The shift from three wheels to four was a seismic event which created a new enthusiasts club and was a pivotal moment for MMC.
The shift from trad design to Aero was a seismic event which I believe created a new enthusiasts club? and was the second pivotal moment for MMC.
Dave, this reads as though the events were concurrent so for the sake of accuracy, let's see some dates:
1936 - Morgan 4-4 launched. Three-wheeler production continued alongside the 4–4 until 1952.
1945 - Morgan Three Wheeler Club formed.
1951 - Morgan 4/4 Club formed which became MSCC.
2000 - Morgan Aero 8 launched.
2006 - Morgan Aero Club formed (from memory).
From the above time-line and from most comment made at the time it does not appear to have been a seismic change from 3-wheels to 4, but rather a natural progression as people became more prosperous. The M3W Club was a model club, as was the 4/4 Club when such Clubs were popular (formed 15-years after the models launch!).
I had another Plus 8 on order when the Aero was launched and like a lot of others transferred my order to an Aero 8 without thinking it was a seismic change. An improvement and a more modern car with mini-supercar performance - yes, in the tradition of the Plus 8 which had a similar effect on its own launch in 1968.
As in any group of car enthusiasts, there will always be those who don't accept the future. I was in the Porsche Club when the 924 came out: "Real Porsche's have air-cooled engines", "It's a VW as it has the same engine as the LT35 van", etc. You don't hear much of the first comment from the luddites now that all Porkers have water-cooled engines!
For me therefore, it's a case of the Plus 8 is dead: long live the Plus 8...