Showcasing the best of British heritage, design, engineering and manufacturing, the Morgan Aeromax is the latest exhibit to take centre stage at SMMT, in celebration of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
When Elizabeth II was born, the Morgan Motor Company celebrated its 16th anniversary, and at the beginning of her reign the business marked its 42nd year of operation.
The original Morgan Aeromax was commissioned by Prince Eric I. Sturdza, President of Banque Baring Brothers Suisse, as a unique long distance touring car built to his exact requirements. The design was completed by Matthew Humphries, then a 21 year old Coventry Automotive Design School student on a work placement with the company. After graduating, Humphries became Morgan’s first Head of Design.
Having wowed visitors at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005, interest in the one-off design was so high that Morgan put the Aeromax into limited production, with just 100 units built at the factory in Malvern Link.
The safety features within the aluminium chassis surpassed industry standards of the vehicle certification authorities of Europe and the USA during the approval process. Despite having the lightest V8 production platform in the world at the time, the car features electronic airbag systems, tyre pressure and temperature monitoring, and ABS electronic brake control units.
The car is an illustration of flexible low volume manufacturing expertise at the Morgan Motor Company, where modern automotive technology continues to be combined with quality craftsmanship and finishing techniques.
The vehicle on display at SMMT belongs to the company’s Managing Director, Charles Morgan. Speaking about the car, he commented, “The Morgan Aeromax demonstrates the wealth of talent in our small yet dedicated motor works. It took just four months from a sketch to being able to test drive a real finished car. The car is a showcase of the coachbuilding and technical skills of the whole team.”
In addition to this display of British design, engineering and innovation, the SMMT has highlighted some of the key automotive events through Queen Elizabeth II’s long and continued reign in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee.
Click through the slideshow below to see all the photos from SMMT’s exhibition space.
