MORGAN 4/4, PLUS FOUR AND PLUS 8
From 1936 to 2018, Morgan more or less made the same car in slightly different flavours. The differences in performance and character between individual cars is sometimes bigger than the difference between models, as while older Morgans are lighter, more modern engines are stronger. Sometimes, as the Morgan decades hurtled past, the 4/4 or 4-4 model became a Plus 4 or Plus Four, and vice versa. Essentially 4/4 usually means a big enough engine, Plus Four means a bigger engine and Plus 8 means a very big engine. If you’re thinking about a Morgan, maybe it’s best to pick a period rather than a model.
In my experience, Morgans have been both delicious and appalling, but in both cases hugely entertaining. They remain a proper pre-war sports car, in production more or less since 1936. They also remain expensive but tantalisingly within reach of us mortals, particularly for those with the skills and determination to find and rescue a basket case. It’s also useful to know that many superficially pretty Morgans are actually secret basket cases as well, so inspections must be thorough and should involve a hoist.
The chassis is a service item, and is likely to need changing every couple of decades. It isn’t actually a chassis at all, just folded sheet metal. This is bad news because it rusts and isn’t very strong, but good news in that a brand new replacement only costs £1530.
Admittedly you do have to take the car completely apart to fit the new chassis, and that usually means some ambitious carpentry as well when you get a look
