I have had many Morgan and Morgan-related stories told to me. Some may be true some may not, None have been confirmed.

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BB story. Related to the waiting list for a Morgan.

In the mid-60s, Bridgette walked into the Morgan Factory showroom in Malvern Links. She spoke to the nice tall grey haired gentleman and asked if she could buy a Morgan.

"Which Model would you like? There is the smaller model with the Ford Cortina engine, then the Plus 4 with the Triumph Engine or we may soon have the Plus 8 with a 3.5 L V8 engine in it."

"Oh, the Triumph engine will be fine. I would like it in British racing green and I like the idea of the four-seater. Lots of room for luggage, and oh yes a luggage rack as well please."

"Wire wheels or solid wheels? " "Oh yes the wire wheels Please."

"OK, we can do this for you, that will be a 1000 deposit please."

Bridgette hands him a check saying, " I will be back next week to pick it up."

"Hmm, sorry no, we can't do that. How about we call you in about 3 years?"

Folding her arms "You DON''T understand I am Bridgette Bardot!"

Folding his arms "I am Peter Morgan"

She was back to pick up her car when it was ready about 3 yrs later a 1966 Plus 4 4place.

The last I heard of this car, it is now Red and resides in California.

I have never driven a Morgan Trike, new or old. Maybe someday I may get a chance. They look like a hell of a lot of fun to drive. Recently it was explained to me by a close friend how to get in and out of a Morgan trike. "You see the driver's position is so small and the steering wheel is so close to the seat that one has to slide in under the wheel from the passenger side. Most Morgan trikes have the steering wheel on the right side."

The process is. as Ken told me, "You stand on the seat on the passenger side and slide down in, then move over to the right hand side, under the steering wheel. Your girlfriend then stands on the passenger seat and slides down in. If the car stalls or the engine fails and stops she has to get out, so you can get out. You go to the front and crank the engine over until it starts then repeat the entry process."

So much for chivalry.

Photo credit Lance Lipscomb. Posted with the permission of the driver. The identity of the lady is unknown. Do not copy or link.

Back in the early 60s, A friend of Peter Morgan, Maurice Owen, came by the factory and looking at the latest Plus 4 said to him... "if you ever want to squeeze a V8 engine in there give me a call. Peter declined at the time but the thought was then in his mind.

In around 1964 he got a call from the Morgan dealer in Ontario with some information from Detroit, that GM, the owners of Buick, were about to disband and decommission their Buick 215 CID aluminum block V8 engine, Peter was interested so, called Rover, who he was purchasing some 4 cylinder engines from at the time. They contacted Bruce McWilliams the Rover American operations head to look into the possibility of purchasing the blueprints for the engine. The bottom line, is Rover bought the engine. First up for the engines was Peter Morgan for his car. He brought in several Rover 3.5 L (215CID) engines fitted with twin SU carburetors and with his friend who had the idea in the first place manages to fit them into his car.

The first of these, plus 8s, to come to North America was R7009 the ninth car produced, It was shipped to Halifax, picked up by the Pacific Northwest Distributor for Morgans, and driven home to BC. The next weekend it was on the racetrack at Westwood, driven by GB Sterne, This car still lives today and is in Comox, BC,

Yes, it is known as "the" PLUS 8.

One of the secrets of the Morgan Motor company was and still is, to never produce their own engine. Since day one, the company has always used the best engines available at the time and placed them in the traditional body that we all know and love.