British firm Morgan Motor Company Ltd still makes cars in much the same manner as it did in the early 1900s. Body panels are formed around ash frames, and the cars are hand-built. While other long-time British manufacturers also produce cars, their methods are substantially modern, as are their products. In some cases, you can’t tell a British car from any other make on the road. But not the Morgan. Today’s Plus Four doesn’t look a lot different from yesterday’s Plus Four. If you have your heart set on the vintage version, though, look no further than this blue 1965 here on eBay, with an asking price of $34,000 or best offer. This car is ready for a Springtime jaunt to your garage from Rogue River, Oregon – a charming place to visit, by the way.
This car is said to be “all original” though of course it’s had maintenance work, including new brakes, as well as “bearings and seals” recently. That four-pot breathing through twin Strombergs is from the Triumph TR4. Displacement is 2138 ccs, good for about 104 hp, with plenty of scope for improvement if you want to invest a few bucks. The gearbox is a four-speed manual. The driving experience is agricultural in a most charming way, with plenty of power on tap and immediate steering response. The cut-down doors somehow make the Morgan – like the TR2/3 series – seem faster.
I’m a sucker for soft, wrinkly leather seats, especially in oxblood red. These could benefit from reconditioning – like every weekend for a month – and of course, the steering wheel is a reminder that you’re coping with RHD. It’s not hard! The dash wood needs attention – I see at least one crack. The car has its soft top as well as a tonneau.
The paint is showing its age, and panel fit is indifferent at best. I’m not sure I’d lift a finger to improve the exterior other than attempting a gentle buffing by hand (Meguiars!). This model was an upgrade to the pre-war 4/4, situated on a longer chassis, utilizing a variety of more powerful engines. Produced from 1950 through 1969, only 4584 were sold. Given the variety of Plus Fours, values are striated: early cars have fans, and later cars have fans. Engine swaps are common. All that said, a buyer can choose from plenty of offerings at any one time, ranging from mid-teens to $25k. It’s not a surprise to me that this car hasn’t found an owner yet, given the steep premium that the seller seems to want for “originality”.
Sweet! I’ve always had a soft spot for Morgans and, to me, there’s nothing as nice as a car that that has been kept in good nick by attentive owners. I’d rather have this than a restored example, any day, feeling less restrained about putting lots of miles on it, which I’d do.
Details like panel fit look pretty original to me. Bonnets, wings and door weren’t stamped out on giant presses, but were shaped and fitted by hand. In fact, the amount of hand labor expended on these would drive the bean counters at, say, Toyota, stark raving mad.
BTW, kudos to Michelle for not reviving any of the old wheezes about Mogs, like “it has a wooden frame.” The actual chassis is, of course, steel. Only the body has a wood frame, to which the metal bits are tacked.