Morgan Plus 8 (1968 to 2004)

Why people buy one

• Strong V8 performance in a light car: contemporary tests gave 0 to 60mph in 6.7 seconds for the first 3.5-litre cars, and later injected cars were quicker.
• The all-alloy Rover V8 is durable and can reach high mileages with regular oil and coolant changes.
• Later cars have five-speed gearboxes, rack-and-pinion steering and better rust protection, which make them easier to live with.
• New chassis members and timber sections are available, and the Morgan factory can issue a Chassis Record Certificate.

What to weigh up

• The steering is heavy, the ride is firm, and the hood leaks; carpets and bulkheads often get wet.
• Chassis had little rust protection until 1986, so an original chassis on an earlier car is likely to be rusty, and rotten timber means taking the body off.
• The Moss gearbox on 1968 to 1972 cars has no synchromesh on first, and Moss and early Rover gearbox parts are scarce.
• Specification varied with options: panels may be steel or aluminium, injection and rack steering were optional before becoming standard, and some cars have later gearboxes fitted. Check what you are buying against the record.
• Special versions such as the 1975 Sports Lightweight, the 2002 Le Mans 62 and the 2003 35th Anniversary edition need factory confirmation, and published build numbers for some of them vary.
• The aluminium-platform Plus 8 sold from 2012 with a BMW V8 is a different car and is not covered here.

Where they rust

• Chassis side members around the engine mounting bracket holes.
• Joints where the crossmembers meet the main side members, and suspension mounts and brackets.
• Wooden floorboards, which rot if the carpets stay wet.
• The ash frame at the door hinge posts and sills; a door that is hard to close or a hinge post that moves points to rot.
• The bulkhead and scuttle where they meet the wings and valance, especially if the carpets are wet.
• Wing edges, where aluminium wings meet steel brackets and beading.

Mechanical weak spots

• Check the oil filler cap for emulsion (head gasket failure) and listen for a noisy top end, which points to camshaft wear from infrequent oil changes.
• Rover engines from 1976 to 1994 used fewer cylinder head bolts and can suffer head problems; the later 10-bolt heads cured this.
• The alloy engine needs fresh antifreeze; a silted radiator causes overheating, so watch the gauge and check that the electric fan works.
• Gearboxes ran from the Moss four-speed to a Rover four-speed (from 1972), the LT77 five-speed (from 1977) and the R380 (mid-1990s); later five-speeds are considered best.
• The sliding-pillar front suspension needs frequent lubrication, and the kingpins and bushes wear; estimates of their life range from about 12,000 to 25,000 miles depending on care.
• Rack-and-pinion steering was an option from about 1983 and standard from 1986; earlier cam-and-peg steering boxes wear.

At a Mathewsons viewing

• Check the chassis number against the V5C (classic-era Plus 8 numbers start with R) and ask whether a Morgan Chassis Record Certificate comes with the car.
• Compare the engine number and capacity with the V5C and any factory record; a 3.9 or 4.6 in a car recorded as a 3.5 has been re-engined.
• Use a small magnet on the wings and body panels to see whether they are steel or aluminium, and compare with any record.
• With a torch, look at the chassis rails, crossmember joints and suspension mounts, then lift the carpets to check the floorboards and bulkhead for damp.
• Open the doors and press the hinge posts for movement, and if staff start the car, listen for top-end noise and look for blue smoke; do not assume it will be started.

Parts, specialists and clubs

Seen on Bangers & Cash

• Morgan (Bangers & Cash series 5, episode 1, First shown January 2022)

Sources

• Buyers Guide: Morgan Plus 8 (Hagerty UK), 6 March 2025
• Buyer's guide: Morgan Plus 8 (Classic & Sports Car), 7 February 2020
• Morgan Plus 8 buyer's guide (Classics World), 9 August 2022
• Morgan Buyers' Guide (gomog.com), January 2020
• Morgan chassis numbers (gomog.com), accessed 14 October 2026
• Ownership: Chassis Record Certificates (Morgan Motor Company), accessed 14 October 2026
• Morgan Plus 8 (Wikipedia), accessed 14 October 2026