Morgan Car Company donate statuette and cash to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (http://uk.blastingnews.com/)
Morgan Car Company Donate Statuette
The Morgan Statue Foundation has donated a bronze Morgan memorial statuette to the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire and £22,117 of its remaining funds to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (BMIHT). The statuette, named ‘Handing Over’, portrays the founder of the Morgan Motor Company, H.F.S. Morgan standing beside an iconic 1958 Morgan 4/4, handing the keys to his son, Peter, who is sitting at the wheel of the car. That same year, H.S.F as he was affectionately known, handed over the control of the company to his son. Sadly he passed away the following year, just short of the company’s 50th anniversary.
Early days of The Morgan Motor Company
The Morgan Motor Company began in 1909 in the spa town of Malvern, Worcestershire. For many years it produced the award-winning, record breaking #Morgan three-wheeler. In 1936 it introduced four-wheelers. Their classic Morgan 4/4 range (meaning 4 cylinders and 4 wheels) is the world’s longest running production vehicle, still being manufactured to this day. The iconic shape of today’s Morgans has remained unchanged for more than 60 years. A record that no other car manufacturer in the world can equal.
One of the UK’s top sculptors
The statuette was created by Les Johnson, FRBS, one of the country’s best contemporary figurative sculptors. He is renowned for many bronze statues including ‘Dockers’, featuring 9ft high dock workers that stands outside the ExCel Centre, Docklands, London.
‘Handing Over’ presentation
The presentation ceremony was attended by a number of Morgan Statue Foundation personnel including Chairman, Roger Moran, Vice Chairman, Brigadier Michael Selby and Secretary Brian Iles, as well as H.F.S.Morgan’s grandson, Charles Morgan. In attendance from the British Motor Museum were BMIHT Chairman Robert Dover, Managing Director Julie Tew, and MuseumCurator Stephen Laing.
Mr. Moran said that the Trustees of the Morgan Statue Foundation felt that the BMIHT was the obvious home for the statuette, pointing out that like them, they are a #charity and share objective values to the Morgan Statue Foundation. He added: “It is great that the statuette will be on show to the public and we know our donation will be used wisely.”
Statuette now on display
The ‘Handing Over’ statuette will now be on display for visitors to enjoy in the motorsport area of the British Motor Museum. Curator, Stephen Laing said: “We are delighted to receive this unique statuette in memory of Morgan’s Founder and for their generous donation which will help continue the valuable #Work of BMIHT.”
A museum for all the family
The award-winningBritish Motor Museum and Collection Centre is home to the largest collection of #historic British cars in the world. It also has an archive that contains more than one million items from technical records and publicity material to photographs and film.
It’s a fascinating inter active museum hosting exhibitions and events, workshops and family activities. This bronze statuette depicting one of the iconic men behind the British motor industry will now be enjoyed by the tens of thousands of men, women and children who visit every year.