Shortly before closing its historic Malvern Link, UK factory for a month due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Morgan Motor Company rolled out the first four completed examples of the Plus 4 70th Anniversary Edition.
Built to celebrate 70 years of Plus 4 production, the build run of 20 anniversary models will be individually numbered and built in a unique specification.
In March this year Morgan revealed its new four-cylinder sports car model – subtly renamed as the Plus Four – which is built on the new Morgan CX-Generation bonded aluminium architecture which debuted on the new Plus Six model.
The Plus 4 is one of the company’s best-selling models throughout seven decades of production and the anniversary edition marks the end of production for Morgan’s steel frame chassis which has underpinned the Plus 4 range since it was launched in 1950, The chassis itself dates back to the 1936 introduction of the Morgan 4-4.
Features of the 70th Anniversary Edition cars include an individually numbered plaque, marking them out for years to come as some of the last steel-chassis Plus 4 models. A specially embroidered headrest will further differentiate the edition.
The unique specification of the anniversary edition also includes Platinum Metallic paint – a platinum anniversary being a celebration of 70 years – while the steel frame is painted gold. The car has satin dark grey wire wheels, a motorsport-inspired front valance and exterior black pack including a black stone guard, A-pillars and side screens.
Inside the car, the finest grade of leather has been sourced exclusively for the Plus 4 70th Anniversary Edition. The interior is further enhanced by a Ravenwood veneer dashboard, dark grey box weave carpets and a satin black Mota-Lita steering wheel.
Other specified extras include a leather-trimmed steering cowl and door handles, mohair hood cover and side screen storage bags. Heated ‘performance’ seats, footwell lighting, and an exclusive commemorative Photographic Build Record are also included with the car.
The anniversary cars come with an engine map configured by Aero Racing, Morgan’s in-house motorsport specialists, raising power from 115kW to 134kW and reducing the 0-100km/h acceleration time down to less than seven seconds.
The cars are also fitted with an Aero Racing sports exhaust with a ceramic black tail pipe.
The completion and distribution of the first cars came just before the Morgan Motor Company took the decision to close its factory for one month from March 25 as part of efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19. It’s the first time since World War II that the Morgan factory has been closed for an extended period.
Morgan’s all-new Plus Four is a narrower version of the Plus Six that was launched at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show and is also based on the new bonded aluminium frame.
The Plus Four adopts the 2.0-litre BMW TwinPower turbo four-cylinder engine with 190kW and 400Nm output figures matched to a choice of six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmissions.
The tradition of hand-beaten aluminium body panels supported by an ash wood frame is preserved on the new generation Morgan models and retaining the marque’s lightweight focus, the Plus Four weighs 1009kg and the eight-speed auto version can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.8secs (Manual: 5.2secs).