, N.Y., say aftermarket offerings are available for virtually every Morgan part. Again, the most popular take the place of obsolete pieces. Those pieces cross a wide spectrum — everything from lights, body pieces, gaskets, etc., with no one part standing out. That's largely due to the fact that each Morgan restoration is different. How well an older model was cared for or stored determines what replacement parts are required. Some parts can be salvaged; for example, gauges can be returned to shops where they are restored.

Aftermarket parts, unlike OE pieces that can be sold only to dealers and not individuals, are widely available. Buyers regularly turn to the Internet, which makes sense because Morgans are popular across the world. Morgan Motors says many of its customers are from Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

Much like MGs, determining who installs these parts is difficult. Fans say the cars are straightforward to repair. Some even swear a rebuilt Morgan is better than a new model. Some owners do revel in piecing the cars back together, while many others hire shops. Regardless of the ease of the restoration, many owners simply don't have the time to do the work.

They do, however, have time to show their cars off and take them for a spin. Though some fans treat their vehicles as museum pieces, many, like MG owners, prefer to hit the open road. There, they say, the fresh air, sunshine and the close bond these vehicles create between driver and road is enough to make any American yearn for the English countryside.

Buyers' perspectives

One factor contributing to the shroud of mystery that seems to envelop the MG/Morgan market is the sometimes baffling demographics. Simply put, Morgan and MG fans come from all walks of life (though Morgan owners tend to be better off financially — doctors, lawyers, executives, etc., according to restorers and parts vendors); while in aftermarket segments such as muscle cars, hot rods and classic VW Beetles, the baby boomer generation plays a significant role. However, members of roadster clubs are quick to point out their memberships show plenty of young people with, in many cases, growing numbers of twenty- and thirty-somethings, even teenagers. The factors driving these fans to the two roadsters are often wildly disparate.

Some gain their interest through family involvement. Many fans are second and third generation enthusiasts. Others are true Anglophiles who love all things British and who either have traveled to the British Isles or even lived there. Many fans simply enjoy being part of the British auto club scene where they can share ownership tales and repair information or share in the fellowship that follows these vehicles.

Most often, fans seem to simply love the idea of owning something off the beaten path of popular vehicle segments. A quirky little convertible that requires little storage space and can be very affordable to maintain feeds that need.

Consider these four owners

Mark Battles of Mansfield, Ohio, is a 37-year old computer programmer. He purchased his 1970 MG Midget two years ago when he was looking for a second car for the summer months while he gave up his regular vehicle to a visiting relative. "I could have just bought any cheap used car and sold it later, but the idea hit me that maybe I should have a second vehicle. If I was going to do that, I wanted something different," he says.

Battles paid several thousand dollars for his MG, then invested several more for a new clutch, spare tire and some other parts. With that experience, he has placed his focus on locating a less expensive parts and repair resource. He's relying on the Internet for this search.

Scott Duncan, 44, of Plano, Texas, received his first MG, a 1971 model, as a graduation gift. "I grew up in a small town, and nobody had anything like it. It ran great. When it broke down, my friends and I pooled our mechanical knowledge, did a little tinkering and found we could really fix anything that needed to be done."

Duncan says he also was fortunate because a local salvage yard offered a plethora of available, cheap parts. "The real heyday of these vehicles was the '60s and '70s. The yard owner had lived on the West Coast then and bought up every MG he could find," says Duncan, who has since added four more MGs to his stable. (Morgan and MG owners often own several of the vehicles.)

Duncan now works with several British parts outlets he says he can rely on for good parts and quick service. "I work with people who know their stuff. There seems to be a lot of import pieces now from the East, and that's a good thing," he notes. "But with these cars, you need to worry a lot about fit, and you usually have to do some tinkering to get them to fit. The people I buy from can tell me what I can expect."

Salvatore Martin, 32, of West Palm Beach, Fla., says he bought his first Morgan after seeing the film "The War of the Roses."

"I was just a kid. Then, I thought there were all sorts of cars like that, so when I was 16 and got my license, that's what I wanted," he recalls. "I couldn't find one, but I still kept looking for years. Like the Michael Douglas character in the movie, I restored it myself."

Fortunately for Martin, he had the patience and sufficient talent needed to perform the demanding body and engine work on the handcrafted vehicles. He also found he loved restoration work. "Early on I'd get a little discouraged and think about turning the car over to a professional. By corresponding with some Morgan clubs, I found a restorer who lived nearby who worked with me," says Martin. "Once I found a reliable parts vendor, I couldn't wait to start on another."

Amanda Yarnsmith, 52, of Atlanta, inherited her first Morgan from an uncle when she was 20. "He knew I always wanted the car. When I got it, I found it had been rotting in an old garage for five years," she says, "I hated the thought of junking it, so I handed it off to a guy who said he could do the work. It turned out to be such a project, and we spent so much time together talking about the work, I ended up marrying him."

That marriage helped spawn two children, both of whom now own Morgans. Though those children are now grown, the family spends a lot of time together — in the garage, appropriately enough — restoring Morgans they scoop up from auctions and the Internet.

"We have two main suppliers who can get us the parts we need. Here's the interesting thing: Thirty years ago when I first got into this, it was a real chore to get pieces," Yarnsmith says. "With the Internet, it's much easier, especially since we often can get pictures of what we're buying. Modern technology really is helping us build cars that are not very complex at all."

By the numbers

Like so much about the British market, the actual value of the MG/Morgan aftermarket is something of a mystery. No organization tracks it. Many vendors of British parts don't break down their overall sales by model.

Judging from the number and size of auto clubs and the number of shops offering specialized service, the value easily runs into the millions, most likely well over $100 million, says retired restorer Ken Niby. Niby also says that based on his experience, the market remains relatively stable with occasional increases and drops. Mainly, it marches dutifully forward.

That makes sense. We've all heard about British resolve and the stiff upper lip. No surprise the British market should show that same character.