Apologies to the OP and others if straying too far of topic...?
Graham, my ending up in a +8 was all a matter of simple economics relative to personal circumstances prevailing at the time, and as I suggest in the text my +8 has "fitted the bill admirably"as a substitute and in so many ways. At the time for the sum involved in the purchase of my +8 I would have been fortunate to find a real vintage machine whose engine was in any way powerful enough to keep up with traffic, let alone able to get anywhere near the performance of a big ol Bentley on our country roads....
I had another hour in the saddle or so before arriving home and in that time I contemplated much in the way of an affordable substitute, and a Morgan seemed to provide the possibility of a true vintage feel behind the wheel without the probable costs in terms of purchase and maintenance of the real deal, after all I was not in search of a garage queen and good handling along with reasonable reliability were top of the list at the time in order to enjoy the country roads hereabouts mid week when they "used " to be much quieter than they are today..
Giles, you are circa 16 years too late for me in your astute assessment...
Quite by chance while at LeMans circa 2003 (?) in my +8, I met up with some guys who had driven their open topped vintage Bentley to the event from Ayrshire they told me the old girl was having tantrums and spitting her oil all over the palace thus requiring a considerable top up at almost every set of m/way services...! They then decided to abandon the motorway route and took to the back roads where it seemed the old girl was so much more content giving them no more bother for the rest of the journey to LM... Which would perhaps be unlike the (non Morgan) vintage aero engined behemoths that get all hot and bothered and dirty their plugs if not run at constant speed.... Yup the old +8 was definitely the wisest choice..
