Morgan · 1950–2020

Morgan +4

The Morgan Plus 4 is a sports car produced by the Morgan Motor Company. It is a more powerful and, in the case of the earlier cars, a slightly longer version of the company's previous 4/4 model. Plus 4 production ran from 1950 to 1969. It was revived in 1985 and filled the gap between the 4/4 and the Plus 8 until 2000. It was again produced from 2005 until it was replaced in 2020 by the "all new" Plus Four built on a bonded aluminium platform.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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History

=== First series === After World War II Morgan re-introduced their 4/4 model fitted with a 1267 cc Standard engine. This continued in production until it was replaced by the larger Plus 4 announced at the 1950 Earl's Court Motor Show. The Plus 4 at its introduction was fitted with a 2088 cc Standard Vanguard engine installed on a widened and strengthened 4/4 chassis with a wheelbase lengthened by 4 in (102 mm). Hydraulic brakes, initially all drum, were fitted for the first time on a Morgan. In 1953 a higher performance version was announced with the 1991 cc, 90 bhp (67 kW) straight-four engine as used in the Triumph TR2 (a development of the Vanguard motor). The 68 bhp (51 kW) Vanguard engine continued to be available until late in 1956. Beginning in very late 1953, the radiator grille was now surrounded by a cowl that blended into the bonnet; initial cars received an interim version which only curved backwards at the top (nineteen examples were built of this design), followed by a transition version using the final cowled design which also curves backwards at the sides coupled with lower-mounted headlamps. The final design, with higher mounted headlight pods and the badge above the grille appeared sometime in 1954; flat radiator cars were frequently returned to the factory to have the front updated, along with various technical upgrades. Front disc brakes became an option in 1959 and were standardised in 1960. From 1956 the 1991 cc 100 bhp (75 kW), Triumph TR3 engine was used and from 1962 the engine was the Triumph TR4 unit, which increased displacement to 2138 cc. The bonnet of the Triumph-engined Plus 4 fitted so closely to the engine that there was no room for an air filter. In 1955 the less powerful 4/4 model re-appeared in phase II form. The 96 in (2,438 mm) whe

Competition use

Four-wheel Morgan cars have been used in competition since HFS Morgan drove the prototype 4-4 in the MCC Exeter Trial in December 1935. Plus 4 highlights include: Chris Lawrence and Richard Shepherd-Barron won the 1601-2000cc GT class at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Plus Four. The class winning car, chassis number 4840, was originally registered XRX 1 in 1961, then changed to TOK 258 from late 1961 through mid-1964 (at least different 4 Morgans have carried the TOK 258 registration number). It was sold by Chris Lawrence to A. Dence in 1964 and the registration was changed to JHX 142B. In 1964 Chris Lawrence and John Sprinzel (Sprinzel LawrenceTune Racing; SLR) developed a streamlined aluminum coupé body for racing. The first SLR was fitted to a Triumph TR4 chassis, but the final three were fitted to Morgan +4s. From February 1966 to November 1966 Morgan produced the two-seater +4 Competition model, of which only 42 were built. It is estimated that only approximately 11 of these still exist today. The Morgan +4 Competition model was approximately 10% more expensive than the standard +4. The Competition model had a low-line steel body, similar to the Morgan "Super Sports" aluminum body, and generally came with a Derrington four branch exhaust manifold, Derrington competition steering wheel, 72-spoke wire wheels, Armstrong select-a-ride electrically adjustable rear shock absorbers, and the 2.2-litre twin SU carburetor TR4 engine.

Appearances in popular culture

In the film The War of the Roses, Barbara Rose (Kathleen Turner) buys her husband (Michael Douglas) a 1960 +4. After their marriage sours, she destroys the Morgan by crushing it under her GMC Jimmy. The wealthy heiress and debutante who is the subject of the Frank Zappa song "Florentine Pogen" drives "a '59 Morgan." In Agatha Christie's Marple (TV show: season 2, Ep. 3) a red Morgan +4 is driven by one of the main characters. Of the car she says: "My husband gave it to me. I've always wanted one."

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Morgan Plus 4
Manufacturer: Morgan Motor Company
Production: 1950–1969, 4,584 produced, 1985–2000, 2005–2020
Class: Sports car
Body style: 2-door convertible
Layout: Front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine: 1991 cc Triumph OHV I4, 1994 cc Rover M16i DOHC I4, 1994 cc Rover T16 DOHC I4, 1995 cc Fiat DOHC I4, 1999 cc Ford Duratec 20 DOHC I4, 2088 cc Standard OHV I4, 2138 cc Triumph OHV I4
Length: 145 in
Width: 56 in
Assembly: Malvern, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom
Height: 52 in
Wheelbase: 96 in
Kerb weight: 1848 lb, 1848 lb (Super Sports)
Related: Morgan 4/4, Morgan Plus 8
Successor: Morgan Plus Four

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6911571CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_%2B4CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1283776585 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Morgan_Plus4_Drophead_1963.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Ramgeis · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.