Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Morgan Roadster - a question of respect

I take those 0-62 figures with a pinch of salt John. My experience is niche performance manufacturers can be a bit economical with the truth in terms of performance figures, particularly at a new model launch. As the production run progresses and with the hindsight of road tests the manufacturer publishes lesser, more accurate figures. The M3W launch was a prime example.

Remember also our Roadsters, with a bit of clutch slip, will complete a 0-62 run without changing gear

I always felt the 3.7 0-60 figures were underestimated by Morgan to distance it from the CX Plus 8 which came out at the same time. It feels faster to me.

I think your right Richard especially starting in 2nd. Belle feels faster than my S1 was as no gear change is required

It's all been said really. The Trad Plus 8 lost its halo status in 2002 when the Aero was announced, and only lasted two more years.

The S1 Roadster development car was essentially a Plus 8 with the new V6 engine and gearbox. It was said that the two tone Trad in the Roadster launch brochure was a Plus 8.

Photos of that prototype which appeared in Miscellany show differences around the front of the engine from how it reached production.

I think Plus 6 was not used deliberately as noted above. Roadster is way too generic, and is used for the MGB Roadster. It's not special enough.

They could have called it a Morgan V6 or Speed Six. But it's too late for that now.

Like others, my intention was to buy a Plus 8 Trad, and I spent five years heading towards that target with a detailed spreadsheet which covered all the Plus 8's for sale in that period.
When the time came to throw money at a Morgan, there were no Plus 8's around which satisfied my requirements and I was not prepared to compromise on colour or interior, or wheels plus various other must haves.

The only Morgan which met my requirements was my Roadster. It was a Roadster, and I was aware of the low sump issue, but neither of those things mattered in the end. Neither did the fact that it had been a dealer demo with two more owners in three years from new. Both sales were made for very valid personal reasons.

Remember that there is no such thing as the best Morgan. There is no point debating the minutiae of on road performance. The truth is that on the road, there's little to chose between the trads. All that matters is that you get the Morgan that fits your needs. Before you do that it's better to try all the models. Obviously I didn't. But despite that heart over head journey, I won't be changing my Roadster for either a 3.7 or a CX. Not a chance.

I don't see the Roadster as anything but another good high powered car in the range with the lost supply of the Rover unit at the time and I'm quite surprised really at your reaction but as a dyed in the wool Plus 8 driver perhaps that is inevitable.

I hadn't realised they had been ignored in the books either but that is hardly surprising as the only Morgan book I have is The First and Last by GH Bowden.

I tried a Roadster but the clutch was heavy and the gearbox sluggish (non Getrag) compared to the R380 box in mine, that plus the 2 cylinders missing was what stopped the change but it was nippy enough.

It was the exhaust note that stopped me going for a CX Plus Four a year ago too so it's nothing personal with the Roadster and may well go down that road if my left knee gets any worse and prevents me doing my own maintenance and or changing gear with ease and the auto box is favourite for the new car.

Ditto, and hardly an infill model as it was in continuous production from 2004 to 2019/20 whereas almost all the other trads & Aero platform models came / went / cameback / became limited specials

The max figure for the 3.7 could also be conservative, IIRC Williams tested a std 3.7 on a rolling road and the graph / data went flat at 155 as the limiter kicked in (although we would never need it, the potential is there)

The prototype Roadster was built on a +4 chassis and used the Jaguar/Lincoln engine…not a +8 chassi and the Mindel/Escape engine

In fifth then although even so rev limiter would have kicked in nearer 165!

Aerodynamically i doubt it would reach that and I wouldn't like to be driving it