British marque Morgan and Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina have come together to create a timeless piece of automotive art with the limited edition Midsummer..
Created in recognition of the heyday of European barchetta designs, this special – limited to just 50 examples – represents the shared vision of Morgan and Pininfarina, who have collaborated to reinterpret and celebrate the timeless Morgan silhouette.
A Morgan special project, Midsummer demonstrates the flexibility of Morgan design whilst simultaneously showcasing the rare craft skill of the artisans who hand form every element of the distinctive body. Midsummer is based on Morgan’s latest CX-Generation Bonded Aluminium Platform and features a six-cylinder turbocharged engine and eight-speed automatic transmission
The collaboration between Morgan and Pininfarina emerged from a wider desire for Morgan to create limited-run specials, based on its CX-Generation Bonded Aluminium Platform, that both celebrate and demonstrate the diversity of Morgan’s instantly recognisable design, whilst simultaneously evolving it. A shared history of coachbuilding and a joint passion for design, were united following a chance conversation between colleagues from Morgan and Pininfarina. Upon first meeting, it was evident that both companies had a desire to create unique sports cars. And from a ‘what if?’ moment, the project to create Midsummer was born.
Midsummer’s striking design is the result of intense collaboration. Countless hours were dedicated to the exploration of each brand, taking time to educate on the philosophy and story underpinning each company. This exploration included understanding the heritage, capabilities, home, and future intent of each company during numerous reciprocal visits. The result is a model that remains true to the principles of Morgan, yet one that previews key elements of future Morgan design language, mixed with the flair and purity of Pininfarina design.
An exposure to the elements, a closeness to your surroundings and a raw connection to your machine are all qualities that have defined Morgan cars for generations. Midsummer pushes these to the extreme thanks to its barchetta design, chosen specifically for this purpose. From its high-quality materials to its visceral driving character, Midsummer delivers a sensory experience that is unsurpassed.
Midsummer’s presence is most evident in the rear three-quarter angle. From this angle, the proportion, new surfacing, and shoulder line are most apparent. Midsummer’s delicate yet exaggerated proportions imbue an eccentric elegance, reminiscent of iconic Pininfarina designs and evocative of an era of late 30s and early 40s automotive design.
New surfacing, particularly noticeable on the front and rear wings, gives a subtle preview of the evolving Morgan design language. Midsummer also introduces a shoulder line to the instantly recognisable side profile of a Morgan, made possible by the introduction of exposed wooden structures and required as one of the defining elements of a barchetta style.
From the front, Morgan’s new signature headlight units – finished with silver inserts – flank the horseshoe grille which features a half-moon shape at the top of the stone guard. This half-moon shape, whilst a key design feature, also helps to direct air flow within the grille aperture. Small vertical vents sit at either side of the horseshoe grille, these further aid air flow and cooling.
The view from the cockpit of a Morgan is distinctive. A long bonnet leading your eyes to the wing tops gives a clear indication of where the front wheels are – a key hallmark of a Morgan – allowing driver’s to confidently guide the car through corners with accuracy and flow. Midsummer continues this attribute, yet with some subtle differences.
Pininfarina has reinterpreted the iconic louvres that are stamped lengthways into each bonnet with a series of ‘piano keys’. These piano keys are hand formed and positioned widthways along the scuttle section of each bonnet, delicately dancing along the surface of the aluminium. Beyond their beauty, the piano keys also play a functional role in allowing air to exit from the engine compartment.
New analogue dials have been designed exclusively for Midsummer. Handmade in the UK, the dials are finished in an off-white colour to suit the overall softness and warmth of the vehicle. The introduction of new analogue dials has required a full electronic re-evaluation. The steering wheel has been re-sculpted and features a solid forged aluminium centre. In addition, Midsummer also benefits from a enhanced Sennheiser audio system with new dashboard controls.
Dynamically, Midsummer continues the raw and visceral driving experience that is synonymous with Morgan sports cars. This experience is accentuated thanks to Midsummer’s barchetta style, which ensures occupants are at one with their surroundings and forced to remain present in the moment. Midsummer has a target dry weight of just 1,000kg. Adjustable Nitron dampers, tuned and manufactured specifically for Midsummer, further enhance dynamic capability.
One of the most impactful elements of Midsummer is its use of wood on the exterior of the body. Whilst wood is commonplace within Morgan sports cars, its role has remained exclusively within the body frame of each vehicle, acting as a ‘buck’ for aluminium body panels to be hand-formed over. This use means it has always been hidden from view.
Midsummer’s barchetta style provided an opportunity to utilise wood to create a shoulder line, accentuating the perimeter of the cockpit and visibly showcasing the skill of Morgan’s craftspeople. This application pays homage to Morgan’s long-established relationship with wood, a key desire expressed by Pininfarina at the earliest stages of the project.
Taking inspiration from marine applications, beautifully sculpted wooden structures surround the cabin and create the necessary shoulder line. Hand formed using high-quality and durable teak, hundreds of individual layers of wood are delicately laminated together to complete each section. Selected with meticulous attention-to-detail, each layer of teak is no more than 0.6mm thick.
Each vehicle will feature nine individually crafted teak sections, taking more than 30 hours to skilfully create, and utilising 83m2 of sustainably sourced teak. Most notable are the dashboard tops, which feature 126 layers of teak each, and the door top sections which feature 120 layers each. Using multiple layers as opposed to a single piece of wood, adds strength and durability, necessary for exposed elements.
The exposed wooden sections are not just a testament of craftsmanship, a celebration of materials, and a marvel of design, they also reiterate the elevated engineering approach emerging from Morgan.
Midsummer takes Morgan’s unique blend of time-honoured craftsmanship and appropriate modern technology to even greater heights. Not just within the vehicle itself, but in the way it has been engineered and the methods which will produce every one of the 50 examples. To pursue such a striking design has required engineering innovation to overcome challenges and create solutions, many of which are unseen but vital. Whilst Morgan and Pininfarina worked together to design Midsummer, Morgan led on the engineering due its unique production methods.
Just 50 Midsummer will be produced, all of which have been sold to customers during a series of exclusive preview sessions. Remaining close to the project, every customer will benefit from individual consultation with Morgan’s designers to help tailor their Midsummer. These creative discussions will help to turn each customer’s vision into reality, ensuring every Midsummer is a true one-off. Production begins in 2024, Morgan’s 115th year, and will conclude during 2025. Prospective customers for Morgan special projects are invited to submit their proposal to Morgan. Midsummer’s first public debut is anticipated at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held in July.
