Morgan 4/4, 1989

The Morgan 4/4 was built for eighty-two years. The first model, introduced in 1936, was the 4/4 with the flat radiator, which remained in production until 1951. After a four‑year break, during which only the Morgan Plus Four was built, the Morgan 4/4 was reintroduced. The car did not change much, conservative as they are at the Morgan company, and the most noticeable alteration was the radiator shape, which changed from flat to cowled. Morgan never built their own engines. The early flat‑radiator cars were powered by Standard or Ford engines. The cowled‑radiator models were powered by Ford engines. The Ford engine used was known as the Kent engine and was also fitted in the Ford Cortina. Morgan 4/4 1600 cars were powered by the 1,599-cc Ford Kent engine, which had a standard output of 98 bhp. This gave the light car, 660 kg as a two‑seater and 785 kg as a four‑seater, very sporty performance. Drivers who wanted additional torque and power were offered the Triumph TR four‑cylinder engines, which produced 96 bhp in TR3 form or 105 bhp in TR4 form. These cars were named Plus Four. Later generations of the 4/4 were equipped with Ford CVH, Zetec, and Sigma engines, each bringing improved refinement while keeping the traditional Morgan character. The Plus Four also evolved and was eventually fitted with the 2.0‑litre Ford Duratec engine, producing 144 bhp and considerably more torque than any 4/4 variant. The four‑speed gearbox was fully synchronised. Later models used the Mazda MX‑5 five‑speed gearbox, well known for its precise and mechanical shift quality. The Morgan 4/4 is a very special car to drive because it has its own strong character. It cannot be compared with any other roadster or convertible. The 4/4 was discontinued in 2018 and the traditional steel chassis Plus 4 production ended in 2020. The Plus Four name continues in the new CX-Generation Plus four built on Morgan’s bonded aluminium platform and powered by the BMW 2.0‑litre turbocharged engine.