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Nostalgia for hire

James Snodgrass for CNN

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The car rental market has changed significantly in recent years.

Internet and SMS technology have made hourly rental (the so-called "car clubs") a possibility. And even the biggest players, Hertz and Avis, have extended their proposition into "speciality" cars including Ford Mustang convertibles. They have understood that car rental needn't just be a utility -- it can be a pleasure.

Rental can be a cost-effective way to buy into a lifestyle without the insurance and maintenance costs that owning a classic or exotic car can incur.

At the top of the rental tree are "shared access" clubs such as P1 in the United Kingdom. Founded by former Formula 1 champion Damon Hill, P1 gives its members access to a wish list of supercars, including Ferraris and Lamborghinis, for a one-off joining fee of £2500 ($4960) and annual membership from £11,750 ($23,000).

Another former F1 driver, France's Erik Comas, offers his customers the chance to step back in time and race historic Renault Alpine rally cars. Comas Historic Racing rental packages include a racing licence, rental of the car and insurance, and even team clothing. And all this is backed up with support from Renault's Historic Collection department.

In south western France we find The Classic Route, a rental company which aims to let its customers "rediscover the pleasure of motoring". The brainchild of English neuroscientist, Dr Chris Hatton, The Classic Route rents brand-new Morgan Plus Four open-topped sports cars and prepares individual route plans based on the customers' interests, whether that be driving along challenging country roads, or making tours of chateaux and vineyards.

The Morgan Plus Four is enigmatic to say the least. Built from aluminium on a wooden frame and steel chassis, it is of a basic design that has changed very little since 1936. Each car is hand-built in Morgan's factory in rural England.

Their rarity in France (where Morgan sells about 30 cars per annum) means that you will always be the centre of attention. "It confuses people," says Hatton, "they can't get their head around the idea that it's a new car. I'm always asked, 'beautiful car, what year is it?' and I say '2007' and they reply 'so it's a replica?' and I say 'no, it's a Morgan'."

Morgan is different, idiosyncratic, archaic. The basic €44000 ($59000) car gives you little in terms of creature comforts. CD player, leather upholstery, wood trim, even exterior door handles are cost options. Fortunately The Classic Route's fleet has added all these optional extras plus hand-crafted Moto-Lita steering wheels.

When I arrived at The Classic Route's offices in Pibrac, outside Toulouse in south-western France, the weather was glorious -- perfect for open-topped motoring -- and ideal for my first Morgan experience.

Frankly my first impressions were not good. The Plus Four is not an easy car to drive. The driving position is impossibly low with a view down a seemingly endless hood. It is front-engined and rear-driven, with a five-speed Ford stick-shift and 2-litre Ford Duratec engine (as found in the Mondeo and Jaguar X-Type).

Modern niceties are entirely absent. There is no ABS braking, no airbags, no dynamic stability control, no power steering, brakes that aren't servo-assisted and a front suspension system (sliding pillar) that most manufacturers had abandoned by the 1950s.

It takes getting used to. The front wheels are so far ahead of the driver that you have to adapt your steering input to counteract this -- you steer a little earlier than you would in a conventional car. The brakes simply don't react to feathering. They must be pushed -- hard -- if you want the vehicle to come to a halt.

Then there's the ride. With only inches of ground clearance -- and the outmoded suspension -- the ride is harsh and you must pay attention to the road surface at all times. Potholes and speed humps are not to be taken at speed.

The next day I joined Dr Hatton on a proving route that would take us from Toulouse, over the Pyrenees, to Pau. Hatton drives all the routes before presenting the personalised route plans to customers. That way he can be sure to alert them to ambiguous junctions and un-signposted turns. "There's this assumption in rural France," says Hatton, "that if you're in a small village then you're from that village and must know your way around."

Both of us had laptop cases and small suitcases. These fitted comfortably behind the seats, so we didn't have to use the external luggage rack (another cost option, naturally). The rack will hold suitcases up to 135 litres in capacity, so you can fit enough luggage for two people for two weeks.

Taking the freeway, Toulouse to Pau should take about two hours. But our scenic route should have taken five to six hours (in the event, circumstances ensured that it took much longer than that).

Unfortunately the weather wasn't good. Leaving Toulouse, the River Garonne was swollen and brown and was carrying trees it had felled in its wake. The night before, the rainfall had been hard and incessant. It was the worst May downpour France had experienced in over 60 years. And it looked like showing no sign of relenting.

Morgan has recently redesigned the vinyl roof of its cars make them easier to put up and down. Naturally the roof was covered to protect us from the torrential rain. But the seal wasn't quite watertight. I perched a baseball cap beneath the windshield to collect rain that would otherwise dampen my thighs.

After a disappointing lunch in Aspet (don't believe all the claims the French make for their cuisine, it's just as easy to get a terrible roadside meal in France as any other country) I drove the Col de Bunet -- a "Col" is a mountain pass -- towards Marignac.

The rain was incessant but the Morgan's three windscreen wipers were just about up to the job. And the laminated heated screen served its function and didn't steam up. After a steep learning curve, the Morgan becomes a joy to drive. Once the unfamiliarity has worn off you start to understand why these eccentric machines command such loyal enthusiasm.

The constant vibration from the road, and the steering effort -- particularly at low speeds -- means that driving experience is a physical one. It reminds you how removed we have come from the true driving experience by the modern refinements that we take for granted. It is tiring, demanding yet -- because of the effort involved -- it feels more worthwhile.

An unfamiliar mountain pass, torrential rain and a road surface covered in slippery tree pollen demands attention. I rarely got the opportunity to top 65 km/h (40 mph) yet it felt sporty. Despite the modern engine, the sound and feel of the car are reminders of a bygone age. It's noisy, it's bumpy and it's fun. 24 hours earlier I really didn't like Morgans. But then I "got" them.

Dr Hatton took the wheel through the Col d'Aspin and Col du Tourmalet. We had a brief respite from the rain when we drove through a cloud and out the other side. Just before the ski resort of La Mongie we saw a herd of skinny mountain goat and our first sight of snow-capped peaks.

There's something slightly sinister about a ski resort out of season. The stationary ski lifts swinging forlornly, devoid of passengers. The deserted hotels and shuttered-down bars. It's like driving through some post-apocalyptic science fiction fantasy.

We stopped at the highest point of the Col du Tourmalet, a regular point on the Tour de France. I realised that at 2115 m (6939 ft) I was at the highest altitude I have ever been (outside of an aircraft). The air was thin, and getting out of the Morgan -- not an easy task at the best of times -- seemed particularly difficult.

It was cold outside the Morgan (which, for all its antiquity has a particularly efficient heater). In fact it was very cold and felt close to freezing. We treated ourselves to hot chocolate from a frankly surreal bar and chatted to a bunch of cyclists who had ascended the Col via their own propulsion.

We both were aware of the slight dizzy feeling of minor oxygen deprivation. Everything -- taking a step, inhaling, exhaling -- seemed to take that extra bit more effort.

We later discovered that the Col du Tourmalet was closed to traffic for the following two days. Because of snow.

I took control of the car again somewhere around Esterre. I was confident, now, enjoying every moment. And then, a short drive out of the village of Grust -- on a left-hand bend with a mountain to my right and a wall between the road and the valley to my left -- I saw something on the road.

Perhaps it was a dirty pile of tissue paper, I thought. Or a discarded plastic bottle that had become grey with grit. Brake heavily, in the pouring rain, and I was liable to skid. And I couldn't swerve to avoid it, because there was traffic in the other direction. So I pointed the wheels so the tyres wouldn't hit the obstruction and, with a bit of luck, we'd pass over it.

And then there was an almighty bang ...

... to be continued

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Two of The Classic Route's fleet of Morgan Plus Fours

Nostalgia for hire

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