1994 Morgan Plus Eight

The vendor bought this Plus 8 in August 2019.

He then set about spending a good deal of time and money getting it into an optimal mechanical version of itself.

He sent it off to renowned Rover V8 whisperers, RPI Engineering of Norwich, who applied their special tuning, fettling and tweaking sorcery to it.

They remapped the engine in order to let it know, in no uncertain terms, that it was sat under the bonnet of a high-performance Morgan, not a Land Rover.

They also fitted an upgraded side-exit exhaust, which explains why the car now sounds like a proper V8 and makes a noise that never fails to elevate the hairs on the back of your neck.

We have driven it and can attest to its lively manners, ability to pull away briskly, and willingness to keep on going like a pack of timber wolves in pursuit of a moose.

It does so while exhibiting handling characteristics that are reassuringly positive, balanced, agile and predictable….and all to a sound-track that sounds like Tom Waits shouting to a slightly hard-of-hearing friend across a canyon.

The vendor has kept up the tradition started and upheld by his predecessors by only ever using the car sparingly, when the sun is shining, and when moisture and salt are absent from the road surfaces.

That’s why the mileage today is 24,284, and why it was 20,687 in 2014 and 15,752 in 2006.

It’s also why the car is in such impressive overall condition – inside, outside and underneath.

This car presents very well and is, in our opinion, liveried in a particularly attractive colour palette of blue paintwork with a tan hood and tan leather interior.

The bodywork is pretty much beyond reproach and we’ve found no dinks, dents, dimples or other significant damage or aberrations anywhere.

The doors close with the kind of satisfying weight and precision you might normally associate with products from Zuffenhausen, not Malvern.

The blue paintwork is also really pretty good and has retained plenty of shine, vibrancy and lustre.

The chromed wire wheels are decent, save for a little surface rust on the externally-mounted spare at the rear.

The matching Yokohama tyres look to have a decent amount of life left in them. Ditto the Avon spare.

But this car is not a concours contender and it isn’t pretending to be.

Hence, there are a few scratches and scuffs in the usual places – the forward-facing aspects of the rear wheel arches, atop the wings, on the bonnet and around the headlamps and front light clusters.

We spotted a couple of small outbreaks of bubbling under the chrome plating on the o/s/r bumper, and some thin cracks to the paint in the bodywork above it.

There’s also a little bubbling in evidence at the base of the o/s/r rear wheel arch and some scuffs and rough edges at the rear base of the o/s/r wing.

Bar a few creases here and there, the tan vinyl roof is good, as are the side screens.

The vinyl roof is an upgraded after-market item, designed to make putting it up and down considerably less onerous and time-consuming than it is with other, less fortunate Morgans.

The different design of this hood explains why there’s no tonneau cover with the car.

All lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings look to be in good order, although some scratches to the bodywork around the rear ‘Morgan’ badge suggest that the badge has been rubbing and might need re-affixing.

The interior, you won’t be remotely surprised to discover, is every bit as good as the exterior and its condition is far more a reflection of the car’s low mileage than its age.

The tan leather upholstery is largely untroubled by entropy or the passage of time, and has barely earned a crease worthy of the name, let alone any ingrained patina.

We noticed one small spot of wear on the outer bolster of the driver’s seat.

Also, there are some scuffs and signs of wear to the leather trim running around the top and sides of the rear wings where they meet the doors.

The carpets and mats are reasonable throughout, as are the door cards.

The roof lining is a little grubby and could do with being introduced to a chamois leather and some efficacious cleaning products.

There is some scuffing and wear on the leather trim around the gear lever, and there are some indentations on the leather covering the transmission tunnel where the seat belt buckles have been rubbing.

The wood on the dashboard is rich and glossy, and has resisted the temptation to crack or shed its lacquer.

The car comes with two wood-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheels – the original item and the slightly smaller one that’s currently in situ.

This is because, being 6’3”, the vendor needed the extra room afforded by the smaller wheel.

The vendor tells us that all switches, knobs, dials, levers, toggles, controls and instruments do what they’re supposed to do in a timely and uncomplaining fashion, as far as he’s aware.

Everything in the engine bay looks to be dry, clean, present, correct and in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car appear to us to possess plenty of structural integrity and nothing we’ve seen has given us any cause to frown, tut or otherwise express fear or doubt.

No doubt you’ll want to take a look for yourself and reach your own conclusion.

The car comes with its original service book, which is fair bristling with stamps that run on to a couple of stapled-in continuation sheets.

It also comes with a decent wad of bills, invoices and receipts attesting to the care and expense lavished on it in recent years (and further back), leading to the sensible conclusion that this is a properly sorted, solid and sensitively upgraded vehicle with nothing to hide.

It also has an owner’s manual and a recent HPI report.

It has an MoT certificate (with no advisories) that’s valid until the 21.12.24, and comes with the splendid registration – L800 MOG.

There are few better ways to immerse yourself in the glories of the British countryside that a top-down sprint in a Morgan Plus 8 through some country lanes on a balmy summer’s day.

Particularly if your destination is the Dog & Duck, or some other fine hostelry of your choosing.

That experience could be yours to enjoy for many years to come, and we think you’ll struggle to find a better low-mileage example of the model in which to do it than the one we have right here, right now.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £26,000 - £32,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.