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BMW’s electric car sales help keep its V8 engines alive in Australia
Original-owner 1976 Morgan Plus 8 offered with rebuilt V8 and period paperwork
A 1976 Morgan Plus 8 bought new from the Malvern factory is being offered with delivery documents, service records, a 2023 engine rebuild and a Florida title.
By Charlotte Redford · 4 min read
A 1976 Morgan Plus 8 that its original owner collected new from the factory in Malvern, Worcestershire, in mid-1976 is now being offered for sale. The seller says he personally delivered the paint to the factory, and that the Sahara Gold body with black fenders is a colour combination specified uniquely for this car when new. The vehicle is offered with delivery paperwork, service records, spare parts, period photographs and a clean Florida title in the seller’s name.
The car was registered in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Portugal before being shipped to the United States. It was stored in 1998 and formally imported in 2001. The seller reports that the body was repainted in 1998, that mild steel screws and bolts have been replaced with stainless fasteners, and that a dent near the right-rear corner was repaired in 2024. He notes that the doors would benefit from being rebuilt, as blistered paint is visible on both.
Under the bonnet is the 3.5-litre Rover V8, which was rebuilt and bored 0.020 inches over by J.E. Developments of Claybrooke Magna, England, in 2023. The rebuild included reconditioned Rover SD1 cylinder heads, a J.E. Developments camshaft and lifters, balanced crankshaft and replacement bearings. Other upgrades include dual SU carburettors rebuilt by Joe Curto in 2022, a Mallory distributor, a Facet electronic fuel pump, an aluminium radiator with an auxiliary electric cooling fan, an oil cooler and stainless-steel tubular exhaust headers. The oil was last changed in March 2026.
Power reaches the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential, with a Borg & Beck clutch fitted in 2023. The braking system has been updated with left and right power boosters, the calipers were rebuilt in 2017, and Aeroquip stainless-steel front hoses were fitted in 2026. The Armstrong shocks were rebuilt by Apple Hydraulics, and the 15-inch alloy wheels have been powdercoated and shod with Michelin tyres.
The cabin has high-back bucket seats reupholstered in black leather in 1998, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a set of gauges that includes a 6,000 rpm tachometer and a 240 km/h speedometer. A JL Audio marine amplifier feeds four speakers, two of them JBLs. The floorboards have been replaced with marine-grade plywood sealed in polyurethane, and the pedal assembly has been powdercoated. The five-digit odometer shows 34,000 kilometres, about 83,000 miles, after one rollover.
Exterior features include Lucas driving lights, a centre-hinged louvered bonnet with straps, triple windscreen wipers, a rear luggage rack, a rear-mounted spare wheel and chrome bumpers. The car is sold with a previously repaired vinyl soft top, a replacement black canvas top, a black tonneau cover and black side curtains with sliding windows. A factory tag dated June 7, 1976, records the identification numbers, options and colours. An extra windscreen is included with the sale along with a range of spare parts.
Source: bringatrailer.com
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