Exclusive Midsummer by Morgan and Pininfarina is timeless style icon

Published

16 May 2023

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Morgan Motor Company and Pininfarina S.p.A. proudly present Midsummer, with which two of the world’s longest-standing coachbuilders jointly celebrate the craft of coachbuilding. Only 50 examples of Midsummer will be built, recognisable by the signature barchetta (‘little boat’) design with which Morgan and Pininfarina also pay tribute to the timeless Morgan silhouette. Midsummer shows that the typical Morgan design is still contemporary and is the result of craftsmanship, with every element of the distinctive bodywork being shaped by hand. Midsummer’s base is Morgan’s latest CX-Generation Bonded Aluminium Platform and the car is powered by a turbocharged six-cylinder engine with eight-speed automatic transmission.

Shared passion

The collaboration between Morgan and Pininfarina is the result of a long-held desire by Morgan to build limited, special cars based on the CX platform that take Morgan’s recognisable design to the next level. With both having a history as coachbuilders and a shared passion for design, Morgen and Pininfarina teamed up, resulting in the unique Midsummer.

Jonathan Wells, Chief Design Officer at Morgan Motor Company, said, “Midsummer demonstrates the flexibility of the Morgan silhouette, presenting a vehicle that is striking in its appearance and unmistakably a Morgan. A celebration of coachbuilding that combines the expertise, story and creativity of both Morgan and Pininfarina to deliver a seamless balance between tradition and progress.”

Visible wood

Perhaps the most remarkable design detail of Midsummer is the use of wood on the exterior of the car. Wood has always played an important role in Morgan’s designs, but only as the material from which the frame is made and which serves as the basis for the hand-formed, aluminium sheet metal parts. As a result, the wood was never visible from the outside.

That is different with Midsummer. The typical ‘barchetta’ shape offers the opportunity to accentuate the shoulder line with wood. Not only a challenge and a wonderful way to showcase their skills for the craftsmen who build every Morgan by hand, but also a paean to the material Morgan has relied on for so long. From the very first phase of the project, it was clear to Pininfarina that wood would play a visible role in the design.

Crescent moon

But there is more. As a timeless style icon, Midsummer exudes exclusivity in every detail. For example, the forged nineteen-inch wheels, designed especially for the model. Weighing just ten kilos, they are over three kilos lighter than the wheel on the Plus Six. Morgan’s new, silver-toned headlights flank the horseshoe-shaped grille. A crescent-shaped wind deflector, low in the nose, provides additional airflow to the grille. Small, vertical vents next to the grille provide additional cooling and air conduction.

Analogue clocks

Midsummer’s elegance is further emphasised by a longer back. This is a typical style feature of Pininfarina designs from the late 1930s and early 1940s. In the interior, the first thing to stand out are the analogue clocks. At a time when digital information screens are unimaginable, the handmade counters give peace to the eyes. The steering wheel is redesigned and features a forged aluminium heart. Midsummer also benefits from an available at extra cost and improved Sennheiser audio system with new control knobs.

Hand-beaten body parts

The number of hand-formed parts on Midsummer is greater than on other Morgans, making the construction process more complex. Manufacturing the hand-knocked aluminium body parts takes more than 250 hours per car. As a result, building a Midsummer will take longer at Morgan’s Pickersleigh Road factory when production starts in the third quarter of 2024.

The name Midsummer

Morgan got the inspiration for the name Midsummer from two different directions. On the one hand, Midsummer represents mid-summer, the peak of the season when weather conditions are ideal for experiencing an open sports car.
On the other hand, Midsummer has a geographical meaning for Morgan: Midsummer Hill. Midsummer Hill is part of the Malvern Hills, a vast hilly landscape woven into Morgan’s DNA, whose peaks offer stunning views of Pickersleigh Road, Morgan’s home since 1914.

Limited and unique

Only 50 Midsummers will be built by Morgan, almost all of which have already been sold to customers during exclusive preview sessions. Each buyer will individually tune the details of his or her Midsummer with the Morgan designers, so that each one will be a true one-off. Production will start during 2024, Morgan’s 115th anniversary year, and continue into 2025. A few Midsummers will also appear on the road in the Netherlands. Those who want to see the Midsummer in real life can admire the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July this year. Or watch the launch video here.