Ace Cafe: Marcos and Morgans

It wouldn't be a trip to London without stopping by Ace Cafe, Northwest of London. Admittedly, I've been to London 5 or 6 times, and this is my first trip to Ace Cafe.

Our trip happened to coincide with Ace Cafe's "Marcos and Morgans" night. Not that we really needed  a trip to Ace Cafe, but I've always loved the Marcos Mantis so the idea of having a bunch in one place was too good to pass up.

This Vincent pulled in with a noticeable scoop and side pipes and instantly became the center of attention. Although I missed the owner talking, what I did see is a nice V8 under the hood. This little thing with a V8 seems like a fun track day car.

Then there's the Morgan Aero 8. It's a car that you either love, hate, or never heard of. The massive fenders and cross eyed looking headlights are what easily standout the most. With a BMW V8, the looks may not suit you, but the power could easily persuade you.

Although the Morgans are nice, I've always favored the Marcos side of thing. A few years ago at a car show, there was a Marcos for sale it total disrepair and in need of a total rebuild. I never saw a Marcos before in the flesh, the large curvy hood and the almost curvy/blunt rear just hit me. So finally after all those years, getting to see them in their clean state was a treat. And put them back on the list of cars I must own.

And now it seems you can't mention Morgan with people thinking about the Three Wheeler. A reproduction build of their original three wheeler, the car took off with popularity. Even here in the US I've seen my fair share of these, and a few showed up at Ace. The amount of customization these cars seem to offer, makes it almost certain that you can have your own individual Three Wheeler and not look like the rest.

And what's Ace Cafe with no bikes? The Royal Enfield caught my eye as soon as we arrived with it's unrestored looked. After we took a closer a look though, a local said that this exact bike sat in front of Ace Cafe back in the '60s. After someone found this bike for sale, they recognized the registration numbers and matched it back to Ace Cafe. So here it sits some 50 years later back out in front of the place where it all possibly started this for bike.

This bullet nose Triumph took home the award for my most favorite bike. The Cafe Racer look is pulled off perfectly, and the bullet nose, it just may be the best front end for a bike.

So that was a quick little trip to Ace Cafe. If you're any bit interested in cars or motorcycles, this is must do if you have a trip to London. It's a quick ride on the tube, and an even quicker walker to one of the most famous places in motorcycle history. And make sure to check their website for shows they might be putting on too.

And as you're walking back to the tube, you are reminded just where you are. The over "Ferodo" painted on the overpass shows the racing influence in the area. The fade and cracking paint gives you a sense that you're back in the '60s during the stride of the Cafe Racer time.


Delaney