Morgan set to meld tradition with high-tech

Would-be Morgan owners in the queue for a new sportster (barring the Aero 8) will have to wait until 2009 to take delivery of their cars -- and the reason lies in airbags.

The specialist British carmaker says airbag supplies used for Australian cars have started to run low at the factory and the supplier is no longer in business.

Morgan says that with only a few markets requiring airbags, the factory has stopped taking orders for its existing "traditional" cars, preferring to keep the balance of airbag kits for aftermarket supply.

The niche British marque says all Australian orders in the production queue have now been deferred to 2009, at which point in time, "significant technical changes will be made to the 'traditional' Morgan 4/4, Plus 4 and Roadster models."

"This includes the fitment of the latest 'smart' airbags," says Morgan. "Indications are that a variation of the modern all aluminium Aero 8 chassis will be adapted for the traditional models."

Existing Australian-spec Morgans have an all-aluminium body, but the cars are underpinned by a galvanized steel chassis. They don't have a wooden chassis (that's a popular myth), but a treated ash frame is used in the cockpit area.      

A 'Morgan 2009 Waiting List' has been opened for customers wanting to get their names into the queue for the new 2009 versions of the traditional bodied cars, says the carmaker. A $1000 holding deposit is required to get onto the waiting list.

Although steeped in tradition, Morgan has of late shown a willingness to embrace cutting-edge technology, as evidenced by its recent announcement that it will launch the LIFECar (Lightweight Fuel Efficient Car) at the Geneva motor show next year.

The LIFECar (pictured) is a hydrogen-fuelled vehicle built using Morgan's ash-framed body to keep weight down (more here). Ostensibly, the carmaker wants to demonstrate that a zero-emission vehicle with a range of over 300km can also be fun to drive.

Word has it the vehicle will employ individual electric motors to power each wheel and it will store electricity generated from the hydrogen fuel-cell in sophisticated capacitors.

Artist's impressions of the LIFECar reveal a vehicle reminiscent of the Aero 8, but with aerodynamic fairings covering the wheel arches.

Although the LIFECar's hydrogen fuel-cell technology won't be replicated across the Morgan range, expect much its construction methods and design philosophy to filter down to other models.

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