Classic roadsters don’t get much better than this 1961 Morgan Plus 4

We’ve written before that if some automotive enthusiasts were stuck on a remote island since, say, 1960, and came back to civilization, there would probably be only two vehicles they’d recognize: The Jeep and the Porsche 911.

Well, we should have added one more to that list: the Morgan Plus 4 roadster. Like the other two, it’s a classic shape, and it has evolved, but there’s so much of the original left that it is genuinely a timeless design. The basic car went into production as the 4/4 in 1936, before it was slightly lengthened into the Plus 4 in 1950, when Harry S. Truman was president.

This is a mint 1961 model, properly cared for mechanically and cosmetically. Inside, it has classic leather upholstery, and an instrument panel with simple gauges (fuel, water temperature, oil pressure, speedometer, and tachometer) and refreshingly, not a hint of anything digital, plus there’s that large wooden steering wheel. It’s listed by Broad Arrow on Hagerty Marketplace.

This is a factory left-hand drive example, originally sold through Fergus Motors of New York. It was restored in 1992 using a factory-remanufactured chassis and ash wood frame, and finished in an appropriate two-tone green and black livery.

New models, now styled as Plus Four, have a BMW-sourced 2.0-liter four-cylinder; this 1961 model has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder from a Triumph TR3, a gutsy, 90-horsepower engine with ample pulling power. Transmission is a Moss four-speed manual. Brakes are hydraulic Girling front discs and rear drums. Suspension is a sliding pillar design up front, and a leaf spring design out back with a solid axle.

The sculptured bodywork is aluminum, with dual Brooklands windscreens. The wire wheels are painted gloss black to match the lower bodywork. The chrome accents, including the prominent radiator grille, set off the car’s substantial and welcoming personality. Side curtains are included.

Barely a year ago this Plus 4 received a $4000 service session in preparation for the sale, work that included a brake system bleed with new rear wheel cylinders, fresh Vredestein Sprint Classic tires and tubes, a new battery, a fuel system drain, new spark plugs, a distributor adjustment, a new ignition coil, a valve adjustment, ignition timing adjustment, carburetor balance and mixture adjustment, an oil change with filter, and a road test, and tune. The only known imperfections are some chips and swirl marks in the paint.

This 1961 Morgan Plus 4 roadster is available for bid here through 3:50 p.m. ET on September 28. It’s listed at no reserve. Someone is going home with the epitome of the proper British sports car.

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