HOW DOES IT DRIVE?

Nicknamed ‘Malvern’s Hot Rod’, the enduing quality of any Morgan Plus 8 is, and has always been, its straight-line speed, which in a car dating from 1969 is nothing short of scintillating. Press the throttle hard enough on a suitable stretch of open A-road and you’ll arrive at that spot in the distance you’re focused on, somewhere beyond your view of the Morgan’s long, louvred snout, in what feels like an instant.

This particular car, which belongs to Morgan Sports Car Club member, John Beskeen, is fed by twin SU carburettors, as opposed to the electronic fuel injection system of the later cars; EFi was introduced in 1984 and saw the Rover V8’s output rise by an additional 29bhp and 20lb ft of torque. These differences are indistinguishable, though; whether it’s the earliest example or one of the last Rover V8-powered cars from 2004, the immediate hit of acceleration and the assault on the senses that follows always creates the impression that you’re going faster than you really are. And be under no illusions, you really are going really rather fast.

The impressive flexibility resulting from the V8’s considerable torque renders gearchanges pretty much redundant. Once underway – and should you not need to come to a complete halt at a junction or roundabout (and assuming you’re not in a hurry) you could feasibly remain in fourth gear for the duration of your journey.

Of course, while it’s interesting that the Plus 8 can function without changing ratios, that’s not what it’s all about. After all, that low-revving grunt is first and foremost the secret behind its performance; John’s car can get all the way up to the national limit on a dual carriageway while still in second gear. Likewise, you also get a sense that the rate of acceleration won’t tail off in fourth until long after the national limit.

Power is delivered subtly, the engine at no point feeling stressed, so high speeds are always achieved in a seemingly effortless fashion. Even at 5000rpm the engine note isn’t overbearing and the V8 is at all times smooth.