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2241 original kilometers (not a misprint). One owner from new and perhaps the only left-hand-drive 1973 Morgan +8 in the US. 100% original, with factory top and sidecurtains still in the original wrappers.
Is it perfect? No, but it has loads of character. The bright red paint is vintage 1973 lacquer, and the owner agonized over the red versus British Racing Green, ultimately deciding that if he was going to own a V8-powered roadster, it would not be a subtle machine. The paint is 100% original over untouched bodywork, and while it shows some signs of age and minor shelf wear, there’s absolutely no call for any kind of refurbishment or repaint. There are the two chips at the back of the car dating back to shipping damage when the car arrived in the US, and some of the usual wear at the leading edge of the hood where the hinge has flexed, but otherwise it is quite impressively preserved. Door and hood fit are impressive, a tribute to the craftsmanship for which Morgan was justly famous, and all the chrome is excellent. The headlights, fog lights, and all lenses are the original Lucas units in fantastic original condition.
In much the same way, the black leather interior shows lovely patina, but no signs of damage. Original Smiths gauges are fitted, all of which are fully functional, and you’ll note that it sports a metric speedometer as a result of Morgan having no US-bound cars and therefore no need for one with miles per hour markings. Lights, heater, turn signals, and wipers work as they should, but as a pure sports car, there is, of course, no radio. From Day One, the interior has been covered by the original tonneau, which is still in place, and as I mentioned, the top and side curtains are still in their original paper wrappers.
The real joy of a +8 is under the hood, where an all-aluminum 3.5 liter V8 was nestled between the sweeping fenders. It starts quickly with a surprisingly American exhaust note from the twin tailpipes out back, and the little V8 loves to rev as each blip of the throttle creates an eight cylinder rumble that’s more California hot rod than cultured European sophisticate. It snarls and roars, and linked to the Rover 3500 4-speed gearbox, which replaced the Moss unit used until 1972, performance is downright shocking.
The chassis is as the factory built it, complete with haphazard coverage of some kind of undercoating. A newer battery has been fitted in the tray behind the seats, and the access panel also reveals the limited-slip Salisbury rear axle which still hangs on leaf springs and uses shock absorbers that will probably be familiar to anyone who has restored a car from the ‘40s. The original exhaust system is leak-free, although showing surface rust, and yes, it’s a little crusty underneath, but without cars like this, we’d never know how they really were when they left the factory. And yes, those are the original 185VR15 Dunlop tires fitted in 1973.
Documentation includes every piece of paper from Day One, including order forms, service records, invoices for repairs, and even receipts for replacement parts ordered from the factory to avoid using generic parts-store equivalents. It was also used for a series of greeting cards and calendars in the 1970s, with a professional photo shoot at that time, and a few copies of the resulting printed items are included.
This very special car comes from a very special place and an owner who has cherished it, but has never been afraid to use it as intended. A pleasure to drive and still spectacularly fast, it’s an incredible survivor with a wonderful story to tell. Love it, drive it, but please, don’t restore it—it’s simply too special for that.
For more information, a wonderful ownership history, and more than 50 photos, please visit www.VintageMotorCarsUSA.com.
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STOCK/INV. NUMBER:
132163
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