Morgan Plus 8
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Morgan Plus 8 | |
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| Manufacturer | Morgan Motor Company |
| Production | 1968-2004 |
| Class | front-engined Sports car |
| Body style(s) | 2-door roadster |
| Engine(s) | Rover V8s |
| Transmission(s) | 4 or 5 speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 98 in (2489 mm) |
| Length | 146 in (3708 mm) |
| Width | 57.5-67.0 in (-1644 mm) |
| Height | 52 in (1321 mm) |
| Curb weight | 1876 lb (851 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 13.5 imp gal (61 L/16 US gal) |
| Related | Morgan 2-seater roadsters |
The 'Morgan Plus 8' is an iconic sports car built by British car makers Morgan between 1968 and 2004. Its instant and enduring popularity has been credited with saving the Company and keeping it famous during the 36 years of its manufacture. Within the Morgan community, it is deeply associated with Peter Morgan, the owner-chairman behind its birth.
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[edit] General Design
It was originally based on the chassis design of the Morgan Plus 4 to which it combined the Rover alloy block 3.5 L, which had been purchased from GM-Buick in 1967. Chassis and wings were developed in stages to accommodate larger tyres to handle the power. The original 1968 Plus 8 was 57 inches wide and the last was 64 inches (with an optional "widebody" at 67 inches.
[edit] Engines
All Plus 8s engines were based on the Buick 215, used in the 1961-63 Buick Skylark, Olds Cutlass and Pontiac Tempest. In the 1960s, the engine was decades beyond its time, being an all alloy block.
The early Plus 8s used the 215 block (renamed the 3.5 L by Rover) with a compression of 10.5:1 fueled by two SU HS6 carburettors. In 1973, the compression was dropped to 9.35:1 and power dropped with it. However in 1976, a vastly improved version of the block named the "SD1 3500" was adopted and after 1981 this was fueled by two Stromberg carburettors, and the power increased.
At the end of 1983, the company offered a EFI version using a Bosch L-Jetronic based system. With the added power (204 bhp) and low weight, the Plus 8 was, according to the magazine road tests of the day, able to best a Porsche up to 90mph. In 1990, a 3.9 L version of the block was added using a Hitachi Hotwire injection system, common to LR Range Rovers.
In 1996, a 4.6 L version found its way into the car as an option still using the Hotwire system. From 2000, all Morgan Plus 8s were fueled by the GEMS system used on the Land Rover Discovery II.
[edit] A special note on the United States
For almost two decades during the 1950s and 1960s, North America took the greater bulk of Morgan production. Popularity in the UK and Europe had greatly fallen during that era. The era ended with the advent of the strong emission and structural laws. Luckily, the failure of the modern looking +4+ and the arrival of the powerful Plus 8 rekindled interest in the home market in the whole line.
In the US, a way was found to keep importing Morgans after 1974. From 1974 to 1992, all imported Morgans (of which 98% were Plus 8s) to the United States were converted to run on propane as fuel to pass the U.S. emissions regulations.
When the Rover Group re-certified their V-8 engine for use in the Range Rover SUV sold in the U.S., Morgan made a gasoline-powered +8 available with the same engine in the same tune and with the same anti-emission devices. As safety regulations continue to change, Morgan was again challenged in 2006 to meet the new structural requirements announced by the NHTSA in 2000. A request for an exemption to the law on airbags was refused and the importation of trad (Classic) Morgans ceased.
(The Aero 8 rear impact exemption, granted in 2005, will expire in June 2008. Delays in compliancy testing on the new model, the Aero 8 ver.4, will push back its return to the US until some time in 2009.)
[edit] Gearboxes
- 1968-1972 Moss Gearbox, a 4-speed manual transmission with synchromesh 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
- 1972-1977 Rover 2000 Gearbox, a 4-speed all-synchromesh manual transmission
- 1977-1995 Rover LT77, a 5-speed all-synchromesh manual transmission
- 1995-2004 Rover R380, a 5-speed all-synchromesh manual transmission
