Morgan is 111 years old, and for more than half of its existence it's made a vehicle on a version of the same chassis.
That chassis is an old steel design that has underpinned the Morgan Plus 4 since 1950, and now it's finally headed out to pasture as Morgan has developed a lighter aluminum chassis for its next generation of cars.
To mark an end to the old chassis and also the 70-year run of the Plus 4 built around it, Morgan has launched the Plus 4 70th Anniversary Edition. The first examples of the special edition, of which just 20 will be built during 2020, were revealed on Thursday.
Morgan Plus 4 70th Anniversary Edition
Seventy years marks a platinum anniversary and the special-edition Plus 4 is painted Platinum Metallic, but mother always said it's not what's on the outside that counts. Each chassis is also painted gold.
Inside, each Plus 4 70th Anniversary Edition is upholstered in leather and the headrests are embroidered with special-edition logos. The performance seats are heated and footwell lighting is also included. The dashboard is covered in a Ravenwood veneer, the cowl and door handles are leather-trimmed, and dark gray box-weave carpets line the floor. A satin black Mota-Lita steering wheel finishes off the look.
Every Plus 4 70th Anniversary Edition comes with a photographic build record, which will be important at future auctions. And because they're Morgans, each also has a mohair hood cover and storage bags for the sidescreens.
Morgan Plus 4 70th Anniversary Edition
Under the hood, the special-edition Plus 4 gets an upgraded version of the Ford 2.0-liter inline-4 found in other models. A new engine map from Aero Racing ups power by 26 horses to 182 horsepower, which flows to the rear wheels via a Mazda 5-speed manual transmission. Morgan said the Plus 4 70th Anniversary Edition sprints from 0-60 mph in less than 7.0 seconds, and while it's not exactly quick, it should sound good thanks to an Aero Racing sports exhaust.
The Morgan Plus 4 70th Anniversary Edition is priced to start at 60,995 British pounds (approximately $74,200) and all 20 build slots are sold.
If you missed out, Morgan has already announced a successor based on the new aluminum chassis. This one gets a BMW inline-4 with 255 hp on tap and an available automatic transmission. It starts at 62,995 British pounds.
