Time Machine

What we like:

Blisteringly quick and brutal. A pure driving experience that is seldom replicated. Sweet engine. Generous variety available for customisation allows you to truly make a Morgan your own.

What we dislike:

1970s door plastics do not do any favours to what is quite the labour of love. The folding roof is a bit of a chore to set up.

It is not often that we will come across a car this refreshing and unique. The Morgan Motor Company offers the well-heeled buyer a glimpse into the past, with a diving experience that will keep you truly entertained.

Morgans are unique propositions in this day and age. They are built by hand, in small numbers, holding true to traditional coachbuilding methods. The flagship Plus Six is a stunning tribute to the cars built just before the second great war, and is also the first model brought in by their new dealership, NB Auto.

Unlike what some specialist car manufacturers might do, which is to re-body an existing vehicle, Morgans are built from scratch from the ground up. The Plus Six is skinned with traditional rolled body panels, supported atop an ash wood frame. With the Plus Six, Morgan has retained their traditional long bonnet design, but there is plenty here to tell you that there is quite a modern car underneath. From its 18” wheels with staggered tyre sizes, to its LED head and tail lights. Pop the hood, and you can see the painted over ash wood frame that the body sits atop.

What is new though, is the bonded aluminium chassis (dubbed CX-Generation), that replaces the steel ones that were used in their previous models. The latter existed in one form or another as early as 1936… In perspective, Edward VIII was king just for that year. This results in a car that is lighter and significantly stiffer.

Strictly a two-seater, you will find yourself seated just forward of the rear wheels. The cabin may not be large, but it has generous-enough room for the average adult. The interior is fully customisable, with heaps of leather and wood options to choose from, this also includes finer details like the colour of the piping and stitching. Our test car’s Tawny wooden dash and centre console, was matched with tan leather upholstery and cream piping.

Customisable bits aside, the interior of the Plus Six is a simple affair. A cluster of analogue dials in the middle are kept in the same company as manual air-conditioning controls. A pair of temperature gauges and a small digital screen that mirrors information from the speedometer are all that the driver has in-front of the wheel.

There are low volume production easter eggs, like the indicator stalk, which is sourced from the Peugeot/Citroen parts bin, while the interior door handles are straight out from the Austin Allegro. The BMW gear shift lever does little to match the interior’s classic styling.

What I did find interesting is how Morgan designed the lumbar support for the driver’s seat, which consists of a bulb to pump air into the bladder within the backrest, not dissimilar to the one you can find on a sphygmomanometer. I suspect that the hospitals at Worcester Road near their factory are missing some pumps… “fdst fdst fdst fdst…” ahh… back support.

Depress the ‘start’ button, and that BMW sourced engine roars to life. The familiar drone of its in-line six is clearer and louder than what I experienced with the BMW Z4, since there is very little (and even less so) between you and the world outside.

The Plus Six weighs in at only 1,160kg, and with the engine delivering a meaty 335bhp and 500Nm, it certainly feels alive. Acceleration is best described as nothing short of brutal with the hammer down, and for those who are curious for numbers, the Plus Six clocks 100km/h in just 4.2 seconds. The ZF8hp family gearbox, which is also shared with BMW, bites into each gear with a tenacity that guarantees that you can milk the best out of that Bavarian beast under the hood. The wind buffeting against the top of your brain melon, coupled with the sonorus full-fat exhaust note complete with gargles, is an experience which is difficult to replicate.

With its driver’s position close to the rear, you can easily feel with your rosy behind, what that rear end is experiencing, and when it wants to step out. Staggered 225/40 R18 92Y front and 245/40 R18 97Y rear wheels, do a fabulous job of putting grip onto tarmac, and wheel slip is predictable.

I have to mention though that the brakes do need plenty of working to bite, and for those who have gotten used to heavily boosted brake systems, these do take some time getting used to.

What I found excellent with the Plus Six, is that engineers worked out that sweet spot between handling, balance and comfort when setting up the car, and if you do not mind getting your hair into a mess, the Morgan makes a good daily driver.

Safety features are a-plenty and futuristic if you live in the 1930s, since the Plus Six is equipped with seatbelts and ABS… and that really is it. For those who are keen on finding a unique sports car heaped in heritage, the Morgan delivers a driving experience that truly puts you out there on your own. One that is essentially pure... comfortable if you drive it within legal boundaries, and with the hammer down, brutally rapid and will snap back at you if you do not respect it.

Perhaps in another parallel universe, where car design goes in smaller evolutionary steps, the Morgan Plus Six, may look quite the part. However in our time, and in our space (dimension C-137, where Rick and Morty reside), a Morgan is a very unique breed of car. One that is intended for the few who appreciate traditional coachwork, built onto what truly is a modern-day performance automobile.

Credits: Words and Photos by Clifford Chow