Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms 2014/2015 Plus 4

With such low volumes, there appear to be enough customers with the funding to keep things ticking over, although over £100k is more than most customers can afford or want to pay.
The trads have come on a very long way in the last thirty years, and have morphed from an enthusiast only product into a capable touring car, whatever the model. It's only when you look at what else is around at the same price that things begin to jar a bit. I would love to go for a new Roadster but the extra £20k plus, and the dash design (and the road tax)is enough to stop me. If I could trade up for £15k with an 05 dash I probably would. One day the temptation might get me but this will probably be a Plus4 with a better/more modern engine.

I don't think I will be worrying about that after my passing .

When we bought our first Morgan back in 2008 the choice was Trad 4/4 +4 & Roadster or Aero 8 & Max. We went with Trad and no doubt will stay with Trad. (no disrespect to the Aero or Trike Lovers, as long as you do not 'disrespect' us trad lovers).

I did'nt and still don't give two toots about how its made or what its made from as long as it works and passes its MOT.

For Me, The available Trad image IS the 'Morgan' .

In our local Housing Market around here, it seems normal these days to buy a £1m Classic Home, Knock it down and then spend only half a million putting back a Pastiche Mansion worth £2.5m in its place for only the Really Wealthy to buy. Every one to their own!

At the same time, however, there will always be a Market and a Queue for the 2up/2down terraces needing an upgrade and an army of builders out there there to help.

And, there will always be a market for the Classic Trad Morgan with a few thousand miles on the clock worth spending a few quid on to keep roadworthy for the pleasure of bouncing along those rough old country lanes. Nothing at all to do with 'Noggins' and 'Sunday Lunch', All about driving a classic sports car. Other Marques out of production have a similar effect.

IMHO, Hopefully, The next generation of the Morgan Family and its Dealerships will realise that there should always be room for both New Traditional and for Ultra New Models in Gas Guzzeling V's or Eco Friendly Electric models, just as long as The Price is Market Right and 'Motoring' as we know it is allowed to survive other than in the Movies or a Museum.

I love my roadster but I do think that MMC's famous stying department could easily make a wider bodytub/narrower running board style work well. One reason I find the new 4/4 so appealing to look at is the narrower look of the wheel arches relative to the body. I owned a 4/4 runabout model which was a very pretty design.No bonnet louvres looked great I thought (shock horror). And the rear wheel arches were perfect. There's a silver one in one of the ads in this month's mag if you want to see what I mean.
Just a thought.......or two
nick

Sounds awwffuuul Dean! Please stick to the day job and leave new Morgan models to the guys at the Works!

I've got to agree with that but the problem area is modern electronics. Some of it you canmnot avoid - for example the use of fuel injection to get emissions. But others you can - I see no reason for ABS for example. Or fly by wire throttles.

The car can be kept simple and easy to tinker with whilst still being modernised

I have tried to summarise the responses to this thread. It was not easy because it was not set up as a survey with specific questions however I think I have got it just about right but I had to do some broad interpretations to get there. One can probably assume that where there are no specific comments contrary the people responding have no particular problem with the status quo regarding a particular feature.

The number of respondents who would like to see change as against those who want the trads to remain pretty much as they are today is about even. Six people specifically said that they wanted the trad range to remain essentially as it is today.

A total of seven people would like to see improved front suspension. Three would like to see, or would be happy with, reduced maintenance and longer life on the existing front suspension. For that they mean less greasing, improved materials and factory installed grit protection.

Five people would like to see improved rear suspension, of whom four would like independent rear suspension.

Regarding the rear brakes three people mentioned that drum brakes worked quite well for them but a further three wanted rear disk brakes.

Five people mentioned that they would like to see the Plus 4 with an EcoBoost (or similar) engine of about 200 hp or more.

Three people believe any updated Plus 4 should retain a steel chassis whereas an equal number believe an aluminium tub, perhaps scaled down from the Plus 8, is the way to go.

Three would prefer a slightly wider cockpit and narrower wings and running boards. I will insert here that I for one would like to see the dash and steering wheel a little further forward. That is to say with the steering wheel slightly further from the driver.

One person specifically desired wind-up windows and another is not really comfortable with the fly-off handbrake.

Two people specifically mentioned that the trad look should be maintained whatever else may happen, whereas three people think it is time for a styling update. To that you must add three people who believe the trad range should remain the same but that Morgan should innovate new models. I take it that by that they mean new models in the 4 cylinder range with a low to mid price range.

Three people mentioned that they feel it is important to keep entry level model cost contained

In closing I should say that my intention with this question was to see what people would like in a future Plus 4. I was thinking of a Plus 4 with essentially the same body style as today. Other people see a future model that is more modern in every way but takes its styling cues from the Plus 4 without maintaining the same body style. Perhaps they are thinking of a 2 litre car that is a cross between the existing Plus 4 and the Aero Supersports, at a contained price naturally

When MG were styling a T Type replacement, one styling buck had a common tub which could be specced either with streamlined wings (which basically became MGA) of traditional - like MGTF. It didn't make production. If Morgan updated the trad, it would probably be similar to the Plus4+, or the MGA. Any more modern would probably be too much. The thing is, if you could have a Plus 4 styled as now, or an enclosed body plus 4 with flowing wings, which would you go for? For me, the shape is what its all about. I certainly don't want to see am MX5 competitor with a Morgan badge.

Absolutely no!!!

If I'm gonna get shot at for being objective about the Aero 8 why not have a say on the Trad. How come you can have an engine and gearbox from 2012 but the front and rear suspension has not moved on in over 50 years (or there abouts)?

+1