Morgan launches bespoke service with the SP1

The eccentric British carmaker has unveiled a totally unique car, the SP1, to highlight the capabilities of its newly formed Special Projects Division.

As such it is following in the footsteps of Jaguar Land Rover, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and Bentley in opening the doors of its design studios to its most valued clients in order to help them create something truly special.

However, seeing as every Morgan is hand built, for a car to be deemed worthy of the Special Projects Division, it has to be pretty special.

In the case of the SP1 it is. Its creation meant 18 months working alongside the client who wanted something that reflected his love of his time spent in Africa -- an effect achieved through the choice of ash and Bubinga hardwood in the body work -- and that referenced the jet age as much as the classical curves of a standard Morgan.

According to the company, the finished car needed all of the company's capabilities in craftsmanship and engineering as each body panel and curve is created and shaped by hand.

The result is still unmistakably a Morgan, albeit one that's back from the future. It's powered by a 3.7-liter V6 from a Ford Mustang and has a bespoke engine management system to get the most out of the engine in its new automotive home.

Other more idiosyncratic touches are a set of roof-mounted toggle switches that, as in an aircraft, need to be flicked in a certain order to fire up the engine ready for flight. There's also an infotainment system built around an integrated iPod that sits in the center of the dashboard console -- a nod to the 21st century that Morgan claims is a demonstration that the company is modern.

However, it's the sectional, curved wooden seats that occupants will notice when they climb inside, not the addition of a tablet.

Seeing as it's a special vehicle built for an individual client, Morgan hasn't taken the SP1 to the track but computer modelling indicates that the car should hit a top speed of 145mph (233km/h) and go from 0-62mph (100km/h) in five seconds.