We Visit London Morgan
London Morgan is known as one of the biggest Morgan dealers in the UK, having won Morgan's Dealer of the Year award back in 2014 and 2015 - two years running. But, it's not only Morgan's they dabble in… We chatted to the guys over in Kensington, London, to see what they're all about.
WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO?
Well are located in South Kensington and we're basically taking the Morgan brand in a whole new direction when it comes to sales and thinking outside the box. We have held art exhibitions, where people have been invited to look at the art on display as well as having the opportunity to look around some of the amazing Morgan's we have in the showroom. We've also held Whiskey tasting, at the risk of the attendee, of course. If you happen to have had a few too many tipples and buy a Morgan, then that's on your head. We like to think we're a younger generation of London Dealer. Our track record when it comes to sales is that we've never sold to repeat customers of Morgan. I guess we're kind of known for our way of attracting a brand-new customer to the brand, and that's why we've won the awards. We're very lucky to be situated in one of the last working Mews in London. Granted there are no longer any horses, but it's a beautiful site and different from your usual car dealer showroom.
SO, HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR VEHICLES ONCE A CAR HAS BEEN DELIVERED READY FOR COLLECTION?
New Morgan's are built to order, so customers get exactly what they want. They're delivered to Kentvale, in Northampton, from the Morgan factory, in Worcestershire. They can sit a while gathering dust until we collect them. Once we've been and got them from Kentvale and they arrive safely at our showroom in Astwood Mews, they're fully valeted. Firstly, we blow off any dust. They're then prepped using an outside contractor who completely strips the paint back of any protective waxes, removing any seals. Now that they have a blank canvas, the detailers are ready to treat the whole car. They follow the blow-off with a good quality shampoo and then they're leathered off. They inspect the paint to see what then needs doing. As they generally do a great job washing, all that's needed is a good quality wax. They then layer this up to the desired effect. All cars are initially detailed by the factory, but by the time they get to us they're filthy and need doing all over again. The interior leather is also cleaned and treated, to help save it from any staining.
DO YOU TEND TO GET ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FROM CUSTOMERS ON THE PREP OF THE CARS?
Well, we get asked a lot more now about coatings, so we may end up offering one of those at some point. Auto protect was designed by Williams' Formula One team and they apparently cover their cars in it, so we're in talks with them about a paint protection.
IT'S NOT ONLY MORGAN'S YOU DEAL WITH DOWN HERE, IS IT?
We also run Monaco Volkswagen, which is just across the cobbled street outside and is the oldest VW dealer in the UK. It's just a servicing depot, so no new cars are sold here, but every car that comes in gets a service wash. We also offer the option of a stage 1 or stage 2 detail, as well, at an extra cost.
HAVE YOU ANY DETAILING TIPS OR FAVOURITE PRODUCTS YOU LIKE TO USE?
We couldn't live without a good quality wax. A good wax is the difference between, not only having to wash your car every week, but the effectiveness of that wash. A good wax will help to prevent contaminants of our UK roads from getting anywhere near the paint, the more you layer it up the better protected it'll be. In conjunction with a good wax, we like to use a strong quick detailer that will remove contaminants to the surface of the wax easily and quickly, without having to do a full-wash. We'd normally tackle the whole panel then re-wax the whole panel again. This method is only to be used if you've splashed something up the car or just a small section of the car is dirty for whatever reason. The most effective way of cleaning a car is and will always be, in my opinion, a two-bucket wash. I'm not convinced by waterless washes.
