No doubt about it, the cx is the better car in terms of driving. But I also found, that it has not quite the character, the trads always gave to me. But I had a lot of fun with the cx car and I would really be thinking seriously about collecting a plus 4, if the price increase wouldn´t be that steep. An increase of 20% would be ok with me, if you see the new chassis and the materials, that are now standard (like the hood for example), even if I don´t need and want most of them. But to get a new car here in Germany, I have to spend around 60% more than in 2018 for my gdi +4! And this is just ridiculous in my view!
And I know, you should not have another hero beside your Morgan, but it must be allowed to look at other little cars and compare. By ordering a 718 Porsche you get a 300 hp convertible with an really incredible chassis (sorry Morgan, but in real live this is still another world in terms of driving!) and outstanding build quality. And you save at least around € 20.000.- to a plus 4. So to me, as a Morgan driver for over 30 years, this gets now a little bit unrealistic. And, as I just learned, prices will rise again in March and some dealers start to whine, because they are not selling their cars as easily as before. It seems, that they scare away quite a few old Morgan drivers with their pricing.
But in summary I was very pleased with the new cx and an trad +8 carb and a cx plus 4 would be looking great in my garage. ;-)

If a Series 1 Roadster had been available new in 2016, I would have ordered one. If a Series 1 Roadster was available now I would have one over a CX.

I think MMC are missing a market of a limited run of Trads. I'm not saying a Series 1 Roadster, but something between two and three litres, and maybe 50 or 100 a year production. Yes I know limited production makes no economic sense, but I reckon the demand is still there.

There has been an interesting range of comments such as "wafting along in a +8" or "no doubt the CX is the better car in terms of driving."

As I have oft times typed I came to Morgan +8 ownership from a different direction when in search of a pseudo vintage driving experience without the cost implications of buying or maintaining a wonderful vintage car with 100mph plus performance. Thus I was not in search of a machine that could match the handling of my former 911, or the bling and real GT comforts of my also former Jensen Interceptor..and various others I have been fortunate enough to sample.

Yes I have wafted along in my +8 and more than happy to have done so while touring Southern Europe, however that was not the intended usage of my Morgan at the time of purchase circa 20 years ago. I had bought my +8 to roar around the local countryside to blow the cobwebs away whenever I felt the need.

In an attempt to warn wildlife of my impending arrival I removed the rear mounted "resonators" and my habit of using the gearbox far more than the brakes to make even more noise, involving a necessary degree of heal and toe, knowing well the many wonderful bends I would be heading into, use of the brakes was looked upon as a failure to read the road well enough, unless a rabbit or squirrel demanded extra retardation. Thus wafting along played no part in my initial Morgan ideals.

Touring came about as the result of my good lady suggesting we drive the Mog down to LeMans for the 24hrs...!!! "But,but, but...that is nor what a Morgan is designed for my dear, and we usually go sailing in June"...Yeah well Le Mans it was.

Much to my surprise with a large case on the rack storage space behind the seats and passenger footwell all loaded with my good lady`s essentials, I even found room for a grease gun, a few tools and spares. In truth I would have confidence tht the old +8 could repeat the process tomorrow if asked, though I suspect the limitations would be all mine and not the Mogs..

Sad to read that more modern Trad derivatives may lack storage to some degree for the sake of a hood that is easier to make use of or whatever other luxuries might be required to match the expectations of modern-day Morganeers..

As I have typed previously I suspect the few older Morgan types who may have been happy to apply their spannering skills in a bid to reduce the effect of foibles built into Morgans, may have..err.. matured and suffered a change in their Morgan priorities which once were to modify it to be faster, stiffer and stop better, and may perhaps have for the last ten years or more, been looking for softer springing, comfy seating, even air conditioning and wider doors to make access and egress a tad easier for their their more portly/stiffer selves, all of which seems like a natural progression..?

For those new to the Morgan scene who were perhaps a tad more youthful being in their late forties or so, my guess is their expectations of a Morgan would match that which their elders have now created, and be somewhat different to my own Ideals when I wondered "Which Morgan" all those years ago.

Given my total lack of knowledge of the CX other than that which I have read here, I make no judgements in terms of comparisons between it and the Trad, and freely admit that I can not enjoy my old +8 as once I did as the result of advancing years, but still would not wish to have all those extra comforts in my old Mog given the degree of my Luddite tendencies and vintage preferences for it.

I suspect if the Morgan ideals of my younger self could have been allowed to evolve much as others seem to have, and were the MMC`s built quality matching that of Porsche, I might just have been tempted to buy an Aero 8 tin top for my modern sports car enjoyment in the colder wetter weather often "enjoyed" hereabouts... However that was not to be for somewhat obvious reasons..?

As ever each to their own ideals..

I'd go along with that - particularly the junction and smile bit

Having jumped straight out of my Roadster 4 seater into a CX demonstrator, within minutes I was completely at ease in the CX, everything felt fluid, the car ride was a step change over rough surfaces and the CX was more competent cornering and braking, less of the road surface bumps and rattles passed thru the cockpit, it was without question a much more controlled compliant and smooth ride. As I settled back into the drive, I stopped comparing the CX ride with my Morgan and started to compare the ride etc with my Mercedes Cabriolet and I must admit the CX was very competent by comparison.

Then the realisation , other than the Morgan body style, I could have be driving any modern convertible with added advantage of higher build quality, greater reliability and more useful accessories like fully lined, draft proof and watertight electrically operating hood, effective heating and air conditioning, lots of boot space, the list went on and for less money etc.

When I got back into my Roadster, all the trad. little current niggles made themselves known but soon evaporated, as I settled down into my full of character ride home. I noted my driving style adjusted, I had slowed down and found the engine sweet spot and enjoyed the ride home far more, seeing and experiencing more of the surroundings I travelled thru, waving to passer by etc, more than I ever experienced in my all other non trad Morgan convertibles over the last 40 years or so. The CX without question is a step change and struck me as potentially being a very competent long distance mile muncher with luggage capacity limitations etc, but somehow with a CX I would potentially become more focused on the destination rather than the journey. As they say each to their own.

something nobody mentions: wether you drive an Aero, Trad, M3W or CX: you're welcomed everywhere with joy
all the models are charming to bystanders
that for me is the biggest reason to buy another Morgan

Absolutely. Even my greenest of green eco-warrior mates think the Morgan is cool.

I agree with that line of thought Alistair relative to behaviour of other motorists at junctions and in today`s traffic than it was hereabouts circa 20 years or more ago, there is no doubt that on the road a Morgan can bring pleasure to others given the interest and smiles, even occasional waves it can generate, compared to the degree of envy that can be experienced when driving other sports car marques.

Likewise I agree with John too who put it a tad more succinctly than I seem to be capable of...

As I have typed before it seems perhaps best to incorporate a reasonable degree of relativity in terms of ones motoring priorities when choosing a vehicle which is hoped to provide the preferred range of automotive experiences..?

If you have perhaps read any of my rambling, my priorities were to seek out a more involving driving experience in my fifties, a time when my appreciation for many things seemed to be ..err..maturing ... as was I. Up until that time the latest would be the greatest in sports cars, m/cycles and much else.

It was not immediately obvious to me, but I was suffering a growing resistance to digital decision making in so many aspects of life, which was growing within, and in the process increasingly killing off the value of hard won skills in all sorts of areas... Yeah, for sure it is an age thing...!

At the time I desired to get myself into a rip roaring old car that demanded my full attention to keep it out of the surrounding scenery when enjoying a challenging bit of twisting and undulating Tarmac, and at a time when I was still young and fit enough to enjoy such nonsense. It seems possible I made the right decision relative to choosing not only the right machine to buy, but at precisely the right time too, which was most unusual for me..Though in truth much of that was down to the internet Morgan community in the mid 90`s and the GoMoG webmaster who greatly educated me as to the realities of Morganeering...

The right machine..? One devoid of as much modernity as seems reasonable..?

The tight time..? A time prior to the degree of regulatory emission changes that removed carbs to be replaced with digitally controlled fuelling solutions and so much more to complicate maintenance and repair processes. Not only that, but the increased digital processes involved in monitoring so much more which increased exponentially to an extent then unimagined by me as it is today, be that in road speed recorded or by others or all of the decisions a series of sensors and actuators working together to over ride some decisions the driver might make, should he think to operate outside the parameters of the programming... Hmm..?

Yeah well, it seems unreasonable not to consider the advantages of evolution that can come in to play, where our older selves may not be as precise or nimble of mind as once we were and perhaps less physically supple too, thus a bit of extra comfort and digital decision making might just become more acceptable as being superior to our own abilities in ever more circumstances...? Thinking beyond ABS and the many other digital controls, and on to proximity sensors not only to avoid bumps while parking, but to keep you in lane, or maintain a safe distance from the car in front, not to mention all the comforts to minimise the level of skills required to pilot a machine on the road today, with entertainment and comforts never ever thought by me as being a requirement for motoring enjoyment... and none of which were on my list of desires when I thought a Morgan might be the ideal machine for ME.

Time and tide wait for no man, and today, flappy paddles, air con and so many aspects of engineering advances and digital decision making certainly make driving less of a challenge for the old man I have become than it might otherwise have been had things stayed as the were when my priorities were entirely different. For other than some of those advances I would more than likely have had to accept the limitations of the ageing process as opposed to extending the enjoyment of our last trip down to the LM Classic and more Southerly regions of France in a flappy paddle air conditioned and rather comfortable 4x4 ..Hmm..? Had a similarly equipped sports car been available at the time...Hmm..?

However, all that aside, I still managed circa 600 miles in my old Morgan this year which included the occasional short RIP, and perhaps even the odd pop and bang thrown in, while allowing just the correct amount of time for second gear to accept my need of it when dropping down from third, with just a hint of heel and toe in the process.... Yeah my dancing and Morgan driving has slowed down somewhat, but I would not want my Morgan to be other than the wonderful old car it is.... Except perhaps without it`s electric enrichment device for cold starting, I would have preferred a choke cable, back when choices were made, and still think similarly today...Though what are the chances of remembering to push the choke back in before the engine begins to falter somewhat, to remind me of the need to do so before I further poison the planet...Hmm..?

As ever just thinking in type. Each to their own indeed.

I’ve had a 2014 4/4 and my new Plus Four drives so much better. I can live with the lack of storage. Luggage rack and suitcase will help with Classic Le Mans. I had two M3Ws so used to little storage in cabin. The 22 MY seats are great .