Generously Donated to the Museum by Michael Kidder

· This is the very first car donated to the Audrain Automobile Museum in 2015

· Though unseen under the sheet metal body, the car is built utilizing strong, light, and flexible ash wood framework

· Morgan still uses the same production methodology today

Morgan Motor Company is one of Britain’s longest-tenured automakers and still produces their cars in the same fashion as they did when they first opened in 1910: by utilizing Ash wood framework. Morgans have always been recognized for offering enjoyable driving experience regardless of speed, and much of this credit is due to how these cars are built, and for the last 113 years, they have all been built by hand.

Using wood to build the framework is seen as archaic compared to present-day techniques, though even in modern times, wood frames have their advantages. Wood was plentiful and inexpensive compared to steel and is efficient work into desired shapes with high accuracy using traditional woodworking techniques. Morgan engineers note a strength-to-weight ratio when referring to wood, as the material is relatively light compared to steel or other materials used in the past. The wood European Ash is also strong enough to hold its form for many decades. The wood flexes slightly under load, which is seen as a positive characteristic as it can absorb impacts from the road, acting almost as an aid to the suspension components.

Prior to 1936, all Morgans were three-wheeled vehicles, a unique design that resulted in a fun but primitive driving experience, while avoiding the British tax on four-wheeled vehicles. Still today Morgan is known for both exciting three and four-wheelers. As automaking techniques have continually become more modernized over the last century, Morgan has stayed true to their original methods, and the construction of their four-wheeled vehicles today is not much different from when this 4/4 was built in 1957.