Morgan Gives the Pinfarina-Designed Midsummer a Roof
Morgan Motor Company wants you to know that it can build more than just a beautiful roadster.
The boutique British marque has just unveiled its first hard-top model in over a decade, the Midsummer Coupé. A roof isn’t all that differentiates the car from the barchetta it shares a name with; it’s also significantly more exclusive.
Morgan is associated with its coachbuilt roadsters, but the brand has released hardtops in the past, though its most recent, the Aero Coupe, went out of production all the way back in 2015. Its latest fix-roofed model is based on the Pininfarina-designed Midsummer roadster from a couple years back. One of Morgan’s customers was intrigued by the collaboration, which was a first of its kind for the automaker, but asked if it would be possible to get it with a roof. And out of that request was both the Midsummer Coupé.
Morgan Midsummer Coupé
Morgan Motor Company/Facebook
Turning a roadster into a coupe may sound simple, but it involves more than just installing a hardtop. The car had to be redesigned to accommodate the new structure, which is dominated by large glass panels and bisected by a central strip that runs from the windshield to the rear of the car. As a result, the proportions have been subtly altered, and taller doors were required. The addition of the structure also increased the stiffness of the chassis. Despite the changes, the elegant interior of the now-enclosed cabin looks almost identical to that of the roadster.
Morgan didn’t announce performance details, but the original Midsummer was powered by a BMW-sourced 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The same mill is in the company’s most powerful car, the current Supersport 400, which makes 402 hp and 369 ft lbs of torque.
The roof features large glass panels
Morgan Motor Company/Facebook
Morgan built just 50 examples of the original Midsummer, but plans to build even fewer examples of the hard-top version. The company has committed to building just 10 examples, a number that includes the original commission. No price has been announced, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it was more than the reported $250,000 starting price of the original.
