Morgan Plus 8 35th Anniversary by Vilner

Morgan Plus 8 by Vilner. More special than the original

Quilted leather. The Brits love this type of leather. A term not related to the origin of the rough material or the tanning process, but to the characteristic stitching pattern witch can vary in shape. The most popular one is the rhombus theme. It is widely spread throughout Bentley’s model range, but in this case it is not “Handmade in the UK”. It is laid and stitched by the hands of artists from Vilner’s team in Bulgaria.

This styling is a perfect match for the roadster. Morgan is a legendary British icon which is all about tradition: each car is built around a ladder chassis over which an ash wood frame is placed, then covered in aluminum. Everything is done by hand. This particular car is one of a 100 to be ever built – a 35th Anniversary edition Plus 8 – making the British roadster even more valuable.

The owner, however, didn’t like the original interior. And when he asked the Morgan guys in Melvin for something more special before ordering the car, they replied that the options were limited (the original styling of the cabin is surprisingly inappropriate) and that this car is for… men. In any case though, white-gray leather without much attention to detail is not what this vehicle deserves.

Vilner wanted to make the cabin blend with the traditional and heritable spirit of the 35th Anniversary. The brown quilted leather makes a direct reference to the classic British gentlemen’s club atmosphere. It is stitched together using white thread in some places, and others - the sides of the seats and headrests - with silver leather string, matching the exterior colour. All bare details like the door mechanisms are wrapped in black Alcantara, with leavers dressed in brown leather. Seat belt locks - with their plain black and red plastic look - do not disturb the sight either, thanks to their carefully stitched covers.

No detail is too small to ignore. Vilner replaced all exposed bolts in the cockpit with a brand new shiny set, matching the bolt heads to the same tone as the great wood trimmed aluminum Moto-Lita steering wheel, standard for the 35th Anniversary.

Another word, traditional Brits also love is the word craftsmanship. It hallmarks Morgan’s entire manufacturing process: from the glued by hand ash components, through the hand curved aluminum sheets, to the hand sanded pre-paint body. This is indeed the very reason why this Plus 8 is such a felicitous demonstration of Vilner’s skills. It misses only a scotch cabinet and a pipe.

2003 Morgan Plus 8 35th Anniversary, 3998 cc, 190 hp, 320 Nm, 5 speed manual transmission, RWD, 1000 kg approx.
www.vilner.eu