The barchetta design of Midsummer, borne from a Morgan & Pininfarina collaboration, celebrates an iconic European body style and demonstrates the flexibility of the timeless Morgan silhouette.

by Andre James / photos by Nick Dimbleby, courtesy of Morgan Motor Company

A tribute to the art of bespoke motor vehicles, the Midsummer model is a testament to the more than two centuries of combined coachbuilding experience between Morgan Motor Company (morgan-motor.com) and Pininfarina (pininfarina.it). This limited edition, a Morgan special project, showcases the finely honed skills of artisans who meticulously hand-formed every element of the distinctive body based on Morgan's latest CX-Generation Bonded Aluminum Platform. 

"Midsummer is dedicated to enthusiastic individuals who will enjoy an unconventional, sensory, and analog driving experience. By identifying and reinterpreting Morgan's admired ideals, Midsummer turns our legacy into a charming, sophisticated, and timeless aesthetic," said Massimo Fumarola, Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Motor Company.

Midsummer's delicate yet exaggerated proportions imbue an eccentric elegance reminiscent of iconic Pininfarina designs and evocative of an era of late 30s and early 40s automotive design. New surfacing, particularly noticeable on the front and rear wings, gives a subtle preview of the evolving Morgan design language. Midsummer also introduces a shoulder line to Morgan's instantly recognizable side profile, made possible by introducing exposed wooden structures, one of the defining elements of a barchetta, a class of open-top, two-seat sports cars. Hand-formed stainless steel lower sills provide a conclusion for the wings, along with a sense of volume and an 'undercut,' a feature inspired by early Pininfarina designs.

New signature headlight units – finished with silver inserts – flank the horseshoe grille with a half-moon shape at the top of the stone guard, which helps direct airflow within the grille aperture. A longer rear tail is reminiscent of iconic Pininfarina designs of the early 20th century, while the cockpit view of the long bonnet leads eyes to the wing tops and the placement of the front wheels. Pininfarina has reinterpreted Morgan's iconic louvers stamped lengthways into each bonnet with a series of hand-formed 'piano keys' positioned widthways along the scuttle section of each bonnet and functioning to facilitate airflow in the engine compartment.

While wood is commonplace within Morgan sports cars, it has historically remained within the body frame and out of sight. Midsummer's barchetta style provided an opportunity to utilize sustainably sourced teak to create a shoulder line, accentuating the cockpit's perimeter and visibly showcasing Morgan's craftspeople's skill. This application pays homage to Morgan's long-established relationship with wood, a fundamental desire Pininfarina expressed at the project's earliest stages.

"The design of the Midsummer is the product of an immersive journey between two brands, building on the essence of Morgan's DNA, encompassing its centenary heritage, company culture, and a remarkable community of passionate devotees. This endeavor was also a rare and unique opportunity to investigate our own past with the fresh eyes of a new generation of designers and to rediscover our company's very origins in coachbuilding," said Felix Kilbertus, Chief Creative Officer, Pininfarina.

Embarking on a journey of exclusivity, only 50 Midsummer models will be crafted, each one a testament to the unique vision of its owner and a true one-off masterpiece. These limited editions have already found their discerning owners during exclusive preview sessions. Production, commencing in 2024 (Morgan's 115th year), at the company's facility in Malvern, Worcestershire, in the UK, will culminate in 2025. The Midsummer will make its public debut at the prestigious 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, an annual event held in July at the Goodwood House in West Sussex, England.