Explore the 2024 Morgan Midsummer
The 2024 Morgan Midsummer is the latest car to emerge from what has been a rapid evolution in vehicle engineering and design over the past five years. For decades, time moved differently at Morgan Motor Company. Founded in 1909, this eccentric British automaker has long hand-built sports cars that seemed indifferent to fad, fashion, or even technical advancement. Until 2019, the Morgan Plus Four was built on a ladder frame steel chassis mechanism whose basic design dates back to 1936, featuring an archaic sliding-pillar front suspension prevalent in nearly every Morgan since 1910.
Similar to the current Morgan Plus Six and Plus Four models, and the spirited Morgan Super 3 three-wheeler now available in the U.S., the Morgan Midsummer marries vintage aesthetics with modern mechanicals. It is constructed on the same bonded aluminum chassis architecture known as CX, which first debuted under the Plus Six in 2019. This means it boasts multi-link independent suspension both front and rear. Beneath its elongated hood lies a robust 335-hp BMW 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine from the Plus Six, powering the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
A Unique Collaboration with Pininfarina
What sets the Midsummer apart within the Morgan lineup is that it is the first vehicle in the company’s 115-year history to be styled in collaboration with an external coachbuilder—namely, the renowned Pininfarina.
The Midsummer’s design roots trace back to a September 2022 visit by Pininfarina designers to Morgan’s compact factory in Pickersleigh Road, Malvern Link, England, which has been the assembly site for Morgans since 1918. The collaborative design process began during dinner with Morgan design chief Jonathan Wells, and was finalized in Turin two months later.
Innovative Design Process
“We’ve traditionally designed cars in-house,” states Wells, “and collaborating with Pininfarina allowed us to utilize innovative tools like mixed reality headsets and power walls throughout the design process.”
Though it carries Pininfarina branding, the ‘Fuoriserie’ suffix on the badges indicates that the Midsummer is a共同 effort with Wells and his team, rather than a standalone Pininfarina production model. Access to Pininfarina’s advanced resources means the Midsummer is the first Morgan vehicle whose panels have been crafted without reference to a clay model and is also the first to have its design refined in a wind tunnel.
Elegant Features and Traditional Touches
While the Midsummer retains recognizable Morgan characteristics, like the Plus Four and Plus Six models, it also radiates a distinctly Italian elegance. Features include more flowing fenders, a longer, tapered tail, a more vertical grille, and forward-thrusting headlights that emphasize its short front overhang. The majority of bodywork is fashioned from hand-formed aluminum, with each set of panels requiring around 250 hours to produce.
The polished stainless-steel element running around the lower edges evokes reminiscent design notes from Pininfarina’s iconic models, yet maintains a contemporary execution. “This isn’t a project that looks back; it celebrates a new era,” says Jonathan Wells.
The name Midsummer is derived from Midsummer Hill, located less than 10 miles from the Morgan factory, an area marked by the remnants of a 2,500-year-old Iron Age fort and a place frequented by company founder H.F.S Morgan over a century ago. It still features traditional cut-down doors, complemented by an exposed wood structure wrapping around the cockpit.
Performance and Engineering
The exposed wood further enriches the Midsummer’s heritage, acknowledging Morgan’s historical practice of framing lightweight aluminum bodywork with wood. Crafted from nine individual sections of 0.6 mm teak laminates, the structure over the dashboard comprises no fewer than 126 layers, while the door tops encompass 120 layers. This intricate woodwork takes 30 hours to fabricate.
The Midsummer boasts a barchetta design, meaning it has no roof. A standard tonneau cover can be fitted for parking, with options for aero screens or a low-cut, full-width windshield. The elegantly designed 19-inch forged alloy wheels weigh just 22 pounds each, making them the lightest ever fitted to a Morgan. They are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tires—235/40 at the front and 255/40 at the rear—along with disc brakes and an updated specification of the CX multi-link suspension.
With a target weight of under 2,300 pounds, the Midsummer is expected to rival the regular Plus Six in performance, aiming for a 0-to-60-mph acceleration time of approximately 4.0 seconds, and achieving a top speed near 160 mph. Although not homologated for sale in the U.S., several limited-edition Midsummers—of which only 50 will be produced and all accounted for—have been ordered by American enthusiasts with European residences where they can be driven legally.
Future Prospects for Morgan
By Morgan standards, the Midsummer presents an extravagant offering—a more luxurious experience than the customary pub visits of the Cotswolds. However, its significance in Morgan’s storied legacy lies in what it foreshadows for the brand’s future.
While Morgan will not pursue another collaboration with Pininfarina, CEO Massimo Fumarola reveals that the Midsummer heralds a new design language intended to clearly distinguish the upcoming Plus Six models from the four-cylinder Plus Four range in the years to come. In essence, the future iterations of Plus Six models will incorporate design themes introduced by the Midsummer, while Plus Fours will continue to evolve traditional Morgan styling.
“The Midsummer’s fundamental design allows us to explore ‘high-shoulder’ vehicles—cars that abandon the traditional cutaway doors,” explains Jonathan Wells. This evolution indicates a promising future for coupes and four-seater Morgans, along with the potential for a Morgan shooting brake. Like the Midsummer, they will embody modern innovations while showcasing vintage visual charm.
