2009 Morgan Aeromax

The Morgan Motor Company has been making new old cars since its inception more than 100 years ago. The automaker has always looked to give buyers a blast of old-school British sporting eccentricity, which is a different kind of proposition than you will find with cars that come with engines that sit behind the driver.

When Henry Morgan started making three-wheel runarounds in the 1900s, he wasn’t a designer, just an industrious fellow. From there, the company was a family business, building cars that all looked the same. Once the vehicles were in the standard shape, all the engineers needed to do was make sure new versions were up to standard. 

But 21st-century customers – even ones looking for a Morgan – expect more in the way of ergonomics and practicality, and that led the company to hire actual designers who are able to whip up a vision of the past, present, and future at the drop of a hat. Interestingly, though, there wasn’t a single one until a gentleman named Matthew Humphries sent a letter to the company in 2004. The then 21-year-old – a student at Coventry University’s world-renowned automotive design course – much like any designer, wanted to make his mark on the world.

As part of his studies, Humphries was required to gain a placement to gain some real-world experience and, after being knocked back elsewhere, he sent Charles Morgan his work. Morgan was so impressed by what he saw, he hired the young student as chief of design. Why hire an on-site designer? As it turns out, Sir Morgan had a plan. Classic car collector and Morgan superfan Prince Eric Sturdza was in the market for a bespoke car, namely a hardtop take on the firm’s soft-top-only Aero 8, and Humphries was the man for the job.

Morgan began work building a car using the same underpinnings from the Aero 8 and named it the Morgan AeroMax, honoring Charles Morgan’s son, Max. One single coachbuilt example was produced and went on to be displayed at the Geneva International Motorshow in 2005. With so much interest from the general public and with the backing of the original advocate, Prince Sturdza, Morgan committed to producing 100 examples to mark the company’s centenary, of which all build slots were filled. These were hand produced in Malvern, United Kingdom, between 2008 and 2009, with production limited to 80 left-hand drive and 20 right-hand drive units.

Carrying over from the Aero 8, the car wore the same front fascia, with the same Mini headlights mounted on the long, curved front fenders resembling the Art Deco era. The cabin was completely different, though, featuring an arched roof line sweeping towards the back of the vehicle. The rear split window, resembling some of the Talbot and Bugattis from the ‘30s, gave the car a distinct personality, while the taillights were carried over from the Lancia Thesis. 

On the inside, the British automaker installed the most exclusive materials available in its shop, with real leather and wood veneers covering the cabin, available in different colors, depending on customers’ tastes. 

Under the hood, Morgan installed the same 4.8-liter N62 V8-mill carried over and adapted from BMW. This naturally-aspirated bulletproof German engine is mated to a six-speed transmission, available in either manual or automatic, delivering 368 horsepower to the rear wheels. With a weight of only 1,180 kg (2,601 lbs), this pushes the AeroMax to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds, and achieves 370 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm.

Much like the Aero 8 on which it is based, the AeroMax shares the aluminum-bonded monocoque suspension set-up, but is 6 cm wider (2.36 in.) and benefits from a metal ball-jointed suspension paired with softer springs for an optimum ride.

With a central seating position and a curb weight of less than 1,200 kg (2,646 lbs), every trip in the AeroMax is enjoyed with an engaging drive, rewarded at every inch of the rev range by those side exit exhausts. Add to that plush leather seats that envelope you, pulling you right into the heart of the vehicle, where you are faced with a ‘drivers’ setup of minimal digital controls and aircraft like switches, making for a memorable journey wherever the road takes you.

The AeroMax offered here for sale, numbered 36 of 100, sports a beautiful specification. It’s finished in Dark Grey Metallic over a Yarwood Red leather interior, complimented by a red headliner and black carpets. The AeroMax was optioned with automatic transmission, an upgraded sound system with more powerful subwoofers, and the all-important side exit sports exhaust system. An aftermarket set of 19-inch Rays alloy wheels finished in graphite grey complete the look of this exotic vehicle. 

Delivered to its first owner in March 2009, the Morgan has covered a mere 7,588 mi (around 12,211 km.), and has been properly cared for and looked after since day one, as one would expect for such a unique and highly-specified automobile. 

The vehicle’s extensive service history file is proof of this, showing that between 2021 and 2022, during its second ownership, the AeroMax underwent extensive work at the Morgan factory, at a cost in excess of £18,000. In the hands of its third and current owner, an additional £2,000 was spent on the vehicle in 2023, bringing it up to a very high standard. 

The vehicle has a current MOT Certificate, valid until October 2024, and will require servicing by its new owner. Included in the sale is the original Morgan wallet containing the owner’s handbook, two sets of keys, CobraTrak certificate of installation (subscription renewal required), and private registration (AR09 MOG).

Seldom offered at auction, the opportunity to purchase an AeroMax does not come along every day, and such a prime example as this one, believed to be one of the lowest mileage examples in the world, should be on the top of the wish list of any British or supercar enthusiast.

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