Lot details Registration No: LBM683G Chassis No: 87028 Mot Expiry: Nov 2006
Although, Rover's attempts to acquire Morgan in 1966 had proved fruitless, it nevertheless granted the sportscar manufacturer access to its newly acquired, ex-Buick lightweight aluminium V8 engine with a view to cementing a supply contract. Hired by the Malvern works to assess the powerplant's merits / suitability, race engineer Maurice Owen lost little time in shoehorning one into a Morgan Plus 4 chassis. With trials of the resultant prototype successfully undertaken in 1967, the Plus 8 debuted at the following year's Earls Court Motor Show. Built along familiar Morgan lines, its ladder frame chassis was equipped with independent 'sliding pillar' front suspension, a leaf-sprung rear axle and disc / drum brakes. Supported by an ash frame, its swooping bodywork looked as traditional as ever but gave no clues as to the new model's extraordinary performance potential. Backed by a four-speed Moss gearbox (Rover's own engineers had only experimented with automatic transmission up to that point), the 3.5 litre unit was credited with some 160.5bhp and 190lbft of torque. In a car weighing comfortably less than 900kg, Autocar magazine found that these outputs translated into 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds and 124mph. Known for their handling, traction and braking on smooth surfaces, it was not long before Plus 8s started to appear on the race track.
Race prepared by marque specialists Techniques of Stotfold Herts, this particular example finished fourth overall in Class A of the Morgan Sports Car Club's Morgan Motor Challenge for both the 2003 and 2004 seasons. A somewhat unusual choice for a racer in that it began life as one of the rare Moss 'box cars (widely held to be the most desirable and valuable of all Plus 8 variants), it now carries a dry-sumped 4-litre V8 race engine allied to a rebuilt five-speed manual gearbox. Stripped of road trim, its interior is home to a full roll cage and racing fuel tank. Further benefiting from two hardtops, a soft-top, tonneau and a spare set of wheels / tyres, it is said to have had some £18,000 spent on it in the last three years alone. Finished in dark blue with multi-spoke alloy wheels, it is described by the vendor as being in good overall condition. A potentially rewarding entry to club motorsport, its possession of a valid MOT certificate until October 2006 also hints at a life outside racing.
PLEASE NOTE: This vehicle's MOT expires in November 2006 and not October as stated in the catalogue.
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