The Morgan Motor Company, legendary builder of hand-crafted sports cars, has always come out with interesting vehicles. With a flair for the old-fashioned, Morgan’s creations rarely leave people without an opinion—they usually either love ‘em or hate ‘em.
But it’s not often that we see Morgan introduce a new platform. In fact, the current steel platform Morgan uses in cars like the 4/4 and Plus 4 can trace its roots back to 1936. So when the company this week announced a new platform, it immediately piqued our interest.
The new platform, code-named the CX-Generation, features lighter aluminum construction. It actually made its debut back in March with the unveiling of the flagship Plus Six sports car at the Geneva International Motor Show.
2019 Morgan Plus Six
The CX-Generation platform features bonded aluminum construction and is twice as rigid as Morgan's previous aluminum platform introduced in 2000 in the now-discounted Aero series. There's an extra 0.8 inches in the wheelbase and the total weight is only 214 pounds, contributing to the Plus Six’s mere 2,370-pound dry weight.
Morgan is now readying further models based on the CX-Generation platform, which will be introduced in 2020. The last cars built on the old steel platform will also be built in 2020 before the platform is finally put to rest. All we know is that the new cars will feature engines smaller than the 3.0-liter inline-6 of the Plus Six, and in some of them an available manual transmission.
“The CX-Generation aluminum platform represents a significant undertaking for a small company like Morgan,” said Steve Morris, CEO of Morgan. “The advanced engineering encompassed within the new platform is a vital underpinning for the next generation of Morgan sports cars.”
