Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms How did you decide?

Always been a 'life's too short for boring cars' sort of a man (which has left me both breathlessly enthusiastic and stuck at the side of the road in fairly equal measures over the years 🙂)

Had some extra garage space and a racing pal had a '70s crossflow 4 seater that he'd competed until the gearbox broke and then abandoned in his back garden until it had 'patina' dropping off it in chunks .... it did, however have some competition mods and was really cheap.

I've renovated old cars and motorcycles all my life so it was a match made in heaven ... two years later with a chassis up resto in my woodshed (and at a total cost of 10k with every last bit restored or renewed) I found my theoretical love of Morgans translated into practical infatuation ... grown to love every rattle and clonk ... I find the pert rear-end of the 2 seater more visually appealing but a couple of long road-trips with camping gear and luggage mean the practicality of the 4 seater as a 'sporty pick-up' has won me over totally.

K

Really liked three wheelers and then saw an early M3W at a local car show and had to have one. A test drive sealed it. Trouble was wouldn't sit in it even when stationary. I asked her if she would be happy to not just sit but be driven in a four wheel Morgan and the answer was yes, so Ì started looking at Plus 4's. After a hugely enjoyable 9000 miles over two and a half years Dan at KH offered me a very generous trade in against a new Roadster. A two up test drive and the man maths had me accept and I was given just 48 hours to spec having been given a previous demonstrator slot, allowing this picture to be taken just over three weeks later.

My Morgan journey started way back in the '60's when I had a ride in a chaps car, I think it was probably a 4/4 but no matter, I was smitten. Every year at the Earls Court Motor show, if Morgan were there I used to go and look and dream, I was still an apprentice then so funds were none existent. Moving forward a long way, I used to do a lot of work at Brands Hatch when BHM had a place there, this re awakened thoughts of ownership. When I finally retired I realised I could probably now justify a Morgan so down to Brough Green to visit BHM and the deal was done on a plus 4 ( which I think had been the show car ( it was bright yellow ) after a period of enjoyment, I realised I quite liked old cars so I chopped and changed finally coming back to another plus4 from Long Stratton Motor co, this made way eventually for a secession of Jaguars until I was tempted down to Krazy Horse where I wanted to try the then new 3W, I couldn't even get in it however by chance they had just had a new plus 4 delivered so a deal was done (I hope you are still with me ?) this then gave way to all sorts of cars untill i ended up with a 4/4 80th celebration model whichI traded to Krazy Horse for my current 110 edition 3.7 Roadster which I am very much enjoying. SWMBO tells me this one is a keeper but we will see. There is certainly something about a morgan that keeps the interest and passion going.

As Dad drove them in the 50's and 60's and Grandad built them in the 60's and 70's, there was little doubt that I'd eventually own one.

Whenm at age 49. I finally had enough 'availability' on my credit cards - my criteria was 4 seat, for the extra luggage capacity, built between 1966 and 1975 and as cheap as possible.

Thankfully mine turned up at Allon Whites shortly after I started looking, had a quick test drive, spent a weekend drawing cash from 5 credit cards and she was mine.

6 years later, she's all paid off and put about 30,000 miles on her, and made numerous alterations and modifications. Have abused the cards again buying the MGB and the Harley, but it's only money......

When I was 10 or 11 my dad fetched home the 1969 motor show pull out from the daily mail. We went thought it together looking at all the cars and I decided there and then that a Morgan plus 8 was my favourite car ever! Dad died when I was 21 and long before I had enough cash spare to afford a hobby car. When I was in my 30s I started enjoying fiddling with classic car, MGBs, Minis, Morris Minors etc. Adding value to each, sometimes substantial rebuilds sometimes a fortunate tidy up. Most I kept for between 6 months and a year and eventually my hobby car became two cars, one to run one to work. Almost 30 years and about 25 classic cars later I had 3 decent hobby cars - 2 classics and a modernish sports car as well.

It was time to sell two and buy the Morgan Plus 8 of my dreams with wifeys encouragement. The noise, power and exhilaration were intoxicating but the ride, comfort and realities of our roads tarnished the dream. I tried to improve the comfort with some limited success but the seats didn't recline and I had back and neck ache after driving for more than an hour. deteriorating roads surfaces and increasing speed traps and decreasing speed limits curtailed the thrill of making good progress.

Purely by chance I met a chap, now a friend, with a newer plus 4 with reclining seats - they were so comfy but at £4000 a pair were way out of my budget. A passing call into a dealer had a much newer plus 4 which the comfy seats which I felt could be achievable but I wasn't overly impressed with the maroon/black colour scheme. the dealer called me back a few weeks later with details of a car just about to come in which eventually I went to see and had an extensive test drive.

The Plus 4 was perfect, perfect colour scheme, perfect ride, perfect condition, perfect provenance. He even offered my back every penny of the purchase price of the plus 8 I'd bought 4 years previously. The deal was done and I couldn't be happier. My Morgan found me!

Gary

I too prefer the look of the rear end of a 2 seater over that of a 4 seater, but totally agree that the luggage carrying ability of the 4 seater trumps the 2 seater for the type of use that that we use our Morgan for, mainly touring. Others may choose not to do much touring and have no need of the 4 seater's luggage space. We can get 2 full checkin airline size luggage bags, one over each rear seat (with the seats laid down) and more in between. Haven't carried the kitchen sink in her yet, but close to that when using her for moving houses. We do want to sell her and upgrade to a CX, but the lack of luggage carrying space is a downside.

Always wanted one. Opportunity came around in 1983. It's the only one I have ever owned. A shed load of miles and a million memories. V8 always. With me until the end.

As with many petrol heads, I had a mental classic car top 10 and the Morgan was always up there with Triumph TRs, Sunbeam Tiger, MGB etc. Then when my dad passed away and left us some money, my dear wife said to me, "You've always wanted a classic car, why don't you treat yourself?" Needless to say I didn't need to be asked twice, and narrowed down my search by asking myself what I wanted for - I wanted to drive it, take it to France on holidays, but I wanted the vintage driving experience without vintage running costs and the need for constant attention. So the Morgan worked its way to the top of the list and we went to see Sarah at BHM.

I thought I wanted a Plus 8, but eventually Sarah said "Alastair, I've got just the car for you", and it was a 4/4, 5 years old, with only 3,500 miles on the clock. 21 years later, it's now done 62,000 miles, taken us everywhere from Edinburgh to Angoulême, won the odd prize here and there, been on the MSCC stand at the NEC, done many BHM Goodwood track days, my wife loves being driven in it and our daughter loves driving it herself, it's part of the family.

In the early seventies I lived in Ealing and at the end of my road was Duggies. One day I was peering in the window when Duggie came out and invited me in to sit in a new four seater in that now familiar dark green. I think that that was it: I had what passed for a brochure on several kitchen walls, and worked my way through Midgets, B's ,Tr's and an Elan until one day passing Packer Duncan in Kingswinford I stopped and wandered in.......spent this afternoon fitting a new grease nipple, reflecting on the number of hours spent under Morgans, wondering why. Then went for a drive. My wife said "take me with you " and it was obvious.

In my younger years, think I was a teenager, I read an article from a Dutch Car journalist who wrote about the collection of his Morgan at the factory. It had something special, I remember that on the day of collection he had some mechanical issues, when driving it home. But he was so positive about his Morgan, it did stay in my mind and does so 50 years later. In the beginning I thought it was something I could never afford. But in my thirties a good friend of me stimulated me to visit the Dutch dealership. From then I couldn't get it out of my mind, I became a member of the MSCCH and started looking. As we had two little children I looked for a 4-seater and at the age of 39 I bought a 5 years old 4/4 four seater, royal ivory, which we still have. I attended many club events over the years and my wife and I used it for holidays all around Europe. As a keen gardener, my wife always enjoys the trips to the UK, as we can combine our hobbies while driving through the countryside and visiting many gardens over the years. I also made trips with both my sons, and later they drove the Morgan themselves. In 2023 I suggested to buy a new Morgan with more comfort and suitable for driving through emission zones. The family decided it was okay, as long as the 4/4 stayed at the family as part of our family. In our new PlusFour we already made many trips alone and with Morgan friends from Denmark to France, Austria and Italy and of course the UK visiting the factory. The PlusFour is better suitable to make long travels, we only miss the luggage space of the 4/4. But driving the 4/4 so now and then, it feels so familiar, with all its noises, fumes, squeeks, etc. It's more nostalgic in driving, the PlusFour more Morgan-driving 2.0! We're so glad Morgan is in our lives!



Side by side at the Noord Holland Classic of MSCCH, April 2025, with the two brothers in the 4/4!