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Driving a performance car in the real world can make you feel like public enemy number one.

Maybe it’s the overly aggressive styling of most modern driver’s cars, or perhaps it’s simply jealousy. But try pulling out of a busy junction in something with a fruity exhaust and a sub-4.0sec 0-62mph time, and settle in for the wait as your fellow motorists whizz wilfully by, glaring at you like you’ve just suggested demolishing their house to make way for a McDonald’s drive-through.

Conversely, try the same move in a 1950s MG A and you’ll be treated like a hero. People love classics. However, it’s incredibly easy to forget just how much automotive technology has evolved in the past 70 years until you have to deal with beam axles and carburettors.

So how do you blend exhilarating modern performance with cheerful, crowd-pleasing vibes? Simple: you buy a Morgan. I’ve never been treated better on the road than I have behind the wheel of one of Malvern’s hand-crafted roadsters, and even if I had been sneered at, I’d be having too much fun to care.

Operating since 1910 as a successful purveyor of thrummy three-wheelers, Morgan built its first four-wheeled car in 1935 and introduced the Plus 4 in 1952 – and then stayed firmly in its lane. The Plus 8 came about in 1968 with Rover’s legendary V8 up front, but otherwise this was a firm that steered clear of all-out revolution.

Nonetheless, the orders kept coming in (there were 10-year waits at one point), and in 2000 the Aero 8 was launched alongside the classic Plus models and the V6 Roadster as the first all-new Morgan in 32 years.

The looks were divisive, but it’s what was under the skin that made this car so special. A bonded aluminium chassis cradled a current-spec 4.4-litre BMW V8, while rose-jointed suspension and double wishbones all around meant the chassis was a world away from the somewhat cart-esque architectures of yore. It was truly modern, but still with a traditional ash wood body frame as a nod to the past.

Morgan was on a roll by 2012. If you weren’t a fan of the Aero 8’s gorgeous art deco styling, you could have a Plus 8 instead – near enough the same car but with a body that looked like it left the factory in 1956.

The 3 Wheeler was brought back to life too, with a thrummy V-twin bursting out of the body between the front wheels. And today’s Morgan line-up is more diverse and characterful than ever before: the laugh-a-minute Super 3 opens the range with a Ford petrol triple and unique styling; the Plus Four continues as a faithful but usefully modernised evolution of the 1950s original; and the new Supersport has landed as a six-figure GT with real Porsche-baiting credentials.

Visit the factory and not only will you find cars being beautifully hand-built in a similar way to 100 years ago, but you will also find buzzing engineering and design teams with a slickness and community spirit that’s firmly at odds with the firm’s former ‘old man’ image.

It’s a company that recognises the importance of keeping key skills going while appealing to the next generation. To me, Morgan is the King of Cool in the car world at the moment – and the jaw-dropping Midsummer special edition, created in partnership with legendary design house Pininfarina and launched last year, is a further illustration of that.

It’s hard not to crack a grin when you’re behind the wheel of a Morgan, and there’s something special about knowing that other people are doing the same just watching you drive past.

The Ford Puma Gen-E and e-Tourneo Courier have become the first models to receive the top £3750 discount from the government’s new Electric Car Grant scheme.

The pair are now priced at £26,245 and £28,440 respectively, and notably in the case of the Gen-E, its starting price has dipped £345 under its hybrid sibling.

Both cars have received the discount because they have met the government’s strict sustainability criteria, which covers both the manufacturing of the car and the marque as a whole.

While Westminster has still yet to reveal its benchmarks for the top banding, Ford told Autocar the emissions generated at its Craiova plant during battery production and vehicle assembly met the criteria. 

It also scored higher because the energy used there is completely renewable and it has set a goal of becoming fully carbon neutral by 2050, Ford said.

“We welcome the government’s decision to accelerate the transition to electric mobility and are proud that Ford’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised with the full EV grant,” said Lisa Brankin, Ford UK chair and managing director. She added it makes the switch to electric “simpler” and “more affordable”.

Alongside the Ford models, the Peugeot e-308, e-408, DS3 and DS No4 were all granted discounts of £1500 – the lower of the two bands. They join 22 other models that already received the same discount since the grant was launched in July.

The new discounts, especially the first from the top band, have been welcomed by industry heads, including AA president Edmund King. He said: “Drivers frequently tell us that the upfront costs of new EVs are a stumbling block to making the switch to electric. It is great to see some of these more substantial £3750 discounts coming on-line because for some drivers this might just bridge the financial gap to make these cars affordable. As more cars qualify for the biggest savings, more drivers will be tempted to go electric.”

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, added: “Our measures are driving competition in the UK EV market, boosting economic growth, and supporting jobs and skills as part of our Plan for Change.”