This 12-year-old Roadster has 116,000 miles on the clock. Bold
Morgans are charming things, but are they suitable for daily use? Not unless your commute is along the Riviera. Well, that’s what one might have thought, until stumbling across a 12-year-old Roadster that has an odometer displaying the number 116,000. No, not kilometres, and it’s not an ad typo, either; we double checked with the dealer. Today’s Spotted has recorded genuine miles.
Amongst Roadsters in the classifieds with almost one-hundredth of that mileage, this one stands strong as proof that even a car with an ash-frame and styling straight out of the fifties can be put into such regular use that it very nearly matches the national average. Whether they’ve been accrued fighting through motorway traffic each morning or traversing back and forth across the continent on holiday, we doff our hats.
The Roadster is certainly fit for the purpose of border-crossing voyages. With an all-aluminium Ford Duratec V6 producing 226hp under its long bonnet, the it’s revered as being a smooth, effortless cruiser – one boasting delivery and tone akin to a vintage straight-six Brit but with enough punch to sprint from zero to 62mph in 4.9 seconds. Because it weighs only 940kg, ride and handling are also rather good, although you’d need to have ignored the last thirty years of motoring to be able to call a Roadster properly refined.
Some owners claim to comfortably achieve fuel economy in the mid-twenties, which is not only very impressive but also a drastic improvement on the older Plus 8 that preceded the Roadster. There are also few major mechanical risks to report, probably because the engine and five-speed manual gearbox remain in fairly low-stress surroundings in such a lightweight two-seat sports car. A two-month-old MOT certificate and clean history of tests – barring silly fails for a headlight misalignment and broken horn – suggests that this car is in good health.
That being said, it has received a full respray and new chrome bits, which is understandable because that curvaceous body can’t be too effective at avoiding stones and the shiny trim won’t take too well to a life mostly lived outside. But kudos to the previous owner who chose to give the car its new lease of life with the refresh, it can’t have been a cheap job. The tidy interior continues to suggest the former custodians have really cared for the Roadster.
So while plenty of buyers will be instantly turned away by the high number on the odometer, others may see through the digits and view this as a tried and tested opportunity to bag a bargain. Because at under £29,350, it’s by far the cheapest Roadster listed on PH – one you might not lose any money on. Agree?
SPECIFICATIONS – MORGAN ROADSTER
Engine: 2,967, V6
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 226@6,150rpm
Torque (lb ft): 204@4,900rpm
MPG: 29
CO2: 230
First registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 116,000
Price new: £34,990 (2004)
Yours for: £29,350
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