It has survived world wars, trends, fads, downturns, world economic collapse, and multiple eras of corporate takeovers, yet Morgan Motor Company remained a profitable family-owned company for 110 years â until selling to a private equity group in 2019. Even then, the Morgan family retained a piece of the company, and Morgan employees still report to work in the same ancient buildings on Pickersleigh Road in Malvern, Worcestershire, UK, where the company has operated since 1914. This week’s find, a 64 Morgan Plus 4 Roadster, is a perfect example.
A small, dedicated crew of 220 craftspeople, engineers, and staff work with their handsâĤand their heartsâĤ.just the way 29-year-old Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan did when he built his first 3-wheel Morgan for the public in 1910. Alongside compatriots Jaguar, MG, and Triumph, Morgan greatly influenced the birth of the sports car culture in America when U.S. GIs and service personnel shipped those sporty little European roadsters back to the U.S. at the end of WWII.
As fast as they are on the racetrack, the process of creating a Morgan remains as slow as ever. To illustrate my point, take a moment to ponder thisâĤToyota will manufacture more cars in 3 days this week than Morgan has produced in 117 years!!!! Blissfully belligerent, Morgan will methodically take 4 weeks to build the next Plus 4 at the very same Pickersleigh Road factory in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, where it produced the first one way back in 1951. There is a certain tranquility that accompanies time-honored triumph. It just feels good knowing that, at Morgan Motor Company, “the more things âdonâtâ change, the more they stay the same!”
Of the many famous Morgans, the Plus 4 is a sports car that was produced by the Morgan Motor Company from 1950 to 1969. It is a more powerful version of the company’s previous 4/4 model and slightly longer. Plus 4 production ran from 1950 to 1969; it features an ash wood frame, an aluminum-and-steel body, and a 2.1-liter Triumph TR4 inline-four engine producing 104 hp paired with a 4-speed manual transmission.
This 100% original is owned by Dr. Bela Ballo, a board-certified diagnostic radiologist practicing in Green Bay, and has been in the Ballo family since it was purchased new from the factory by Dr. Ballo’s father in 1964 and now has 57,000 original miles. More than a member of Dr. Ballo’s collection, this Morgan is a member of the family. From rides in the country and family picnics to chauffeuring De Ballo and his wife to their wedding reception.
RELATED: The next-gen Morgan.
Owning one of these won’t break the bank. Auction and dealer pricing typically ranges from the mid-$18,000s up to over $44,000+ depending on condition, history, and whether it is a standard model or a rare specification like the Super Sports, but this one’s not for sale, and what family would part with such a piece of British automotive history?
Thanks for stopping by and checking out this week’s find. Make sure to Like, Comment, Share and come back next week for another unique and interesting cars I’ve found while traveling about.
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