After 84 years, legendary British car maker Morgan has switched from its traditional steel chassis to modern aluminum construction. This video records the end of an era.

True to our name here at Mac’s Motor City Garage, we focus mainly on the Detroit auto industry, but we try to pull back once in a while to show the bigger picture. Tiny Morgan Motor Company of Malvern, UK, founded by Henry Stanley Frederick Morgan, has been building motor vehicles since 1910, and for most of its history, using only the most traditional methods. Even now, deep into the 21st century,  Morgans are built essentially by hand and not on a conventional assembly line. And as long as the company survives, its operations will be a source of fascination to car enthusiasts around the world.

The Morgan story is so steeped in legend and lore that for years, the myth persisted that the cars were built on wooden chassis. That was never really true, of course; rather, the body’s framework was of hardwood construction while the chassis frame was steel. Or at least it was for the company’s first 35,000 cars. Now the Worcestershire car maker is making the giant step to advanced aluminum-alloy platform construction. To memorialize this moment the company produced this evocative video, which includes some other special events in Morgan history. Enjoy the video.