Morgans were once common in southwestern Ontario

 

Morgans were once common in southwestern Ontario. In the '50s and into the '70s, these English roadsters were sold by a dealer in Windsor, Ontario, two hours from London. Then the government banned the little cars. The little sports cars did not meet the automobile regulations of the time and they still do meet the regulations today. Buying a new Morgan has been an impossible dream for the many decades now.

Car manufacturing has been important to Ontario and it put a lot of folk in the ranks of the middle class. With extra money to spend, it is not all that surprising that a car like the Morgan would find lots of buyers. Morgans were not cheap but they were affordable.

It was said that there were Morgans in Windsor on a per capita basis than in London, England. And the cars spilled out of Windsor into other communities in southern Ontario. London had its fair share. Even today there are a half dozen or so Morgans running about town each summer.

The green Morgan roadster shown was mine. I drove it for 45 years. It was a fine car. My wife and I drove it across the States twice, the last time in 2010. One often reads that English sports cars were unreliable. Not true. The cars were persnickety. With the right mechanic, a mechanic who understood the car's needs, these cars were very dependable. Heck, when I sold mine, it still had its original transmission, rear suspension, twin S.U. carburetors and more. It was a car that simply wouldn't die -- damn the regulations.