1968 Morgan Plus 8 Roadster
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Specifications:
Engine: 3.5IL V8 Transmission: 4 speed manual Features: Soft top and weather gear, aero screens, full set of documents |
The Morgan Motor Company started with the Runabout and V-Twin 3-wheelers way back in 1909, and while these iconic little cars put the company on the map, it is the evergreen Morgan Plus 8 that has kept it there.
The 4/4 and Plus 4 models were the original Morgan sports cars, but in 1968 Morgan decided to make use of the muscular Rover V8 powerplant to produce the Plus 8, a completely different beast. Slotting a big, torquey engine into a lightweight body made the Plus 8 the fastest accelerating car in the UK for a number of years. It was produced largely unchanged until 2004, when the venerable Rover lump was finally discontinued. After eight years, the Plus 8 made a triumphant return, heavily revised and powered by a BMW-sourced 4.8-litre V8. This was the same unit as the Aero 8, but offered to people seeking the more traditional Morgan look.
The first Plus 8 models were introduced in 1968, weighing well under a ton and powered by the aluminium-block Rover V8. The basic architecture may have stayed broadly similar throughout production, but there were many detail improvements over the years. This means that in general, the newer cars offer more performance and reliability, which is no surprise.
Notable improvements were a five-speed gearbox and the option of aluminium panels in 1977, along with a more powerful fuel-injected engine in 1984. Chances are though, you will find that owners have retro-fitted various improvements over the years.
Being hand-built is core to the nature of the Plus 8, and is one of its defining trademarks. Fit and finish can only be described as old fashioned, and a loose-fitting soft top does mean that you will get wet it in the rain. It’s all part of the Morgan charm of course, and quirks such as unique keys for doors, ignition and boot take some getting used to. In all fairness, they were never intended to be used as daily drivers and are at their best blasting the cobwebs out at the weekend.
The incremental improvements and modifications that the factory carried out over the years mean that each car will be unique, and a thorough test drive is essential to make sure the car feels right. Production ended in 2004 when Rover stopped V8 production, until the BMW-engined replacement was launched eight years later.
This car is in excellent overall condition. It has low mileage and has a lovely history. This is one of the first Plus 8's ever made. It was ordered and new by Angela Heinz. Angela was the Morgan agent in South Africa for over 25 years. When she ordered this car it arrived in primer and she had the car painted PINK! The car was well known in the old Transvsaal and was well used. Angela was quite the character, she was the first South African agent for Nava helmets, KTM motorcycles and Bilstein shock absorbers, and was the first woman member of the Motor Industries Federation. She rode her own KTM, visited the Roof of Africa Rally many times in her Jeep and raced hotrods at the old Wembley Stadium. She even flew her own crop sprayer!
The car was painted British Racing Green by the present owner in the 1980's and has been loved and enjoyed in his care over the last 40 years or so. The car drives well and is straight and rust free.
POA
The 4/4 and Plus 4 models were the original Morgan sports cars, but in 1968 Morgan decided to make use of the muscular Rover V8 powerplant to produce the Plus 8, a completely different beast. Slotting a big, torquey engine into a lightweight body made the Plus 8 the fastest accelerating car in the UK for a number of years. It was produced largely unchanged until 2004, when the venerable Rover lump was finally discontinued. After eight years, the Plus 8 made a triumphant return, heavily revised and powered by a BMW-sourced 4.8-litre V8. This was the same unit as the Aero 8, but offered to people seeking the more traditional Morgan look.
The first Plus 8 models were introduced in 1968, weighing well under a ton and powered by the aluminium-block Rover V8. The basic architecture may have stayed broadly similar throughout production, but there were many detail improvements over the years. This means that in general, the newer cars offer more performance and reliability, which is no surprise.
Notable improvements were a five-speed gearbox and the option of aluminium panels in 1977, along with a more powerful fuel-injected engine in 1984. Chances are though, you will find that owners have retro-fitted various improvements over the years.
Being hand-built is core to the nature of the Plus 8, and is one of its defining trademarks. Fit and finish can only be described as old fashioned, and a loose-fitting soft top does mean that you will get wet it in the rain. It’s all part of the Morgan charm of course, and quirks such as unique keys for doors, ignition and boot take some getting used to. In all fairness, they were never intended to be used as daily drivers and are at their best blasting the cobwebs out at the weekend.
The incremental improvements and modifications that the factory carried out over the years mean that each car will be unique, and a thorough test drive is essential to make sure the car feels right. Production ended in 2004 when Rover stopped V8 production, until the BMW-engined replacement was launched eight years later.
This car is in excellent overall condition. It has low mileage and has a lovely history. This is one of the first Plus 8's ever made. It was ordered and new by Angela Heinz. Angela was the Morgan agent in South Africa for over 25 years. When she ordered this car it arrived in primer and she had the car painted PINK! The car was well known in the old Transvsaal and was well used. Angela was quite the character, she was the first South African agent for Nava helmets, KTM motorcycles and Bilstein shock absorbers, and was the first woman member of the Motor Industries Federation. She rode her own KTM, visited the Roof of Africa Rally many times in her Jeep and raced hotrods at the old Wembley Stadium. She even flew her own crop sprayer!
The car was painted British Racing Green by the present owner in the 1980's and has been loved and enjoyed in his care over the last 40 years or so. The car drives well and is straight and rust free.
POA