How to evolve your brand without losing your soul: Because heritage without movement becomes nostalgia. And nostalgia doesn’t steer.

Let’s begin with a vanishing sound:
A wooden frame being hand-fitted into a sports car.

Morgan Motor Company doesn’t build cars the way everyone else does. They never have. That was the point. For over a century, in a Malvern factory that looks like it ought to sell jam on Sundays, Morgan made machines that looked like something from a different era

because they were.

Oak panels. Ash frames. Waiting lists measured in years.

And somehow, through wars, recessions, and the rise of electric everything, they didn’t just survive.

They became mythical.

This is not a story of stagnation.

It’s a story of evolution that kept the rhythm of the original.

The Anti-Consultant Brand That Worked

Sir John Harvey-Jones, the great 1990s business fixer, once begged Morgan to modernise.

They nodded politely. Then ignored him.

And what happened?

Sales went up. Love deepened. The Morgan name became shorthand for something that almost no company dares to promise anymore: character.

That character was shaped, not by algorithms, but by arguments over walnut dashboards and headlamp shapes.

But eventually, even Morgan had to shift.

What Changed. And What Didn’t

In 2010, the original Morgan Motor Company Ltd was folded. A new entity took the reins: Morgan Technologies Ltd, backed by Investindustrial, a firm with Italian design roots and a surprising record of tasteful stewardship.

This wasn’t a soulless buyout. It was a lifeboat for a legacy.

Today, Morgan is no longer family-owned in name. But in spirit?

The eccentricity remains.

And it’s leaning into its next chapter with a flair that no spreadsheet could forecast.

Pininfarina & The Power of Partnership

To mark its 115th anniversary, Morgan partnered with none other than Pininfarina the Italian atelier behind some of Ferrari’s finest silhouettes.

The result?

A limited-run coachbuilt Morgan, fuel-powered, designed for romance rather than ROI. It hasn’t launched yet. But we already know the shape of it:

Hot metal. Hand-drawn curves. Quiet confidence.

Not a car for the masses. A car for those who still believe design can move the soul.

And If You Can’t Buy the Car… Buy the Sunglasses

While you wait for the Pininfarina drop (or your bank manager to recover), Morgan has teamed up with Taylor Morris for a line of sunglasses inspired by vintage racing goggles.

Tortoiseshell. Polarised. Built with a nod to mid-century style and motorsport mythology.

They’re less about shielding your eyes… and more about seeing yourself as someone who still values craftsmanship.

The Real Lesson: Stay Recognisable, Not Stuck

Morgan didn’t survive because it froze in time. It survived because it filtered time.

• It kept the wood but added aluminium.

• It kept the curves but tucked a BMW engine under the bonnet.

• It let go of ownership but kept its soul in the driver’s seat.

The difference?

They knew the rhythm.

They let the brand grow without shedding its shape.

That’s what real succession looks like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Isn’t using wood in a car just marketing nostalgia?
Not for Morgan. It’s function wrapped in tradition, and yes, it still works.

Q: Has Morgan “sold out” now it’s backed by investors?
No. It’s been curated, not diluted. The soul remains. Just better financed.

Q: Are these cars practical?
Define practical. They’re not built to beat traffic. They’re built to remind you what driving used to feel like.

Q: Why sunglasses? Isn’t that a step down?
No, it’s a gateway. A nod. A touchpoint for those who feel the rhythm but aren’t ready to own the orchestra.

Explore what it means to build with character.

✅ Download our free guide: Legacy Without Laziness — How to Modernise a Family Brand Without Losing Its Soul
✅ Check the FAQs if you’re wrestling with brand inheritance or succession
✅ Or simply order the sunglasses — and wear the metaphor while you work things out

Because the real engine in a Morgan isn’t the BMW block.

It’s the story.

And every business has one.

If you’re brave enough to keep it running.