Over 1.5K Morgans Gathered To Celebrate 108 Years Of History

Morgan, the bespoke British automaker that still uses wood to build its cars, celebrated its 108 years of history with the inaugural Run for the Hills event – which, surprisingly is not a tribute festival to Iron Maiden.It was a two-day event at the Malvern Three Counties Showground just a few miles from the company's factory. Over 5,000 owners and enthusiasts attended the festivities, along with more than 1,500 Morgan vehicles.

Saturday visitors witnessed a special Morgan 3 Wheeler procession of 50 vehicles from the factory to the showgrounds. Steve Morris, Morgan's managing director, led the party in the all-electric EV3. A 1909 model was the oldest in attendance, while the newest model had rolled off the assembly line earlier that week.

"We have had such a wonderful weekend here at Run for The Hills," said Morris. "We are continually blown away by the unrivaled passion that our owners and enthusiasts have for the marque. There were many highlights for me, however, seeing the 3 Wheelers leave the factory on Saturday morning and then watching the English Symphony Orchestra concert and fireworks closing the event were perfect bookends of the show."

Saturday evening saw a gala dinner hosted by British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes who shared stories of his many expeditions. A charity auction raised £22,000 (about $28,000 at today's exchange rates) for the British Heart Foundation.

But the weekend was about more than just pomp and circumstance. All three Morgan SLRs were on display, as was the TOK258 that won the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans with Chris Lawrence behind the wheel.

Other festivities included an open house at the factory, hot air balloon rides, a Morgan AutoSOLO track experience, racing simulators, and live aerobatic displays. Sunday concluded with the English Symphony Orchestra playing in front of a fireworks display.

In the last 108 years, hundreds of car companies have come and gone, yet Morgan continues. It's still a small operation, building just 750 vehicles in 2016. However, it has a far reach. Seventy percent of those vehicles were exported to 32 different countries. Talk about building a brand.