The Roadster has always been a constant and very reliable family member until its end of production, since 2004. It's all in the past but maybe it wasn't such smart marketing that the Roadster was launched more or less as a Plus 8 successor...all "the same" car but with 2 cylinders less...which was perhaps seen as an initial deficit by some consumers.
I've had three 3.0 Roadsters, all were great and perhaps the first was the sportiest and most fun to drive of these three cars, a 2005 S1. Unfortunately I have to say it was my first Morgan so I had no comparison and I had therefore taken its strengths for granted.
It was only later, in comparison with S2 and S3 (also great cars) that I was able to really appreciate the engine's revving ability and the superior Getrag transmission (its shift feel and the very good gradation of the gears). In other words, I am convinced that on the technical side MMC created a very well thought out car with the S1, everything fit together so well.
All these benefits have made the S1 a unique new Morgan. And that's exactly how it should have been marketed. But I have the suspicion that MMC was not self-confident enough, they were busy worrying about how the world would react because there is no V8 anymore.
And the dealers weren't really briefed either. The mechanics of my Morgan workshop mourned the Plus 8 in 2005 and they told me as a customer frankly that they were so irritated when this "Roadster" with "only" 6 cyl. appeared.
MMC could have claimed that the Roadster is a dynamic innovation that realizes even more driving pleasure and the unique sportiness of the car. Perhaps MMC should have to distance "emotionally" as the manufacturer more from the Plus 8. The positioning would have been: "The king is dead, long live the king". From this point of view, a super great car was built, but perhaps not enough faith was placed in it. One more point, the Roadster S2 and S3, while still good cars, have lost some of the uniqueness of the S1's sporty driving feel in my experience. As a result, these models became more "ordinary" and offered less of the experience of that piloting where you merge into one with the car and its transmission. Driving became nice cruising but it felt more "remote".
In summary, this 6 cyl. gave the Morgan S1 a unique character being the „new“ follow up of the Plus 8. Maybe the next generation will appreciate that even better in a time when this Roadster is actually a classic car.
From my experience with S1,2,3 I would have liked to see an evolution like this, engine and transmission from the S1, the smoother elasticity (without sacrificing turning ability) from S2 and the nicely shaped body from S3 because ist was not so trapezoid.
