When we hear “Morgan,” we usually think of British sports cars with ash body frames, three wheels, or wild aluminum bodywork — but the company is hoping to stake its claim on a more high-tech image when it campaigns a Morgan-branded car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
The car isn’t, say, a pumped-up Aero 8 or a crazy race-spec Plus Four. Since Morgan’s partnering with the French Oak Racing consortium, the car itself will be a Morgan-branded version of the Oak-Pescarolo 01 endurance car. Though it may not boast a wooden frame or any traditional Morgan hallmarks, it certainly carries its own bit of provenance. The 2011 Oak-Pescarolo car finished fifth in the LMP2 class at last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, but brought home a constructor’s title from the 2010 Intercontinental Le Mans Series.
So why’s Morgan suddenly joining the LMP fray? Marketing, for one, but with a dash of history. Apparently, 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of a Morgan Super Sport racer winning its class at Le Mans in 1962. Here’s hoping the latest Morgan-badged racer to storm Le Mans finds similar success.
Source: Morgan
