Morgan Brings a Sword to a Knife Fight

The Plus 8 offers something in the Allard J2 vein, with way too much power for its antediluvian chassis, but with a dash of British style

by Rob Sass

If Scotchman William “Braveheart” Wallace had been alive in the late 20th century, he probably couldn’t have resisted the broadsword of sports cars, the Morgan Plus 8—even though it was built by the hated English. It’s just the thing for carving up your favorite country lane.

For most lovers of British roadsters powered by V8s, Triumph TR8s and Daimler SP250s don’t quite cut it—they lack style, cachet, or provenance. And Tigers just seem like muscle cars that lost their way. Those who dithered (myself included) when Allard J2s were under $100,000 are now completely out of luck. Or are they?

As this column often points out, when one car appreciates beyond the reach of the majority of the market, Dave Kinney’s Law of Substitution comes into play. And in spite of what Porsche’s marketing people say, there’s always a substitute. Looking for something in the Allard J2 vein, with a ride bruising enough to make you ponder potential kidney transplant...