With Carroll Shelby shoehorning American V8s into AC Aces in the early 1960s, the British lightweight mindset changed almost overnight. No longer were small, featherweight British sports cars required to be powered by smaller in-line 4 engines, and the popular demand for raw power was something many automakers could not afford to ignore. Morgan saw an opportunity with their Plus 4 chassis and struck a deal with Rover for the supply of its all-aluminum 3.5-liter V8. After strengthening and extending the Plus 4 chassis to support the new power plant, Morgan had created V8 British lightweight of their own with supercar-league performance. In fact, in its later 3.9-liter evolution, the Morgan Plus 8 proved faster to 80 mph than the contemporary Porsche 911 Turbo. But while the Plus 8 had innumerable technological advancements during its lengthy production run, from larger engines to better gearboxes, fuel injection, rack-and-pinion steering, etc., it has retained the same classic design that Morgan had been building off of since 1936.
In 2003, Morgan celebrated 35 years of the iconic Plus 8 by releasing a limited run of 100 35th Anniversary Edition Plus 8s to the American market. Before the cars even reached the dealership, all 100 examples were sold. This limited run marked the temporary end of the Morgan Plus 8 with the production of the Rover-built V8 ending the same year. While the Plus 8 would make a reappearance with a BMW under-hood, the 35th Anniversary Edition was the last of the classic Morgan Plus 8s.
This Morgan Plus 8 35th Anniversary Edition was built on July 18th, 2003 and sold in Houston, Texas. Finished in the iconic combination of Connaught Green over Woodsmoke Muirhead leather, with matching green carpets, soft top, and tonneau, this car optioned with beautiful chrome wire wheels, a stainless steel luggage rack, a leather bonnet strap, cream colored gauges to match the leather interior, and a Macintosh stereo. This car has traveled just 6,100 miles over its life. and has been impeccably maintained. The Plus 8 feels like nothing else produced in the 21st century, and presents its driver with an opportunity to experience the most significant era of British motoring with modern technology, convenience, and reliability.
