Morgan Plus 8
| Morgan Plus 8 | |
|---|---|
Morgan Plus 8
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Morgan Motor Company |
| Production | 1968 – 2004 2012 - present |
| Assembly | Malvern, Worcestershire, England |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car |
| Body style | 2-door roadster |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related |
Morgan 4/4 Morgan +4 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.5L V8 3.9L V8 4.6L V8 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual (1968–77) 5-speed manual (1977–2004) 6-speed manual (2012–present) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 98 in (2,489 mm) |
| Length | 146 in (3,708 mm) |
| Width | 57.5–67.0 in (1,460–1,702 mm) |
| Height | 52 in (1,321 mm) |
| Curb weight | 1,876 lb (851 kg) |
The Morgan Plus 8 is a sports car built by British car makers Morgan from 1968 to 2004 and put back into production in revised form in 2012. Its instant and enduring popularity has been credited with saving the company and keeping the company famous during the 36 years of its manufacture. Among Morgan enthusiasts, it is deeply associated with Peter Morgan, the owner-chairman behind its design.
The development of the Plus 8 was led by Maurice Owen, an engineer taken on specifically for the role. The Plus 8 prototype was based on a modified chassis from the Plus 4, altered to accept the Rover alloy block 215 cu in (3.5 l) V8, purchased from GM-Buick in 1967. Plus 4's Moss gearbox was carried over and the Salisbury 7HA axle was uprated with a limited slip differential. The chassis was developed in stages to accommodate gearbox changes in 1973 and 1976, the body widened in 1976 to accommodate the widened chassis and the wings widened to accommodate larger tyres to handle the increasing power and trend for lower profile and wider tyres. The original 1968 Plus 8 was 57 inches (1,400 mm) wide and the last was 64 inches (1,600 mm) (with an optional "widebody" at 67 inches (1,700 mm)) For several years in the 1960s the Plus Eight was the fastest-accelerating UK production car.
To mark the 35th year of production of its Plus 8, MMC released a commemorative 'Anniversary Edition' in 2003.
Following the discontinuation of the Rover V8, production of Plus 8 ended in 2004. A revised Plus 8, powered by a 4.8-liter BMW V8 engine, was introduced in 2012.
In 2014 Morgan announced a Limited Edition run of 60 Plus 8 'Speedster' models. This limited run forwent the traditional roof in favour of a small fly screen and hidden roll bars behind the front seats. Pitched as an entry level Plus 8 model they went on sale for £69,999.
The original Plus 8 engines were Rover V8s that became available when fitted to the P5B saloon. Morgan was actually the first of a succession of sports car makers- including the likes of TVR and Marcos- to use the engine.
The prototype Plus 8 (identifiable by two small bonnet bulges near the centre bonnet hinge) used a Rover V8 engine and the Plus 8 was launched in 1968 using Rover's production engine, itself a re-engineered version of the Buick/Oldsmobile 215 motor (renamed the 3.5 L by Rover) with a compression of 10.5:1 fueled by two SU HS6 carburettors. The high 10.5:1 CR was only usable because 5* (101 octane) petrol was then still available. By 1973, the Rover 3500 saloon was available with a manual 4 speed gearbox and this engine/gearbox configuration was adopted by Morgan although the compression dropped to 9.25:1 with a resulting drop in power. With the adoption of an improved version of the engine developed for the Rover SD1 in 1977, compression increased to 9.35:1 and power increased slightly. After 1981 the engine was fueled by two Stromberg CD175 carburettors, .
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