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

I might be being a little over sensitive in what I'm about to suggest, and if so, feel free to put me back on track.

I always wanted a new Morgan Plus 8 but when I was in a position to buy my Morgan, the Plus 8 was no more and had been replaced by the 3.7 Cyclone engined V6 Roadster. I am now on my second 3.7 Roadster - my current one being ordered shortly before the Trade were discontinued. I love it, and always have done, and had no regrets about the discontinuation of the Plus 8 as the V6 Cyclone is a much better and more powerful engine than the Rover V8. It has tons of torque and power and there is no doubt in my mind that's it's a worthy successor to the original Plus 8. The V8 rumble has gone but the V6 also has a characteristic deep tone, particularly when mated with the Librands exhaust which pumps it up quite a bit. The Roadster is a beast when pushed and as tame as a pussycat when taken easily. It ticks pretty much all the boxes that the Plus 8 originally ticked.

However, I read today that Morgan regard the Plus 6 as the spiritual successor to the Plus 8 rather than the Roadster. Of course this might be marketing - Morgan want to push the CX platform as the heir to the Trad. But it occurred to me that this is a slight to the Roadster. After all, like the Plus 8, the Roadster is a Trad and the CX platformed Plus 6 is a very different beast indeed, even in styling, although it try's to look like a Trad, but never quite pulls it of in my opinion.

I am not belittling the Plus 6 which is a fine car. But the Roadster seems to get little recognition at Malvern, regarded as a fill-in car between the Plus 8 Trad and the CX Plus 6, a placeholder as it were, rather than a very successful car in its own right and with its own character and unique contribution to Morgan history.

This seems to be reflected in motoring literature as well. There are books dedicated to the 4/4, the Plus 4, the Plus 8 - but none for the Roadster.

It grieves me that the Roadster does not always seem to get the respect it deserves. After all, in terms of power output, it was the peak and summit of the Trad line.

I would agree with you having had an S1 Roadster and 3.7l.

I'm sure in hindsight they would have named the Roadster the +6. Then the PlusFour would be the natural successor to the +4, and the PlusSix from the +6.

That would also leave a gap for a +8 successor if ever wanted, and keep a nice heritage lineage.

Personally I never liked the name 'Roadster' - it smacked of something Toyota would use to allude to being American.

I totally agree TBM. I suspect they avoided calling it the Plus 6 because it made it sound like a downgrade from the Plus 8 which it was immediately replacing.

Only thoughts are that the first three iterations of the Roadster using Ford 3 litre V6's seem to get more recognition than the considerably swifter 3.7 Roadster, especially the last two years of production with 5 link rear. Is this just down to production numbers though

Remember also that without InvestIndustrial's presence the Roadster might still be in production albeit with another engine.

I think perhaps Morgan is talking specifically about the last Plus 8 which was on the bonded aluminium chassis which the CX is and as such comparing like for like. I can see why they perhaps felt the need to do this to allow for some lineage to be linked to the fabled Plus 8, regardless of which generation/chassis it had.

It could also be argued that if they called the Plus Six a Roadster instead, customers might have a bit more of a mental barrier to overcome from a price point when you compare the outgoing Roadster to the Plus Six but a Plus Six compared to the outgoing Plus 8 wasn't much of a stretch.

Very insightful and though provoking post David!

Richard,
official 0-62 mph for the S1 is faster than the 3.7l. 5s vs 5.5s caused I imagine by the gearbox on the 3.7l.
But once on the move the 3.7l is faster.
Top speed wise the 3.7l wins at 140 mph vs 134 mph.

The big difference is the torque of 280 lb/ft @ 4,500 rpm for the 3.7 vs 206 lb/ft @ 4,900 rpm which makes the 3.7l so much fun in 3rd.

I have driven all the trads (exept the Roadsters later than the S1), although only my own Roadster S1 extensively. I agree the Roadster is somewhat forgotten. It is more powerful than the +8, no cooling issues (at least if you have a brass rad), the point of gravity is further behind and thus the car better balanced, a very good gearbox (at least the S1 that has the Getrag, the later Ford Transit (?) box I have no experience with). It does not have the V8 blurb that I admit is somewhat addictive, and less torque - but more than enough. The more or less pronounced rev hang of the later Roadsters might or might not be an issue. In my opinion the early Roadsters are technically and performance-wise the best Morgan, at least if you are a cruiser. The lightweight 4/4 and +4 are more nimble and "chuckable" (and less expensive), I do admit that. But it is the iconic +8 that people dream about. All fine, these cars are not bought with the brain alone. The heart is much more important...

I have the 3.7 Roadster, it is a joy to drive and it just about fits me. I am 6ft 1.5" in old money.... I have tried the new Plus 4 which feels about the same size as the Roadster and I fit in it, but for some reason the CX cars leave me a little underwhelmed, I respect the engineering of the new models, they appear much better put together internally.. I have looked at the Plus 6 but its is a larger car and is maybe just a tad too large for what I want.. So I will stick with the Roadster, my only concern is parts availability for the 3.7 engine and its gearbox in the future.. Yes parts and recon engines are available in the USA, but trawling through specialists over here I can find little except the basic service items. We had a factory visit 6 or so weeks ago and I took the opportunity to visit the factory spares outlet, I was underwhelmed by the parts department response to questions ref Roadster engine and gearbox parts. Perhaps it was a bad day for them, but I did not come away full of the joys of spring. Ref reference books on the Roadster, yes it feels like a forgotten model a shame. I will be keeping our Roadster as long as I can source engine/gearbox spare, it ticks all the right boxes..

I have typed on numerous occasions that I was desirous of a vintage driving experience and felt very fortunate to have found a degree of that when I bought a rather special mid 80`s Morgan. A pseudo vintage driving experience without the expense related to finding spares for a true vintage vehicle which would struggle to equal the performance of my +8. For many years I was comfortable with the idea that spares for my Morgan seemed plentiful from a variety of sources be that the MMC or their agents, VSM, Rover dealerships, specialist tuners, or from a myriad of Rover V8 engined machines residing in scrap yards. Times has moved on as ever it does, and I suspect finding some spares for my old Mog might be a tad more involved today that it was when I bought it 20 years ago..

In the early years of ownership I bought a spare engine, even paid out for a spare yet distant gearbox, which I never did get round to picking up as the original gearbox showed no signs of failing any time soon, and a few years down the line the spare engine was given away, as it had just been taking up space and gathering dust in my garage... I still have a few spares that I have collected though mostly small items Such as suspension pins and bushes, brake and clutch seals, alternator, fuel pump, a few other bits`n bobs and of course fan belt, bulbs etc.etc.etc. I have no expectation of having to replace an engine or gearbox any time soon, and truth be told I suspect all still major mechanicals to be functioning well enough longer for much longer than I will..

I suspect with care and maintenance any Morgan can last a lifetime if not longer, though it seems wise to know any possible weak points and resolve them if possible, and any hard to find spares that could be required, especially the niggly kit like brake seals etc.etc might be best bought and stored sooner than later..? .. My good lady and I toured a fair bit of Southern Europe over a few years and as best I can remember I only had to change a fan belt during my usual early morning checks before setting off on each day, other than that a rubber elbow feeding fuel into one of the carbs split and sprayed some fuel about... No big deal, I carried a length of rubber tube and was able to perform a simple roadside fix that is still in place today, many years later as the elbows were reportedly NLA..

As for which model of Morgan might seem less favoured... I care not a jot, I suspect such concerns may exist in many marques..? In the world of P cars it seems the 996 may be less favoured than others for a variety of reasons, though I suspect there will be very many proud and happy 996 owners who seem unlikely to be as favoured, smiled at or waved to by the general public as any one driving a Morgan...?

As I aged my Morgan does not fit ME as well as it once did, but I can still enjoy driving it, all be that on fewer occasions than I used to. I Suspect the MMC responded to the wants and needs of the customer base, by making the trad easier to access and egress with wider doors, and they also had to keep up with ever advancing regulation, as well as the desire for more "comfortable" suspension, and the addition of a bit of luxury bling all the sort of stuff that accompanies modern-day expectations....? I am pretty sure that my aged bones would find more comfort being transported in a CX Morgan or an Aero 8, but then my I would have sacrificed my vintage driving experience, and for me that was and still is my primary attraction to Morgan ownership, that and now the addition of the many wonderful memories which owning my Morgan has created over the years

Sorry, I rambled on a bit as ever, and if the OP has read this, then it seems obvious that which others might think to class any one model within a marque, matters not a jot if it brings it`s owner any pleasure in life..?