2001 Morgan Aero 8 Photos, engines & full specs

The retrodesign trend was not yet a thing in the automotive industry when the British automaker Morgan introduced the Aero 8 in the roadster form in 2001.

Morgan was known for producing cars on wooden chassis since the late '30s, and it continued to do that even after WWII. So, the Aero 8 was not what someone would expect from the British car manufacturer. Thus, when it was unveiled, it was a massive surprise for everybody. It was Morgan's first supercar. And the first completely new vehicle developed from the ground up since 1964.

The car's design resembled the pre-war sports cars. It featured large, valanced front fenders with round, incorporated headlights. These were actually carried over from MINI, not designed in-house by Morgan. At the front, the tilted radiator grille was curved and gave the vehicle an old-school design appearance. In addition, the engine compartment was narrow and flanked by the fenders' curvatures that stretched along the bodywork. Out back, the rear quarter panels sported an elongated shape and flanked a sloped rear end. The windshield was the only element that raised above the beltline. And then were the super small doors.

Inside, Morgan installed a pair of sports seats with a center console that split the cabin in two. Fronting the driver was an instrument panel that sported the speedometer and tachometer, and a couple of other gauges. In the middle of the dash, the manufacturer installed the stereo and a few buttons and lights. This minimalist design was focused on one thing: the driver's pleasure.

Under the hood, Morgan installed on the newly developed aluminum chassis a 4.4-liter BMW engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Thus, the Aero 8 stepped into supercar territory thanks to the five seconds needed to get from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph).