Morgan has always made cars its way, and their use of wood in the chassis coupled with the classic 1930s styling has always intrigued car guys. However, some of the engines they used were…not the most powerful, and while the cars were extremely light and nimble, they lacked the punch that only a big engine could offer.
Thankfully, the UK had its own “small block V8,” derived from an old Buick motor, which became the now-widespread 3.5-liter Rover V8. Jay Leno owns a Morgan Plus Eight, which features that engine that has been bored out to 3.9-liters, and now makes around 275 hp. His ride is heavily modified as it features a roll cage, wide tires and a revamped interior.
As with all Morgans, its wooden chassis, which is considered a consumable and has to be replaced every 20-odd years, is designed to flex and act like “a big shock absorber,” whereas now, the consensus is that the best way to go is to have a very stiff chassis. You will notice that when Jay yanks the top of the roll cage, the whole car shakes quite violently.
Also, you’d never know when this was built, because they’ve all looked the same ever since the model’s introduction in the early 1950s – his is a 1970 model. The final defining trait of this particular car are the wider fenders, which were custom made by the same shop that modified two of his classic Jags, and also handled the tuning of the engine, and the modification of the interior.
By Andrei Nedelea
VIDEO