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While other models were sleek and streamlined, the Morgan looked and sounded like sports cars were supposed to. But its throaty roar could be a thing of the past, at least on one model, with the 101-year-old company developing an electric low-carbon version of the iconic vehicle.

The electric car will be made of aluminium and be powered buy a plug-in battery. Morgan is co-operating with two other British companies, Zytek and Radshape, to produce a concept car which could be seen for the first time at the Geneva motor show next year.

In fact two cars are being produced. One will be held back for further engineering research, while the other will be on public view as Morgan decides whether to develop a version which could be put on sale.

The project is being backed by a £100,000 grant from the Government which sees electric cars as part of the solution to climate change. With the project still in its infancy, the range of the car and its top speed has still be decided. It will, according to a spokesman for the project, be quick.

Hagerty, those fine purveyors of classic car insurance, have put together their list of the top ten British cars that you should buy now – before their values go up even higher. While they are all fantastic, of course, I am not sure I totally agree with the ones they include, nor especially the ones Hagerty left off.

Much like the earlier mentioned contest for the “Best British Sport Car”, this is a fun list to fight over more than anything. I don’t know of anyone who would actually use this as their shopping list. And if there were someone with that kind of money, they probably already have that list in their head anyway.

So, what do you think of the list? What would you put on that isn’t listed, or take off that is here?

1968-2006 Morgan Plus 8: An aluminum V8 in a car similar to an MG TF is a recipe for big fun, and the Moggie delivers. Recently out of production and always in demand, there’s nowhere to go but up. $35,000-$65,000

1978-79 TVR 3000S roadster: A bit obscure, but this car really has it all–great looks, a sophisticated tube chassis and plenty of power via a 2.9-liter Ford V6. Low production numbers mean a potentially long search, but this is one vehicle that’s bound to appreciate in the long run. $16,000-$20,000

1967-74 Lotus Elan +2: One of if not the only case of the 2+2 coupe being prettier than the roadster, the Elan +2 might well be the prettiest collector car you can buy for less than $25,000. Rare, from a storied marque, quick and very attractive make a good proposition for future appreciation. $15,000-$22,000

1977-80 Lotus Esprit S1-S2: Another Lotus, this one the wedge-icon Esprit by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Good enough for 007 to use in several outings, Esprits are the supercar bargain and are not likely to stay inexpensive forever. $12,000-$15,000

1995-2004 Aston Martin DB7: The DB7 sits on the cusp between used car and collectible–it’s finished depreciating, and nearly anything Aston Martin has been hot in the collector-car market of late. Hold time may be a bit longer, but it seems a relative certainty for collectability. Opt for a manual-transmission coupe. $26,000-$60,000

1989-2000 Aston Martin Virage: The DB7′s predecessor was a hand-built car in the tradition of the David Brown-era cars. It’s big, brawny and fast and stands out as undervalued among Astons and supercars in general. Like the DB7, a manual-transmission coupe is the way to go. $35,000-$70,000

Triumph TR8: Sub-$15,000 V8 roadsters are thin on the ground these days. While the wedge styling of the TR8 is a bit polarizing and quality-control issues were legendary, survivors have been sorted out and can be quite entertaining. $9,000-$15,000

Jensen Interceptor: A British interior complete with Connolly leather and a polished walnut dash, Italian styling by Vignale and a Chrysler 440 V8 can only be a Jensen Interceptor. These cars are worth twice in the U.K. what they’re bringing now in the United States. This situation won’t last indefinitely. Buy one right now. $15,000-$25,000

Alvis TD/TF21: Relatively unknown in the States, the Alvis TS21 has the same upper-crust British look as a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley, but with available ZF five-speed gearboxes and wire wheels, it’s much more sporting. The cars generally are priced at about half of what you’d think to look at them. $25,000-$50,000

Jaguar E-type SIII: Some people compare the SIII E-type to the 1970s version of Elizabeth Taylor. Still, the complex V12 SIII has its merits. Anything else with a V12 in front, wire wheels and a manual transmission will set you back more than $600,000. Prices have been on the rise lately. $25,000-$65,000

Over thirty rare, unusual and beautiful sports and racing cars manufactured in England will be on display at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Pennsylvania from February 20th through March 14th, 2010. Titled the “Best of Britain,” the show is comprised of cars from individual collectors in the mid-Atlantic states and is intended to illustrate why the adjective “British” is inseparable from the term “sports car.”

Cars in the show include a 1935 Triumph Gloria Southern Cross that was once part of the Henry Ford Museum, a 1960 MGA Twin Cam Coupe that raced at Sebring, and a 1966 Aston Martin DB6, one of the most potent sports cars of its era. The poster car, a 1933 Squire is the first of only seven ever built, and is considered by many to be among the most beautiful British sports cars ever made.

The “Best of Britain” show is included with regular museum admission, $12 adults, $10 seniors, $8 for students. Children under 8 are admitted free. The Museum is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Museum is located at 6825 Norwitch Drive, Philadelphia, Pa., 19153, directly in back of the Airport Automall and five minutes off Interstate 95.

For more information, visit www.simeonemuseum.org or call 215-365-7233.

Source Simeone Museum

The stunning new Morgan Aeromax has been unveiled as the latest in a long line of British sports cars to use Avon tyres as official tyre supplier. The Avon Tyres brand offers a complete range of high performance tyres that are manufactured and marketed by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe.

Classic British manufacturer, Morgan, chose Avon’s trusted ZZ3 as the perfect choice for their brand new 362bhp, 170mph machine, which has a 0-62mph speed of just 4.5 seconds. The Aeromax will be Morgan’s flagship model as the marque heads into its 100th anniversary year in 2009.

The Avon ZZ3 was selected because of its excellent road holding in both wet and dry conditions and its predictable high-performance handling characteristics suit the powerful car perfectly.

The Aeromax will use Avon’s 225/35 R19 XL 88Y XL ZZ3 at the front and 245/35R19 XL 93Y ZZ3 on the rear.

Morgan also chose the Avon ZZ3 as an OE fitment for the revamped Aero 8 sports car in 2006, along with Connaught for its Type-D GT Syracuse.

Earlier this summer, the Lightning Car Company announced that it would choose the ultra-high performance Cooper Zeon 2XS for its ground-breaking electric sports car, while Caterham has a long-standing relationship with Avon, going back 17 years.

For more information on Avon Tyres, visit avon-tyres.co.uk or for more information about the Morgan Aeromax or other Morgans, visit morgan-motor.co.uk

We have covered it before, but I just can’t get enough of this “Green” Morgan. But there is another article on Morgan’s unveiling of the world’s first pollution-free sports car at the Geneva Motor Show. This car is simply gorgeous.

For the full article, see The Daily Mail.

What do you think of the styling? Would you buy one? How does it fit in with the other Morgans?

Morgan Motor Co., the tiny British automaker so old-fashioned it still uses wood frames, is stepping well into the future with LifeCar, a hydrogen fuel cell hybrid it says will prove “a zero-emission vehicle can be fun to drive.”

Morgan will unveil the hand-built aluminum-bodied coupe next month at the Geneva Auto Show, and although there’s no word on whether LifeCar will ever be more than a one-off concept, the company hopes to show hydrogen is a viable – if distant – alternative to fossil fuels. Morgan has spent more than two years working with a British defense firm, two universities and a hydrogen supplier to develop a car it promises will “minimize the fuel cell cost and provide the fuel economy for a 200 mile range.”

As impressive as the LifeCar is, what makes it truly remarkable is a company so small as Morgan built it. The company, founded in 1912, employs 156 people who built 650 cars last year – all of them by hand in a small factory in rural England. Yet it is standing alongside Honda, General Motors and BMW with a hydrogen-fueled vehicle that works.

Morgan’s cars look like they were designed in the 1930s, and LifeCar draws on that decade’s streamlined art deco aesthetic. LifeCar is based on Morgan’s Aero Eight and uses a fuel cell built by British defense contractor QuentiQ. Charles Morgan, the founder’s grandson, said the challenge was to build “a proper sports car,” and meeting it required a novel approach.

“The use of ultracapacitors to store the surplus energy and then use this for acceleration and braking does promise a dynamic ride, especially when combined with our ultra light chassis,” Morgan told Business Week. “The paring of weight to a minimum is our strength and allows a much smaller fuel cell than conventionally though necessary. This gives energy and yet more weight savings.”

Britain’s Department for Trade and Industry helped finance the project, which reportedly cost 1.9 million British pounds (about $3.7 million at today’s exchange rate). The collaborative effort included Cranfield University, which developed the on-board computer and control systems, and Oxford University’s work on the regenerative electric motors.

We called Morgan and were told quite politely the company had nothing to say about LifeCar right now but will provide more information next week. Meanwhile, here are some conceptual renderings of the car and pictures of it under construction.

Source: Wired