1975 Morgan Plus 8

Details

Morgan is one of the most unique and iconic motoring brands of all time.  This British family owned company was founded in 1910 by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan and he ran the company until he passed way in 1959, aged 77. His son Peter Morgan took over the reins of the company until he passed away in 2003.

The first Morgans were three wheelers and it wasn’t until 1936 that Morgan introduced its first four wheel ‘car’, the 4/4, meaning four seats and four wheels. The three wheelers were phased out in 1952 by which time Morgan had introduced a bigger engined, high performance car designated the Plus 4 to be produced alongside the 4/4. Subsequently Morgan introduced the Plus 4 Plus and whilst each of their models continued to evolve, during the late fifties and early to mid-sixties Morgan was seen to be “stale and producing more of the same” and many pundits thought the brand was indeed “dated and may fade away”.

Peter Morgan had other ideas and in 1968 he introduced the Plus 8. The car received critical acclaim when first shown at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1968 and it quickly put Morgan on the map as a maker of high performance sports cars. The first production cars were built in late 1968 and the 3.5 litre (3528 cc) Rover V8 engine was good for 160 bhp that propelled the car to a top speed of 125mph, however, it was how it got there that had people excited. It was clocked by magazines in period from 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds and could accelerate from 0-100 mph quicker than a 4.2 litre Jaguar E-Type!

The car continued to evolve and Morgan Plus 8 production finally ceased in 2004 after 37 years, during which 6,233 cars were built. Just an incredible story really!

We are delighted to offer this 1975 Morgan Plus 8 that is in fabulous original condition. This car has the Rover 3.5 litre V8 coupled to a Rover 4 speed gearbox. This car is confirmed as a rare Australian delivered, factory right hand drive example (there weren’t many!) that was despatched from the Morgan factory on the 28^th November 1975. The car was delivered to Morgan Sports Car Distributors in Gisborne, Victoria and its original colour scheme was light orange with natural leather upholstery.

This car’s early history is not known. It was acquired by a doctor living in Montville, Queensland in the sunshine coast hinterland in the late 1990’s and he cherished this Morgan for seventeen years. The car was registered on club plates and it was used for Sunday drives, club runs and it even had a run in Targa Tasmania. It was then acquired by its current Brisbane based owner some three years ago. During his ownership the car has been used sparingly and now he has ticked the Morgan ownership off his bucket list it is time for this car to find a new home.

Today the car presents beautifully in what can only be described as a stunning colour combination of orange with a dark tan interior. We all know that Lamborghini Miuras work well in orange but let us unequivocally say this . . . so do Morgan Plus 8’s!

The car was repainted by its previous to current owner some twenty years ago and the paint work remains bright with a good depth of colour. There are some blemishes and stone chips evident but overall the car presents well. All of the exterior trim, lenses and the glass are in good condition. The interior of the car looks to be very original and in good condition also, particularly for a forty something year old car. There is just the right amount of patina evident which gives everything a very ‘comfortable’ feel. The upholstery is in good condition with no rips or tears and the dash, instruments and controls are also in good condition.

The fun starts in a Morgan Plus 8 when you turn the key. With the carbies primed the engine on this car starts easily  . . . and with a roar. You’re kind of expecting MG TC but you get an Aston Martin V8 sounding rumble! This Morgan has power to burn and it just goes about its business when you ‘give it the beans’! In fact this would have to be one of the most fun cars we have handled in a while. We all know Morgans are ‘raw’ and that’s really part of the charm of the car. You go hard in a straight line and proceed with some caution around corners, particularly when the road surface is bumpy! That said the handling on this car is precise and the car steers and stops as one would expect. The engine pulls very strongly through the rev range and the gearbox changes up and down in a businesslike manner. The engine bay is clean, though very original as you will see from the photographs.

The car has a soft top that is in good condition. It is understood that this was replaced when the car was repainted some twenty years ago. The current owner proudly states that he has never used it during his ownership. For him this is a top down car, always! It is apparent that the soft top has probably not been used for a very very long time as it was impossible to get every clip fastened when the top was raised. It needs some time in the sun to stretch after which we’re sure it will fit. The car has a tonneau cover that is in very good condition.

On receiving this car it was identified that both exhaust manifolds had cracked and replacements are on order from the UK and these will be fitted prior to sale.

You have to say that a Morgan Plus 8 is certainly ‘a lot of car for your money’! And, if you are outgoing enough to buy a Morgan then go the full monty and buy an orange one . . . this is so ‘very cool’!

The car will be accompanied by an original owner’s manual and a history file. The car’s history file contains some recent service receipts, registration documents and a number of Morgan Club Newsletters and documents.

The car is currently registered as MOG 888 in Queensland and it is being sold with a current Queensland roadworthy certificate.

This Morgan Plus 8 needs nothing other than a new owner to use and enjoy the car!

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