1964 Morgan +4+ Coupe

When the Plus-Four-Plus was introduced at the 1964 London International Auto Show, it was greeted by a chilly silence from the Morgan faithful. Yet, it would prove to be the key to the company's survival – and today is a much-sought-after rarity. The new Morgan, so different in appearance from the classically-styled Plus-Four roadster, disappointed wind-in-your-face "Mog" loyalists, who devoutly believed that the roadster's primitive inflatable bladder seats and less-than-forgiving sliding pillar/leaf-spring suspension made Mogs the one true remaining British sports car.

Company president Peter Morgan was determined to turn the page and bring the company his grandfather had founded at Malvern Link a half-century earlier into the modern era. While the Plus-Four-Plus was built on the standard Morgan tube-framed roadster chassis, it would feature – rather than a wood-framed open body clad with steel panels – a fiberglass two-seat coupe body with an unusual "bubble" top, fabricated by the firm of E.B. (Staffs) Ltd. in Stoke-On-Trent. The tall, rounded roof was shaped, as Morgan lore would have it, to accommodate Mr. Morgan. He stood six-foot-four, and sensibly insisted that he be able to enter, exit, and drive the car comfortably. There were proper bucket seats, a full complement of instruments, a wood-rimmed steering wheel and some space for luggage.

The Morgan faithful were having none of it. Orders began to dry up and the factory was forced to abandon its plans for an initial production run of 50. This reversal, however, proved to be a blessing. Fearful that the new model signaled the end of what they had worshipped for decades, prospective Morgan buyers hurriedly jumped on the waiting list for a new Plus-Four roadster. This provided the firm with desperately-needed cash, thus ensuring its long-term survival. Only 26 coupes were completed and sold over a three-year period, many of them to U.S. and Canadian enthusiasts.

Source: Bonhams, Conceptcarz, Supercars, Wikipedia, other