There’s a good chance that when you think about the Morgan Motor Company, your mind doesn’t immediately jump to the time Malvern-made shipped off to France for a have-at-you with the famed 24 Hour. No, rather you’re probably sitting there thinking about spinning donuts in a three-wheeler, or perhaps weren’t-funny-the-first-time jokes about woodpeckers building nests in the frames. In any case, there’s a new Plus Four limited edition paying homage to the 1962 class victory that MMC is quite so dearly fond of.
Way back when, a Morgan Plus 4 SuperSports took that victory driven by messrs Chris Lawrence and Richard Shepherd-Baron. The overall winner that year was the famed Olivier Gendebien/Phil Hill Ferrari with a screaming 4-liter V12, which set the pace over 24 hours at 331 laps. A scant 61 laps in arrears of the Fezza, however, was the Triumph-1991cc-powered Morgan in question. No matter that the Morgan’s GT 2.0 class victory fell several laps short of the GT 1.6 and GT 1.3 class winners, a win is a win!
The winning 1962 car, known by its registration number TOK 258, was a gorgeous dark green color with a Heritage White hardtop. It would make sense, then, that the Plus Four LM62 modern tribute car is also available in the very same color scheme. The LM62 graphics pack includes a matching roundel with the very same 29 as TOK 258 wore. You also get silver wire wheels, a vintage look fuel filler cap, auxiliary driving lights, various black exterior trim bits, polished stoneguards, and an active sports exhaust.
Only 62 of these will be sold worldwide, and each will be adorned with a metal dash placard showing off the car’s unique build number. There are lots of additional unique touches inside, including engraved leather door pulls, headrests embroidered with the LM62 logo, and Tawny wood center console and dashboard. Morgan will also give you an accessory pack with the build, which includes a set of two-eared wheel spinner hub nuts, a wooden Moto-Lita steering wheel, headlight tape, and a chrome interior mirror. Presumably these are things that don’t meet legal rules to sell as equipped, but can be later fitted by the owner to make the LM62 more authentic.
Steve Morris, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Motor Company, said: “The 1962 Le Mans class-winning Morgan Plus 4 holds a special place in the hearts of Morgan enthusiasts, employees and owners around the world. It marked one of Morgan’s greatest motorsport achievements, the car covering more than 2,200 miles at an average running speed of almost 94mph, and triumphing – like David vs Goliath – over our bigger, and better funded, rivals of the time.
“With the Morgan Plus Four LM62, we pay homage to this famous vehicle and incredible moment in time, 60 years on. Limited to just 62 individually numbered examples, the bespoke touches and enhanced level of standard specification make these cars an enticing proposition for customers wanting a piece of Morgan history.”
If you’re one of the people who remember the time Morgan won at Le Mans, or perhaps if your name is either Chris Lawrence or Richard Shepherd-Baron, then you need to get in line to buy a Plus Four LM62. It can be had in left- or right-hand drive, and with your preference of automatic or manual gearboxes. If you’re in the UK, it’ll cost you a not insubstantial £78,995. If you don’t live in the UK, Morgan kindly requests that you consult with your nearest importer.
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