Morgan Plus 4 History
The larger-engined Morgan — Triumph-, Rover-, then Ford-powered — and a 1962 Le Mans class winner, built across three runs 1950–2020.
Photo: “File:Morgan Plus 4 (1956) (53775594087).jpg” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
History
Launched in 1950, the Plus 4 was the more powerful companion to the 4/4, using larger engines in essentially the same traditional ash-framed, sliding-pillar-front chassis. The first series (1950–1969) ran through Standard Vanguard and then a line of Triumph TR engines — the TR2, TR3, and from 1962 the larger TR4 unit.
The Plus 4's high point came in competition: a lightweight Plus 4 Super Sports won the 2.0-litre GT class at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, a famous result for the tiny firm. After the first series ended in 1969 the nameplate was revived twice — a second series from 1985 (Fiat then Rover M16/T16 engines) and a third from 2005 on a 2.0-litre Ford (Mazda) Duratec — before the traditional Plus 4 ended in 2020 alongside Morgan's other steel-chassis cars.
Generations
First series · Standard / Triumph TR era
Photo: “File:Morgan Plus 4 (1956) (53775594087).jpg” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Standard Vanguard, then Triumph TR2/TR3/TR4 power; the series that took the 2.0-litre GT class win at the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours.
1956 Photo: “File:Morgan Plus 4 (1956) (53775594087).jpg” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1960 Photo: “File:Morgan Plus 4 (1960) (54561511591).jpg” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Second series · Fiat / Rover revival
Revived nameplate using a Fiat twin-cam then Rover M16i and T16 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines.
Third series · Ford Duratec era
Final traditional Plus 4 on a 2.0-litre Ford (Mazda) Duratec four; ended in 2020 with the steel-chassis cars.
Body styles
- Two-seat roadster
- Four-seat tourer
- Drophead coupé
Notable special editions & performance variants
Plus 4 Super Sports
Tuned, lightweight Plus 4 with a low-line aluminium body; 104 built 1961–1968. A Super Sports secured Morgan's finest result at Le Mans, winning the 2.0-litre GT class in 1962.
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Morgan Plus 4
Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.