While chatting with RUSH founder, editor and supreme leader Craig about the new Alfa Romeo Milano compact (and optionally electric) SUV, I pointed out my love for the retro wordmark within the grille, in spite of being bored with retro stuff - excluding the new Renault Twingo Concept. It seems that the Morgan Motor Company got wind of this, so they presented the new Plus Four which is a great example of how to gently modernise a classic formula.

Morgan have been building cars and three-wheelers since 1909 and the lineage of the new Plus Four stretches all the way back to the 4/4 of 1936 which was the first four wheeled car to be made by the firm. In 1950, Morgan added a more powerful version of the 4/4 and christened it the +4. The wooden wonder went racing and after 270 laps at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, the +4 driven by Chris Lawrence and Richard Shepherd-Baron finished 13th overall, winning the 2.0 litre GT class in the process.

Over the course of the next few decades, the metal and wooden chassis would play host to engines from Fiat, Ford, Rover, Standard and triumph - all within a few cubic centimetres of 2000 cc in capacity. In 2020, the successor of the long running +4 arrived and with it a new name. It was out with the +4 and in with the Plus Four, which has just been updated for 2024.

2024 Morgan Plus Four - subtle evolution and detailed styling changes

At first glance, you may wonder what’s changed? I don’t blame you. The new Plus Four needs a keen eye and more than just a quick glance to spot the differences. The front wings are newly reprofiled with only two light clusters as opposed to the previous six. The new lights - which at 8” are one inch larger in diameter than before - incorporate the indicators and daytime running lights. The same can be said for the rear lights which again, feature one round cluster on each side which houses the brake lights and indicators, halving the number of protruding lights from the sloped rear bodywork. Both sets of lights have been designed by Morgan and are manufactured exclusively for them.

The front wings are more cohesive than before, with the inner wing blending seamlessly with no hard edges to the inner wheel arches. It’s a subtle change but one that really makes the car look more elegant than its predecessor. The front splitter has been ever so slightly reshaped and the intake housed within it narrowed. This, along with the rear diffuser, is deliberately painted in dark matte grey to hide them from view and keep the focus on the metalwork above. I can see why they’d want to - the car looks fabulous.

The front wings extend rearwards to become the sills before ending at the base of the rear wheel arch. This is where under the metal skin, the material that Morgan is most known for creates the shape: ash wood. Whilst the chassis itself is made of aluminium, English ash is used to make the frame and the shapes that the body panels placed on top will follow. I’ve always loved how the rear wheel arch blends into the rear bodywork and falls back towards the ground at the same angle as the boot lid.

Jonathan Wells, Chief Design Officer at Morgan said: “To think of a Morgan is to picture the unmistakable silhouette of the Plus Four…the continuous evolution of Plus Four – our time-proven brand anchor – is rightly afforded a more delicate approach.

The changes we have made – as with any longstanding design-led product – consider the delicate balance between tradition and innovation. For the latest Plus Four, we are proud