The Morgan Motor Company in Worcestershire, and London's Ealing Electric Laundry both opened in 1909. So what? Well, Morgan has prospered ever since and, while the Ealing Electric Laundry was washed up decades ago, its premises today is home to F H Douglass, London's oldest Morgan dealer.

Douglass and Morgan had been friendly rivals on Britain's motorbike racetracks in the 1920s. Douglass was a car salesman looking for a new challenge when his pal suggested he try selling Morgans, the then popular three-wheeler sports cars. The old laundry building was acquired in 1929, and he never  looked back.

Today's owner is Mike Coram, but the place still exudes the aura of a 1920s village garage. Computers are artfully concealed. The air is thick with the smell of warm oil and damp leather. The walls are lined with framed pictures and Morgan memorabilia. And the workshop floor is littered with well-worn spanners, mallets, and wooden-handled screwdrivers.

Mike Coram concentrates on mechanical work while Tony Hempel, whose business card states simply "Morgan Enthusiast", is front-of-house.

"I was in the car trade when I bought my first Morgan in 1986," Hempel recalls. "But it was just about shifting metal. Working here is completely different: the Morgan world has a family atmosphere, and I love it."

Morgan sold its first four-wheeled car in 1936, and its design has evolved only slowly ever since. A notice on F H Douglass's window says you can put down a £250 deposit for a new one, but be warned: the waiting list for new Morgans is legendary: at present, it stands at two years but can be much longer.

One of the great attractions of Morgans is that each car is hand-built to a customer's specification.

Another attraction is minimal depreciation. "We recently sold a 15-year-old car for slightly more than its original purchase price," said Hempel. The latest model, the Aero 8, is a radical departure for the marque, with racing-car-style chassis and suspension. "It's right at the edge of technology, and represents the future," said Hempel. "But it's not a replacement for the traditional cars."

The company has customers as far away as the Falkland Islands, but they find their Norwegian customers are the keenest, popping over on the slightest pretext to talk Morgans.  As a new Morgan can cost £100,000 in Norway because of local taxes, the savings are important too.

"Owners just like coming here," said Coram. But there can be a problem common to Morgan owners. "They're not used enough," continued Coram. "Our mantra is to tell people to drive their Morgans more, or they won't get the best out of them. They're simple cars and the spares are cheap and easy to get."

F H Douglass is often besieged by tourists, but the company is very tolerant.  Coram said: "If someone wants to have their photo taken sitting in a car in our showroom, well, we don't mind. After all, it's the fact that Morgan culture isn't like any other that makes it so special."

F H Douglass, 1A, South Ealing Road, W5
Tel: 020 8567 0570
fhdouglass.co.uk