Major Morgan – the most British Brit sportscar

Morgan 4/4 was the company's first four-wheeler

The Morgan 4/4 holds the record for the longest continuous production of any car. Stuart Milne says far from being an relic from a bygone age, it's one of the most character-packed cars on the road.

"They don't build 'em like they used to", "Old cars have so much character", "They're much better than modern cars" rung out the voices at a classic car show I visited last year.

And they've got a point. Most classics were built in an era when car manufacturers were run by enthusiasts rather than accountants; free from the restraints of shape-ruining aerodynamic designs and crash test requirements.

Sure, there are plenty of things about old cars which simply wouldn't be entertained today – little security, no power steering, electric windows or air-conditioning.

But somehow it's part of the classic car appeal.

So what we really need is a bona-fide classic, which embodies all which is great about a classic, packed with modern technology.

Something like the Morgan 4/4.

It was Morgan's first proper four-wheeled car – its previous efforts were three-wheelers – and was constructed using typical techniques of the day, many of which continue today.

Modern 4/4s are built using a steel ladder chassis with a coachbuilt ash and aluminium body fitted to it.

If that sounds old fashioned, then the engine is straight out of the modern era. The current model is the most powerful Morgan 4/4 to date, producing 125bhp from its 1.8-litre Ford engine, ripped straight from the Focus.

But tipping the scales at less than 950kg, performance is far more impressive. A 0-62mph dash takes less than nine seconds and top speed of almost 120mph is faster than fast enough.

It might impress on the move, but it's not a car for performance junkies; it's about savouring the moment and expressing yourself through your car.

And that's something Morgan make easy.

Building just nine cars a week, Morgan's waiting lists are often more than a year long so it’s a car you really have to want.

But when it's being bolted and nailed together, there's a staggering choice of colours and trim – a range of 50 colours of leather and 40,000 paintwork choices mean there's a theoretical one in two million chance of stumbling on a 4/4 the same as yours.

That's not to say its all show and useless as an everyday car.

It meets all the crash test standards and can return more than 40mpg. And CO2 emissions of 164g/km place it in tax band D, which currently costs just £140 per year.

Fancy a Morgan 4/4 on your drive? They start at just under £25,000 direct from Morgan, and the used values are so good you won't save much by buying used – you won't get much change from £20,000 for a five year old model.