Charles Morgan leads Team Morgan at Le Mans 2003

Charles Morgan, third generation of his family to run the legendary British independent sports car company, will share the driving honours in an ambitious works entry at Le Mans 2003 with well-known British GT star Martin Short and Matt Griffin, a rising young Irish driver who has already made a big name for himself in Formula Renault

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the Morgan Motor Company, and for me personally. Very few people are fortunate enough to drive at Le Mans in a car carrying their own name, and I am absolutely delighted to have the chance to do so in such illustrious company. Martin and Matt bring great energy, flair and experience to the team, and I know we’ll all do our best to prove that the Aero 8 is one of the world’s great sports cars,” comments Charles Morgan.

The three drivers will work under the expert guidance of Christopher Lawrence, Team Morgan’s Technical Consultant. His unique Le Mans career spans 40 years, from a Class Win in a Morgan in 1962 to a major role in Morgan’s return to the world’s most famous racetrack in 2002, when the works-assisted RSS Team silenced the critics and won the hearts of the crowd, despite retiring with engine failure after running for 18 hours.

“A great deal of work has been done on the car since last year, and especially on the engine,” says Chris Lawrence. “I think we now have a car that should really make people sit up and take notice, and with three excellent drivers on board, we are really looking forward to picking up our unfinished business at la Sarthe.”

Over 50 people have already responded to Team Morgan’s call for financial support via its “Exclusive Le Mans Partners Scheme”, each donating £1,000 in return for a package of benefits and the chance to win a Morgan sports car. More details are available from www.morgan-motor.co.uk. The team has also secured technical sponsorship from Carlube Motor Oil, and further sponsorship announcements are expected in the near future.

“If sufficient support is available, we plan to continue after Le Mans with an international endurance race series, which could see Morgan competing at Suzuka, Bathurst, Daytona, and possibly other American Le Mans Series events,” Charles Morgan concludes.

Story & Photo: Morgan Motor Company

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