THE world-famous Morgan Motor Company has moved to play down rumours surrounding Charles Morgan’s departure ahead of his appeal hearing today (Friday).

The company announced Mr Morgan’s departure from the management team and board of directors last week, saying it needed to “strengthen”

its operation in order to respond to the “scale and complexity of an increasingly global business”.

His appeal will be heard by the members of the Morgan family who occupy four out of six remaining positions on the board.

Finance director Tim Whitworth said: “It is an appeal against an employment decision.

There has been no ousting, no boardroom coup – it is an employment issue.”

Mr Whitworth also denied claims made by Autocar magazine that Mr Morgan, the grandson of the carmaker’s founder HFS Morgan, was dismissed on four counts of misconduct, according to a document seen by the motoring publication.

He said: “It is not a company document that they have seen. I know that because there are a number of material inaccuracies.”

In a statement, Mr Morgan, who is still has a 30 per cent share in the business, said: “I’m proud to say I leave with the company’s annual production volumes double what they were at the start of my tenure, with new export markets such as China opened to the company.

“Morgan remains a small but successful family firm.”

He added: “I’d like to be clear that I am not a tycoon but a family man – I inherited a company not wealth – and unexpectedly leaving its employment will be a hardship for myself and my family.

“Being asked to leave the company that bears my name is also extremely personally distressing.”

He also said he remains committed to the future success of the Pickersleigh Road-based company, which is on course to sell a recordbreaking 1,200 cars this year.

Meanwhile, petrolheads at motoring website torqueabout.

com have started a petition calling for Mr Morgan’s reinstatement.

Yesterday, 172 people had signed the online document.

Morgan was founded in 1909 and it is still the world’s oldest privately-owned car manufacturer, employing 177 staff.

It is currently headed by managing director Steve Morris, who was previously the operations director, and has seen international expansion in recent months opening a showroom at the Workers Stadium in Beijing, China, in June.