A 25 years long Morgan-Quest.
John was his name, John Miller. A strange
name for somebody from Colombian
origin. We got to know him on Curacao. In
1971 we set off to Curacao for a 3-years
stint, to work in education. Diving became
a passion for me and after an eventful dive
in one of the island's beautiful bays, we
almost surfaced together: my buddy and
me, John Miller and his buddy. We got
talking and he would come by later. On a
Sunday morning he came ..... in one of the
nicest British two-seaters I ever had seen. It
turned out to be a Morgan +4, the only one
on the entire island.
The spark immediately passed over and
my first thought was: "A beautiful thing
like this I want to drive some time in the
future". The months that followed John
often had to travel elsewhere and
invariably he then left behind "my"
Morgan. Driving behind such a nose, on
such an (inflatable) cushion, with such hard
springs, such a cart wheel for a steering
wheel and that on such a tropical island,
time and again was an exhilarating event.
The time came that John had to return to
Colombia for good . I had the opportunity
to buy the Morgan. It wasn't feasible, as
family increase was on its way. The car was
sold to an American and the day after the
+4 was shipped to the States. However, the
Morgan-dream always remained ....
A year later came an MG-Midget and in '76
we returned to The Netherlands. The idea
was to stay for 3 years and then return for
good to the Caribbean. The Morgan-dream
still remained. We stuck to the Netherlands
instead and built a new life. After an
average domestic life followed a Triumph
Spitfire Mk3: Janice.
Clubs, drives, holidays to England with the
Spitfire and the Morgan-dream lingered on.
Soon the trip headed to Pickersleigh Road -
Malvern Link and roaming through The
Factory, the dream became more and more
intense. In the meantime the Hilgers
household already contained many books,
models and other Morgan-automobilia.
28 August 1996: twenty five years of
marriage. Nobody exactly knew the date
(we thought guilelessly). Due to
circumstances we didn't host a party. At
dawn (six o'clock) some 20 people were
standing behind the house, with a band and
huge baskets with everything one needed
for a shared breakfast. Great! Then to
school: plucked from the class room by the
director and in the middle of the school
yard [in pouring rain] a jet black Morgan
was waiting.
Marijke was plucked from between the kids
in her class room. In that Morgan we drove
along familiar places from our past and we
ended up in a local venue where some fifty
people were waiting for us, to celebrate
together with us. The moment in which I
drove in this Morgan, (which, as I
understood later, was put at our disposal
immediately by Hans Pauw, for which we
are very grateful) is indescribable.
Driving behind such a nose, on such seats,
with such hard springs, such a cart wheel
for a steering wheel, the pouring rain,
which the three tiny windscreen wipers had
great trouble clearing, the damp windows,
the low weather-equipment, the heavy
gear-change and the seat-handle which
pricked into my rear cheeks: in short, a
sensorial feast!!
At a certain moment my partner said:
"Now it becomes high time to start looking
for a Morgan. If not, with an untimely
death I can put on your grave: "He longed
so much for a Morgan ....!!!"
Already a long time ago it had been
destined that a 1960s Morgan was the
favorite, a "classic" Morgan with a great
preference for an example with a Triumph
TR4 engine, the engine developed for
Ferguson-tractors (for me the purest
Morgan).
In 1996 to England again and searching.
After visits to the famous Prescott Hill
Climb and the Classic Car Races of Coys of
Kensington on Silverstone and of course
again the Morgan Factory, searching went
on. Each day we said to each other:
"TOMORROW we'll buy a MORGAN!"
Still nothing to my liking came along.
On a rainy Saturday night in November '96
my wife said dryly: "I found one!"
Unsuspectingly I asked her "You found ....
what?" A Morgan of course. Week after
week she had bought "the Saturday
newspaper for cars". We, without telling
anyone anything, set off to Leidschendam
and there she was ..... When the car
surfaced from under the (obligatory green)
dust sheet, the same spark as 25 years ago
on Curacao passed over. Then it's hard to
stay "cool" and businesslike. The colour
scheme was very violent: Silver with Red
wings.
Restraining myself heavily, I still was able
to say rather "cool": "I take an option until
next week and will come along with a
"technician". " As every kind of
examination was allowed". The following
week we left: Jan Vossenberg, pre-eminently technician, Sjir Hamers, my
faithful friend, and yours truly. The car was
examined, driven, touched, tapped and Jan
set the sign on green. Afterwards we
learned that Bill Sondagh and Henri Jansen
had enquired with a club member if the
deal was sound and if the car indeed was in
good order. Our more than well meant
thanks.
I didn't dare to drive back: I was far too
excited. Jan only said: SHUT UP ... DRIVE.
After Breda on my own in the Morgan back
to Limburg: an indescribable feeling.
Straight on to Bill's garage. After a
thorough inspection, Bill wanted to take
over the car immediately [out of the
question for me, of course] but it was a
great affirmation as to the soundness of the
deal.
Little needed to be done to the car. Some
bearings were changed. Only the grille was
not perfect enough to me. The for decades
unchanged, characteristic sign-board of the
Morgan needed a replacement, in my view.
After much deliberation I decided to fit a
polished stainless steel grille. Of course I
immediately signed on with the Morgan
club.
My Morgan already has been
christened: my Morgan is called Merlene.
For insiders: also a gazelle.
Just one pressing question remains: "Does a
1965 Morgan +4 have "overriders" on the
front bumper, or not?"
We lost every trace of John Miller, but
when seeing my Morgan I often remember
him.
Both of us, Marijke and I, do look forward
to the nearing Morgan-weekend in
Maastricht, Dutch Morgan-city pur sang and
I have the silent hope that I can make a
picture of My Morgan with Peter and/or
Charles next to it.
Louis Hilgers