Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Plus Four, Supersport & Plus Six (CX & CXV Generation Vehicles) roof up roof down

Peter's comments are fair in many ways.

The dealer coverage is sparse at best. I am an hour from two dealers but if the car needs parts I am three hours by public transport home from one and four from the other. More worryingly the availability of parts sucks and this is my biggest worry. Even parts for my GTR were a lot easier to find and that was a grey import with only 50 factory sanctioned ones in the UK.

Marks Tesla Y does 0-60 in roughly the same time but it is just not worth comparing the two as I see it.

I did not have a list when I came for my first purchase other than different, fun and a bit of an event. What did swing it was the ever patient good lady strongly approved of it. Even on the test drive I saw the way people reacted to the car. She accepted some of the others but did not enjoy them at all.

They often say love and hate are the same thing and I know that the Coupe triggers both often enough.

My quite car orientated neighbour finally took me out as promised in his Porsche Taycan S, FFS is it quick, launch mode rearranges your brain...fab interior too, but I (sadly) don't want one

I like Porsches too, the 911 more than the Boxter (or 718), however the Boxter is the better of the two. Nevertheless the 911 attracts me more. But...., a Morgan attracts us the most, hence the new PlusFour.Like that world. It is a lot more comfortable compared to the trads. And I can stay looking at here for a long time. A beauty!

Having read PeterJ's text I'm a little worried. You see I've had a 981 Boxster S for 9.5 years, far longer than any previous car I've owned, and simply because I can't think of anything to replace it with, and for all the reasons Peter mentions.
Over the last few months I've considered a Morgan Plus 4, had a look at a few and been for a drive, but that list of Peter's keeps coming back to haunt me. I'm not one of the people who worship at the shrine of the manual gearbox, if you want connection to the car buy one without ABS for the excitement of cadence braking, no synchromesh on the gears, for the fun of double de-clutching and maybe carburettors for the morning joy of juggling the choke.
So I'm not a purist and I'd be buying the automatic, but stopping to put the hood up when there's a downpour instead of slowing down and pressing a button; I don't know. I did all that with my first car, an Austin Healey Sprite back in the 60s, and what was fun as a teenager isn't as exciting in your 70s.
Morgan drivers, please tell me why I should buy one.

I have owned various Porsche models 911, Boxster and still have a 944 Turbo cabriolet all great cars, the last new Porsche was a 718S Boxster my wife loved it and was not to thrilled when I traded it for a Plus 6. We went into Snowdonia yesterday side screens off 28c heat and Blue Sky, my wife had her hoodie up and baseball cap on, myself shorts and tee shirt, 90 mile drive to me pure bliss, my wife hardly smiled but if we had been in the 718S would have been happy.
The thing is for me to enjoy the 718S I had to be driving at 9/10 because the car only really comes alive when bullied otherwise you could be driving. any other car than a Porsche.
The Morgan is enjoyable every mile and when I was pushing along the B roads yesterday was simply superb, we stopped by Bala lake for a picnic and the car was the star with admiring looks and lovely comments something that never happens in a Porsche.
Will I be trading any time soon, no way.
My wife will just have to get used to it or stay at home!

We ended up on a 220 miler on sunday first stop Strata Florida where they do the green lane bikeing all the way to the top, probably at least a 100 bikers in various stages of off road capability giving the wife a big wave as we sat next to the Mog on a small pull in with a sectacular view. One of the bikers said fair play mate I dont think I would have brought it up here, I said it was one of the new ones with four wheel drive and low ratio don't think he believed me though. I can't imagine doing it in nicer car the roads were very quiet and one of my best days of Mog ownership so far and the wife was beaming ......Em

Buy one because they make everyone smile!

It's very simple really. If you don't get why Morgan attracts buyers, it's not the car for you. Its a heart ruled purchase, which makes no sense empirically.

Boxsters and the like are for the sensible majority, and that's fine.

I also think it's simple PMP.
if you aren't yearning for the experiences you had in the Sprite, the old driving techniques. If you're not looking to find that as you get to know the car you actually improve your skills. If you don't want to experience universal love from other road users (invariably letting you out etc) and passers by. If you don't want to be accosted by old men telling you they had one once, it was the best and worst car they ever owned and they wish they still had it, if you don't want to have a car that you can arrive anywhere in classless fashion, if you don't want to come back to your car to find a gaggle of admirers standing round it...even if it's parked in a row of Ferraris and Porsches and Mercs..if you don't want a car that looks just as good dirty as sparkling clean...finally, if you don't want a car that you unconsciously pat as you put it away.....
Then a trad is not for you.
A cx model shares some of these characteristics.
Nick

Okay if any of these resonate and you buy one (and then it all goes pear shaped) don't blame me. I am never going to claim to be a level headed person. We have ended up with two Aero's.

First you have to work out if you are looking at a Trad car or one of the modern aluminium platform cars like the Aero V8 engine or CX based Plus Four/Six models. It's not cut and dried. Some people are looking for an antidote for the BEV-SUV and a Trad will do that at lower speeds and for a lot less money. They mostly hold their value so you can step in and out without a bath. Some of the special Trads (Brooklands models etc) are surprisingly quick and the SSL suspension upgrades to make a big difference to the driving experience. Less bouncy but still not an Aero/CX modern experience. Servicing is sensible and insurance is great.

In a modern sports car you get to enjoy the experience of the drive. In any traditional shaped Morgan (Aero Plus 8, CX Plus Four/Six or real trad) its like one of those plays where the audience joins in as everyone smiles at you and lets you out at every junction. You get to feel like you make people a little bit happier in their day for seeing it. People are nicer to you, I cannot tell you the number of times people have moved cars to allow me to park the Mog.

In a real Trad you are far more involved in driving the car as the various traditional elements like suspension, steering etc require a bit more engagement. These can be reduced with a few selected after market kits like SSL suspension. In essence you will have more engagement at legal speeds and many people want to keep their trad for that reason. The newer CX cars more or less act like a modern car to drive but bring a greater experience.

I had a string of nutter cars (Skyline GTR, 968CS, VR6) before becoming a Morgan Aero owner. I actually went to drive a Noble GTO3R but there was an Aero in the showroom and the salerep said "if you go for a drive in it you will come back laughing, then you will have to reset your expectations because you will want to buy it". It was an Aero S1. I was amazed that this odd looking thing went like a rocket and was good fun. When I got back in the car the good lady said she would be a lot happier if I bought the Mog and not the Noble. I did not buy it then, but later the Aero S2 turned up. It stuck.

If I am having a bad day I take the Aero Coupe out and it just takes the pressure off. I feel better. It's just a lovely experience that diffuses the frustrations from the job or life. The GT-R just made me drive too fast if I wanted to enjoy how it went. The Mog can go fast but you don't need to.

In full disclosure it is an Aero and so parts are a PITA, servicing is a pain as I have to drive a 100 miles to the dealer I use (Williams) Stuff does break. You will find a few stories on this forum, people here are honest. It costs less to run than most sports cars from my experience. Insurance is really good. Servicing for general stuff is good, unless you break a big bit. Then again perspective is everything and I am used to being fleeced by AMG dealers. I expect the CX should be less of an issue but we are still learning.

As Dave outlines. Work out which Morgan you are taking about (probably a real Trad with SSL or a modern CX Plus Four?) and try a couple. If it's a CX then make certain all the recalls have been completed. Brakes, suspension, radiator all should have been sorted. They don't have the development budget of Pork.

You will know pretty quickly and then the rest will just be about accepting some of the issues that do come with owning a Morgan. I know I have had moments when I have sent some pretty sharp emails.

Actually this forum is also a good reason, some very helpful people that made my introduction to owning the S2 a lot better.