The Morgan Car Factory - Part of our heritage - TrustNews Dec 12
One of the options on offer during our visit to Malvern was a tour of the Morgan Car Factory. One’s first thoughts were perhaps that this was likely to be a self-indulgent car fanatics outing! Not a bit of it, for it turned out to be a lesson in sustainability, economics, staff relations and passion for a product. In other words, it provides a model for all small industries to adopt – possibly as a way out of the financial gloom.
Morgan cars started in 1909 manufacturing innovative three-wheel vehicles, so they have now been manufacturing cars for just over a hundred years. Furthermore the business has unusually remained in the hands of the same family. The company employs 149 staff, some of whom have been working there for over 50 years and others are sons, grand-daughters and grand-sons of retired craftsmen. They also have an apprentice scheme which encourages young people to learn crafts including engineering, joinery, paint spraying and upholstery. They turn out 30 cars a week and it takes two weeks from start to finish for the production of a car.
We started the tour in the basic frame assembly plant for the traditional car. The bodywork frame is still laminated ash to which aluminium panels are attached. Morgan have their own ash ‘farm’ in Lincoln which supplies most of their timber requirements. The ash is kiln dried to six per-cent, cut into strips for laminating and bent to shape. The construction helps them to produce an end product which is both lightweight and recycleable. We continued on through the various departments, gradually watching the separate elements come together before reaching the spray shop where the cars are given many coats of paint (a huge selection of colours), and finishing in the upholstery section where they undertake the cutting and stitching of seating and lining of the interiors. Finally the cars go to the finishing area where they are inspected, polished ready for delivery.
Morgan also turn out innovative, powerful sports cars using modern techniques, in particular blown aluminium shaped panels as used in the aircraft industry. They are also once again producing a three-wheeler, looking not unlike the famous original. They are not for the faint hearted - 70 mph feels like double the speed and they are capable of 120 mph! However they are apparently very stable, and their popularity has been such that Morgan have had to increase their production.
We were privileged to be taken around a business which is producing for a world wide market with a product that is popular and produced with pride and passion. Many companies and politicians could learn lessons from the Morgan Factory operation. A most enjoyable and educational visit.