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It is a sad sight, but the roadster and Aero/Plus 8 have a lot of torque and power, plus NO traction control or any other computer aided "help".

To safely drive these you need to have had experience of driving powerful cars with no computer help. Many of us "seniors" grew up on cars that would, and did, lose the back end easily. So we drive, mostly, sensibly.

We have 2 cars that have similar power. One is the Plus 8, the other is the AMG C43.

At almost any junction, turning left or right into traffic, I can drive the C43 out without any regard for grip or traction. The "Computers" stabilise the car, allow as much power as there is grip and it goes like a rocket.

In the same situation, driving the Plus 8, I have to make an assessment of the road surface, weather and tyre heat before feeding in the power, carefully. Even so it is easy to get a "chirrup" from the back end. It would be so, so, easy to lose it big time.

So, Richard Thorn is right, people new to powerful, unaided rear drive cars need teaching how to maintain control.

I don't think there is much excuse for ending up in a field !

I agree he is a long way into that field especially as he had to demolish a fence on the way.

We are all human and make driving errors but his velocity must have been quite high at the time to travel that far on a ploughed field.

I was once a passenger in a Vauxhall Viva which left the A1 'at speed' and demolished a fence before surfing a ploughed field, and we also went a fair way into the field.................

Quite an interesting passenger experience.

We were probably doing a shade under 60 at the time.

We've highlighted before about the benefit of a TM day on a skidpan, haven't we..?

The chassis and crosshead on My +8 Bitsa was damaged when a 2 week from new '98 +8 lost control and was totaled. The Owner gave Me the chassis/crosshead and I had them straightened at an "Old Time" frame shop in Seattle. The Crosshead was easy. Just drove a length of very good quality tubing into the bottom tube while applying heat. The right forward chassis member was straightened with hydraulic tools. It was not perfect but +8 tracks OK and all parts fit. Seems to be plenty strong. Certainly does not add value to My +8 Bitsa. But as a practical matter it worked. Cost $500. Would I do this again? Yes if I was building a Bitsa. NO if I was rebuilding an Original Morgan.

I think Peter J has highlighted the problem

We’ve got used to modern tin tops with ABS, ESP, EBS, FBI, BBC, MACS, FAB VIRGIL

(Might have made a few of those acronyms up)

That deliver large torque and power safely where I drive without worrying about grip even with a rear wheel drive BMW

The corners I take in my tin top would be unthinkable in a similar car 20 years ago

(I remember the feeling of nearly loosing a back end regularly in a 1998 3 series BMW )

Then we get from an all dancing tin top into a powerful Morgan with nowt but tyres and an engine and some funny suspension

I’ve had to check myself a few times since I’ve got the Roadster

I agree. Modern engines offer power outputs far in excess of what was considered 'normal' just a few decades ago. The Golf GTi Mk1 for example, produced 108bhp compared to nearly 300bhp in the Type R today.

Part of this is of course because modern cars are so lardy that they need more power to drag them down the road, but also because all the electronickery enables the power to be controlled when confronted with a normal human being doing the driving.

Take an engine with modern power output levels and stick it into a light car with no driver aids and it's more or less inevitable that you'll end up with pranged cars.

I do hope the experience has not put the driver of this car off owning a Morgan, but I'm afraid it might.

I used to hold the view that riding a bike was great training for driving a powerful car as on a bike you MUST understand grip and traction limits.

But the Thruxton R, which is relatively low powered, has traction control and this is influenced by not just ABS but lean angle and speed, so in theory it is impossible to brake traction.

I'm seriously thinking of dumping the Thruxton and replacing it with the new Royal Enfield Interceptor when it comes out in June.

You Tube Video
HERE

The Thruxton is just too much and I'm not sure i'm up to riding it.

That RE is a thing of great beauty and joy - to my eyes.

They are going to out Triumph Triumph with that bike!!

Would I buy one - you bet!!!