A Blast from the Past

Morgan Plus Four HIGHS: Modern performance, steers and handles well, a real conversation starter. LOWS: Inherit the wind; unlockable; please, sir, may I have some storage space?

- -Dan Edmunds

IN BRITAIN THEY SAY THAT there is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing. The sentiment is top of mind when driving a Morgan Plus Four.

The Plus Four is a replica of a classic design Morgan has made since 1950. The word replica is significant, because this car does not meet all vehicle standards for 2025. It fulfills emissions regulations but not most crash requirements, although it does have airbags for both driver and passenger. Morgan can sell it in the United States under the FAST (Fixing America's Surface Transportation) Act's replica-car rule as long as it caps sales at 325 cars per year. And that's why onlookers were so gobsmacked when they heard it could be purchased new. It looks and feels like an antique.

One way Morgan has updated the car is by replacing ye olde steel frame with a riveted and bonded aluminum spaceframe. This type of construction is stiff and light. We noticed zero cowl shake, and this structure provides solid mounting points for the control-arm suspension front and rear. Morgan hasn't totally given up on its traditional ash wood; certain elements, including the cowl and the doors, are made from aluminum that is formed over an ash frame, with the ash visible at the door hinges and under the hood. This makes sense because the wood within quells the vibrations that might otherwise occur if the aluminum skin were to go it alone. It feels solid, not tinny.