Rare 1964 Morgan Plus 4 Plus Coupe (Class Winner)

A very rare red 1964 Morgan Plus 4 Plus arriving at and leaving the 2026 San Marino Motor Classic at Lacy Park, where it won First in Class (British Sports Cars – Morgan). Introduced at the 1963 Earls Court Motor Show, the Plus 4 Plus (+4+) was based on the Morgan +4 and featured more modern styling. It is powered by a Triumph TR4A straight-four engine producing around 105 horsepower and utilized fiberglass bodywork in closed two-seat configuration with glass windows. Despite being praised for its interior space, light weight, and excellent handling, the car was not commercially successful and only 26 units were built between 1964 and 1967.

Concours judges don't choose winners solely based on a car's rarity and cool factor, but I can't help but believe those things played at least a small role in helping this car win first in its class. Morgan is best known for largely retaining its original pre-war styling even in its modern offerings. But there was one single model that clearly broke that tradition. The +4+ clearly looks like no other Morgan, and without that signature front grille it can easily be mistaken for something from another British marque. I think the car looks great, though the fixed roof is a bit too pointy at the top, probably as a result of trying to provide enough covered headroom in such a small car. Maybe a fastback design would have helped. So why did it fail to sell despite being an excellent performance car? Perhaps loyal Morgan customers were infuriated by the huge stylistic break from tradition. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the same way many people now think the electric Luce crossover is not a proper Ferrari, some people in the '60s thought the +4+ closed coupe with modernized styling was not a proper Morgan. And I certainly can't be the only one who thinks adding an extra "+" to the car's name only caused more confusion in the company's already puzzling naming structure. Still, I'm glad to have crossed paths with this very rare and special car, and I can't help but think that, for better or worse, if the +4+ had proven to be a sales success, perhaps the design of Morgan's cars today would look much different!

Why do you think the Morgan +4+ failed to be a sales success? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!