1938 Morgan Avon Coupe Prototype

The Morgan Avon Coupe or 'Uncle George's Winter Carriage' was the prototype for the Morgan Drop Head Coupe (DHC). In 1937, Morgan decided they needed a more elegant, upscale car to add to their range of lightweight, sporty cars. They commissioned Avon Bodies to produce a prototype.

The prototype, the Avon Coupe, resembled the production Roadster forward of the windshield, but in all other respects, it was totally new. It had high formal doors, trafficators, and a curved rear deck with an enclosed spare. The prototype's favorable design led Morgan to announce a production DHC in October 1938. However, not all of the prototype's design elements made it to production. Morgan's production DHC lacked the prototype's curved rear deck as it was too difficult and costly to manufacture, rather the flat rear panel of the Roadster with the vertical twin spares was used in production. The Avon Coupe became the factory's experimental 'hack' and was driven by George Goodall, the Morgan managing director, in field trials where an enclosed car is desired, hence the name, 'Uncle George's Winter Carriage.'