Traditionalist sports cars separated by more than 30 years - which delivers the biggest thrill?
These are the sort of traditional British sports cars created with one mission in mind – putting a smile on your face as you blast through the countryside on a sunny afternoon on your way to a lovely country pub.
This Triumph TR4a and Morgan +4 might be separated by more than 30 years but they’re both about a very similar sort of classic car thrill. They’re good old fashioned sports cars that are unapologetic about messing up your hair and expect you – not the traction control – to do the driving, and they both cost about the same.
So which is best?
Which is nicer to behold from the beer garden?
The Plus 4, with its wire wheels, lashings of chrome and the lovely louvres right the way along its bonnet, is a lovely to look at. To this day Morgan plies its trade in making cars which don’t look or feel like today’s bland-o-matic Euroboxes, and this Plus 4 defies its 1990s heritage to propel you into a much more distant sports car past.
It’s a delight, but the Triumph is lovelier still thanks to its Michelotti-penned lines and neat proportions. It’s an entirely subjective thing, of course, but for us the delicate curves of the TR earn it an early victory.
Which set of keys is most impressive?
Call it a draw, because both names are so readily associated with traditional, flat cap sports car motoring.
If you go for the TR4a, you might have to explain to your mates that the Triumph in your life is not a Herald or a TR7, but they’ll know from the off you’re firmly ensconced in classic car territory. Morgan’s range is so well defined the only conclusion your friends will draw is that you’ve got a Brit sports car parked outside – which is no bad thing.
Which is better to drive?
Set off in either and the intial impressions will be roughly the same – lots of wood in front of you, unassisted steering that insists on delivering you a rolling news commentary on what’s happening on the road beneath you, and an unapologetically firm ride.
While the Morgan’s cutaway doors and that never-ending bonnet make it an acquired taste, the modernity of the Rover-sourced engine in the 1997 car we tested definitely makes it the easier car to live with, with a much more modern feel and the edge in terms of performance.
The Triumph, on the other hand, is all about the handling. Bar room critics will happily tell you how ‘hairy chested’ it feels but it’s nonsense – get a sorted TR and it feels lively and immediate, and the buzz from the 2.1-litre four pot is wonderful.
Both are great, but the TR is more fun, more of the time.
How much is it going to set me back?
Both the cars we tested were firmly in the £20k price bracket, but with the sheer variety of Plus 4 Morgans made over the years it’s the Malvern-built car that presents the biggest choice for buyers. We found this 1985 car for grabs for £19,500, which is great value.
Triumph TR values have nosed upwards as buyers priced out of E-types and Elans have gone hunting for sports car thrills. While we have seen TR4a models being sold for upwards of £30k, there are great deals still to be had – like this 1965 car for a shade under £17,000.
Both offer a lot of car for the money, but it’s the Morgan that’ll be more straightforward.
So which is the better buy?
Buy either and use it for occasional forays into the countryside on sunny afternoons and you’ll love it – but on this occasion the Triumph TR, for its looks and handling, win by a whisker.