Paul Jolly: The Ride of My Life – NOT!

Morgan is the sportscar on many a petrol head’s list of desirable open two-seaters, especially the 3.5 litre Rover V8 powered Plus 8, which was first available in 1968.
This put it into the rocket ship status reserved for E Type Jaguars and Ferraris of the time. Imagine then being offered the chance to deliver one from Surrey to Stoke-on-Trent up the motorway network. Well, here is the story.
Thames TV personality Tony Bastable came to my showroom and I sold him a luxurious Bentley R Type, while taking his nearly new bright orange Morgan +8 in exchange. There was a reason for this swap, as I was later to find out.
Some weeks later, a customer travelled by train from the Midlands and agreed to buy the Morgan but my boss would not take a cheque and internet banking was not available then. He said he had the cash at his factory and, not wishing to lose the sale, my boss suggested I drive the car with him as passenger, stay the night and return next day by train with the cash.
This I did and was as excited as you might imaging at this treat. However, if I tell you from that day to this, I have never bought a Morgan, nor even sat in another one, you might understand where I am going with this.
I have never ever had such an uncomfortable drive in my life, feeling every one of the concrete M6 construction strips right up my spine, which endured for over two hours. It was dark, wet, cold and visibility was non-existent. Being tall, the cramp set in before reaching the M1 in London’s rush hour.
The buyer was a true gent and paid for my accommodation and food and showed me round his factory, which pioneered new reflective safety material for traffic cones, police cars and hi-viz clothing.
I have never enjoyed a train journey so much as I did the next day.
No wonder Mr Bastable dumped it for a Bentley.