It has been more than half a century in the making, is powered by German technology, draped in aluminium and has a wooden frame. But the blistering new Morgan Aero 8 (not to be confused with
Saab's Aero) will probably best be remembered for its, er, appearance.
At last month's Geneva show, it left onlookers open-mouthed.
"It looks like it's been hit with a shovel," said one motoring hack. Few disagreed. London's Daily Telegraph called it "stupendously ugly".
"It looks like it ... hit a telegraph pole head on," the report said. "The squinting headlamps just look, well,
dreadful, as if the company couldn't decide whether to place them in the wings or next to the radiator shell, and the rear panels look as though the've been cold-chiselled off a 1950s' Triumph TR2, which wasn't
exactly a high point in British car design."
The problem centres around the headlights. Borrowed from the Porsche 911, they are mounted on the
inside of the guards to allow the air to "slip" over the car's nose.
But not everyone seemed to appreciate this feature when the car was stationary.
Due on sale in July, Morgan says it will build the Aero 8 at a rate of 30 cars a year and claims there is a waiting list of at least four years.
Despite the reaction to the styling, Morgan says it has no plans to change the design because it would be too expensive. The maker is adamant the design is not offensive - some dedicated Morgan buyers were
allowed to see prototypes of the car as it was developed.
It has been more than half a century in the making, is powered by German technology, draped in aluminium and has a wooden frame.