Best of British - Morgan Motor Company joins National Highways A-road celebration

The comprehensive road numbering system in Great Britain came into effect in April 1923 and continues to be a vital part of England’s road infrastructure helping people to navigate their journeys.  

With a proud heritage which has evolved over time like the road numbering system, the Malvern-based car company says ongoing investment by National Highways in the major A-road network will further benefit its customers when enjoying their cars this summer.

The brand is known globally for combining traditional craftsmanship and timeless design with the latest technology.

Toby Blythe, Chief Marketing Officer, Morgan Motor Company said: “A Morgan sports car provides the perfect way to access some of Britain's finest towns, vistas and landmarks via A-roads. Many of our thousands of owners and visitors to Morgan make use of the A-road network throughout the year and as a company well into its second century, we are delighted to help National Highways with its centenary celebrations.”

Major A-roads managed by National Highways make up around 58 per cent of the strategic road network across the country which helps to connect people to places and supports economic growth. 

For thousands of businesses, A-roads are essential to their commercial success and growth, and they depend on them for sourcing workers, receiving supplies and making deliveries.

To keep these roads in a serviceable condition for years to come, National Highways has invested almost £319m on maintenance and repair schemes across the Midlands region over the past four years. This includes repairs to things like road surfacing, lighting and drainage as well as technology upgrades and repairs to bridges and structures on our network.

National Highways Regional Director in the Midlands, Anita Prashar said: “It’s great to see a global icon like Morgan helping us celebrate 100 years of A-roads because we know the importance of them to businesses across the country.

“Our continued investment in the A-road network means we can continue to keep the roads safe and serviceable for the next 100 years because these roads are vital in supporting economic growth and helping to get goods to places for manufacturers like Morgan.”

To make sense of the road system 100 years ago, each region was given a single letter to represent its category, followed by one or more numbers.

Important roads between large towns and cities, and major connecting routes, became classified as A-roads.

Perhaps the most famous road to be renamed was the Great North Road from London to Inverness, which became the A1.

In 1936, the Trunk Roads Act created a national strategic road network, and would later come to include the new Motorways, which began to open in the late 1950s.

The Great North Road, linking London and Edinburgh, became the A1 in 1921. 

Each road was given a single letter, denoting the road's category, and a subsequent number of between one and four digits.    

To find out more about the anniversary of A-road numbering, head online to https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/history-of-modern-a-roads/