Morgan Motor Company has today revealed the 50th Anniversary edition of its iconic V8-powered Plus 8. The family-owned British marque officially unveiled the Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition at the Geneva Motor Show.
Named after the famous eight-cylinder engine beneath the car’s hand-built body, the Plus 8 50th Anniversary edition will be a true V8-powered thoroughbred tribute to the model that has been Morgan’s crowning vehicle for 50 years. The bespoke sports car manufacturer will produce 50 of the special-edition models, each one hand-built and carrying a unique model number and sold through its existing dealership network.
Born on the racetrack, the Morgan Plus 8 is a special combination of craftsmanship, luxury and technology. Over 6,000 Plus 8s have been hand built at Morgan’s Pickersleigh Road factory in its 50-year history.
At just 1,100kg, the Plus 8 is one of the lightest V8 passenger cars in the world. It is capable of 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph.
All Plus 8 50th Anniversary models will sit on Morgan’s renowned aluminium chassis. The Plus 8 50th Anniversary will be the last Morgan vehicle to feature the naturally aspirated BMW V8 engine. Available in both automatic and manual transmission variants, each Plus 8 50th Anniversary can also be specified as a right-hand or left-hand-drive model.
The Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition is available in two striking race-inspired colours and two specifications – blue ‘speedster style’ with an open cockpit, or green ‘traditional convertible’ with a soft- top.
Drawing inspiration from the first production Plus 8, MMC 11, a spun aluminium domed panel adorns the rear of the car. Other accents celebrating Morgan’s motorsport pedigree include towing eyes in yellow, sporty white brake calipers and ceramic-coated twin-cannon- style white exhaust tips. The exhausts have been specially made to amplify and refine the dramatic V8 soundtrack.
The addition of extra bonnet louvres and a leather bonnet belt hint at the aggressive nature of the V8 engine, while the number ‘8’ painted onto the front grille celebrates the racing days of the original Plus 8.
Each car will be individually liveried by Morgan’s craftspeople and finished with a unique number on the exterior back panel of the car. A plaque inside each car denotes its unique number of production.
Morgan’s in-house design team specially commissioned new five-stud wheels for the special edition, reflecting the original cast wheel commonly equipped to Plus 8s throughout the years. The 50th Anniversary edition wheels are refined to handle the increased power of the V8 engine and finished in a specially created celebratory champagne colour.
For the interior, a naturally waterproof black leather has been chosen to provide durability essential for vehicles without a roof. A highly detailed motorsport-inspired, twin-pleated stitch has been chosen for the seat centres. Specially designed dial faces complete the heritage feel of the matte-finished walnut dashboard.
Continuing the success of Morgan’s partnership with fellow British company Christopher Ward, a C1 Morgan Plus 8 Chronometer Anniversary watch has been specially designed to accompany each Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition produced.
Each Christopher Ward and Morgan Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition watch contains a small piece of the original ‘MMC 11’ car embedded into the back plate. Each piece will be numbered 1-50 and every owner will receive their corresponding numbered watch for their Plus 8.
The limited-edition Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition will cost from £107,500 excluding local market taxes.