Back in 2016 I was in a Morgan shop in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province in China. They had three very fine cars on display, starting with this 4-Seater Roadster, painted in yellow-beige with a brown interior.
Morgan came to China in 2012, opening shops in Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, and Chengdu. But sadly the British brand never really set China on fire. Sales were slow and there were problems with product development, with Morgan refusing to make any adjustments for the Chinese market.
For example, Morgan didn’t want to fit an automatic gearbox in the Roadster series, which made is basically unsellable. In August 2019 it was all over and Morgan pulled out of China completely. At that time, they only had their shop in Beijing left. It seems unlikely they will ever return.
Over the years they sold the following cars in China: Morgan Aero 8, Morgan Roadster, Morgan 4-Seat Roadster, Morgan 3 Wheeler, Morgan Plus 8, and the Morgan Aero Coupe.
They were extremely expensive. The 4-Seat Roadster sold for a staggering 1.6 million yuan, and at the time that translated to… $270.000!
But it was a beautiful car! Check that retro-tastic steering wheel and chromed gear-lever knob. Tiny mirrors and unreadable instruments complete the Morgan experience. Power came from a 3.7 liter Ford V6, with 284 hp and 352 Nm. The engine was mated to a six-speed manual.
The crazy Morgan 3 Wheeler launched in China in 2014. How Morgan got type approval for this unsafe and polluting thing is still a subject of much speculation. I have never seen one on the open road, perhaps owners were wise enough to use it for track days only.
Power comes from a 2.0 liter V-twin engine mounted at the front. The engine has an output of 82hp and 140nm, good for a 185km/h top speed and a o-100 in six seconds.
The 3 Wheeler is Morgan at its best: utter weirdness and no compromise! It seems small from up front but it is actually a surprisingly long car. Power came from a 2.0 liter V-twin engine mounted at the front. The engine has an output of 82hp and 140nm, good for a 185km/h top speed. Price in 2014 started at 834.000 yuan, which at the time translated to $134.000.
My favorite Morgan is the Roadster, and this particular car looks brilliant in bright yellow with a dark red interior. Some of these have been spotted on the road in Shanghai, and I saw one in the semi-wild in Beijing, in the same color.
A very nice interior color scheme. Note the yellow trim around the gear lever and the plush red floor mats. Also check that 1950-style door lock.
The light arrangement is the best looking part of a great looking car. The convertible top has no cover; handy when you are in a hurry. Price in China startet at 1.68 million yuan or $277.000 by 2014 exchange rates. No wonder they sold so little of these fine cars. Unlike many of this sort of small carmakers thought, wealthy Chinese car buyers did and do care about price. A 277.000 dollar Morgan just didn’t convince them.
Too bad, because they would have gotten this badge, hand made for sure, in a nice British handwriting. ‘Roadster’!
The shop was loaded with all sorts of China-made U.K. stuff, like benches with the flag on it, and a fake no-brand fuel pump. It didn’t help.