Morgan’s new CEO, Massimo Fumarola, has told Autocar about the priorities for his “exciting” new job, in an exclusive interview at the firm’s flagship UK dealership in Kensington, London, just weeks after moving over from his role as Lamborghini’s special projects boss.
Number one will be to “steadfastly” maintain Morgan’s authenticity and amplify the marque’s unique values and attributes. This, he said, is the essence, but the Morgan ethos also needs wider circulation. Number two will be to take all opportunities for the company to grow, and create more of them, without harming its natural assets. “Heritage isn’t insurance,” he said. “You must have good plans for your future.”
Morgan currently makes around 800 cars per year, and it sold a stellar 680 last year even with the 3 Wheeler out of production. The 70% of Morgans that go for export are distributed in 70 markets, the biggest of which are France, Germany and the US.
The firm has already hinted that it would like to be making 1500 cars a year in five years’ time and sees the emergence of the new Ford-engined Morgan Super 3 as providing its earliest opportunity to expand.
Success in the US, where the Super 3 complies with design regulations more easily than the company’s four-wheeled models, is a key opportunity. It’s likely the model will soon become Morgan’s best-seller.
This potential near doubling of output will require a considerable scaling up of plant and people (a new paint facility is about to open) and most of all lays bare the reasoning behind Morgan’s modest top management overhaul.
The company’s owner, Italian private equity firm Investindustrial, last month announced that the role of chairman and CEO, previously held by company ‘lifer’ Steve Morris, would henceforth be split into two. Morris would be elevated to the role of executive chairman, while Milan-born Fumarola would become CEO with responsibility for day-to-day running.
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I'm not sure where the point of the battery being expensive is coming from. A 75KWh battery pack comes in at between $8-12,000 which as a proportion of a £150,000+ car is pretty cheap.
They will probably pay for the battery from optional equipment fees alone.
Morgan is probably an example of a small volume manufacturer that may get throuh the EV and Automous vehicle changeover. For people who make mid engined supercars the issue that plenty of relatively normal looking EVs already have screaming performance, are mid engined and there is relatively little gain from a performance standpoint by going to a 2 seat configuration.
The Morgan 3 wheeler on the otherhand is a toy which people who own several 1000bhp EV would still enjoy as the experiance is radically different.
1. Look at their dealers everywhere, not just europe
2. Engage frank stephenson for some new design ideas because he understands design language of brands e.g., mini, fiat
3. Get the handling fixed. There are numerous youtube videos showing exceptionally poor handling even of aluminium chassis mogs
I can't agree with that entirely; the Fiat 500 is great but the Mini missed the mark by quite a bit IMO. I really like Jon Well's sketch of the "new era" model and can't wait to see it progress into the metal.
I'm rather concerned that Morgan is being a bit lemming-like in being obsessed with growth. I just hope it doesn't end in tears....
I wonder what's going to happen to Morgan as well since it left the ownership of the Morgan family to the Italian private equity group. The reason that the marque has survived for over a century is that it produces cars that are largely hand built to order using propriety mechanical components,all cars are sold before they leave the factory. If production is to be increased to the level proposed by the new owners less fabrication is likely to be done in house but outsourced thus reducing the Malvern plant to an assembly operation. I have an uneasy feeling that if these changes occur the company will be saddled with debt then sold on to another owner which is the modus operandi of most of the private equity companies who only have their eye on the bottom line rather than the long term future of Morgan
Before Morgan starts it's expansion programme it should first sort out it's Customer Service & After Sales department. Morgan After Sales is totally useless and doesn't respond to customers needs what so ever, I know because I bought a new Morgan in 2019 & the car has a number of serious safety issues that the dealer or Morgan can't fix. If Snr. Massimo would like help sorting his after sales network I would gladly give him a run down on UK & German dealers & service agents that are totally useless. I've bought two new Morgans in the last 5 years, if he wants advice on how to make Morgan great again all he has to do is contact me personally. (I'm waiting for your e-mail)