The Malvern Hills in the UK are a step back in time, a scenic taste of Old World England, full of elderly folk bussed in to enjoy Mother Nature and, perhaps, an arts and crafts shop. Today is a different day though, as their lasting memory would not be the lovely scones or scenic views. It would be the bone-shaking noise of a high-strung V8 blasting past them at what could be described as unreasonable speed in what could reasonably be described as a spaceship on wheels.
This is the Morgan Aeromax, a head-on collision of old and new worlds. It’s Jeeves & Wooster with a crack pipe, a Tomorrow’s World dream of future supercars, and was originally intended as a one-off.
Designed by a college student and then commissioned by Prince Eric Sturzda, Chairman of Barings Bank, the end result was so visually stunning that Morgan sought permission to sell 100 of these Aeromax coupes. But if you want one, you’re already too late.
Until the turn of the century Morgan’s design philosophy remained rooted deep in the 1930s, and it served the company well. While other niche manufacturers went to the wall faster than their cars hit 60 mph, Morgan weathered the storm with quirky, unique sports cars built around wooden frames by master craftsman who understand the value of a spoke shave and wood plane, rather than computerized assembly line robots.
Even the recent addition to the family, the Aero 8, was a modern take on pure period drama. Now the Aeromax has taken Biggles into the 21st century.
It comes with running boards, an upright grille and an Art Deco rear that belongs in 1950s America, and has all the ingredients of the car that time forgot. The Aeromax even comes with a traditional ash wood frame, which Charles Morgan claims is better than anything the modern world can offer when it comes to impact absorption, and solid, visible beams that run through the cockpit like a country cottage.
Then there’s the wood-lined, tortoise-shell dashboard, hand-stitched leather and even those bizarre angel wing rear windows that are about as practical as a chocolate fireguard but look simply stunning. Every part of the Morgan’s soul screams nostalgia and the old world, but the best part is that under the skin the Aeromax is an achingly modern machine thanks to the BMW engine under its bonnet.
A small cottage company in England couldn’t match the millions of miles of testing and euros of development budget on offer at the major manufacturers. So rather than try and devlop his own quirky powerplant, Charles Morgan simply bought the 4.8-liter V8 from the new BMW X5 under the flimsy aluminum hood that’s opened with old-style organ stops.
An X5 weighs more than twice as much as this 1100kg rocket, so the performance was always going to be explosive, especially with a full 367 hp to play with. It’ll scoot to 60 mph in little over four seconds and keep going all the way to 170 mph and beyond. But it’s the way it gets there, the noise, the passion and the raw emotion, that make the Aeromax a real alternative to the Porsche 911s and Ferrari 430s that have become just a little bit naff thanks to their ubiquitous presence at every golf club, footballer’s car park or drive-through McDonalds.
The side-exit exhaust sits just underneath the driver’s seat and despite the rain and cold winter air we found ourselves lowering the windows just to hear that outrageous engine, freed from the confines of a giant, noise-deadening SUV, bouncing every single rev off the dry stone walls on the roads around Malvern. It may be German sourced, but as that V8 spools up it’s like riding the wing of a Spitfire into battle. It’s an outrageous orgy of noise and violence that simply doesn’t belong in a car this cute, which is all part of the appeal.
As is the near perfect ride, Morgan softened the suspension after fitting racing rose joints and giving what should be a boneshaker a near magic carpet feel. There’s also none of the wild wheelspin thanks to that soft rear end; when I plant the throttle the car sits down on wide, 20-inch wheels, finds its grip and simply takes off.
The lightweight frame gives it a lithe feel in the bends and it would take a thuggish approach and real intent to push the car sideways in the corners. If you do, a limited-slip differential helps get it all back under control. A Ferrari will decimate it on-track, but this is all the car you could ever want on a public road and it remains fun at any speed.
It’s an addictive experience hammering the throttle in the Aeromax, and in speed-unfriendly Switzerland Prince Sturzda might find himself explaining the rush to an unsympathetic policeman more than once if he cannot find the AP Racing brakes fast enough.
But if that policeman comes with a sense of humor, or even slightly appreciates a quirky car, then he’s in with a chance. Even the elderly folk bussed in to taste one last scone seemed to appreciate ancient design ideals brought so up to date the car could star in the next Batman film. And when parked, the Aeromax draws crowds from far and wide. It’s one of those cars that puts a smile on everyone’s face. It’s truly unique, and for that reason alone worth more than the Ferraris or Lamborghinis that could be had for not so much more money.
Adapted from EuropeanCarWeb
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