Morgan is celebrating 100 years of manufacturing at its factory in Pickersleigh Road, Malvern with a special edition of the Plus 8 sports car.

Dubbed the Speedster, the limited-edition model makes several changes to the traditional Plus 8 design. The car's twin exhausts have moved from the back to the side, similar to Morgan's Aero line of high-performance models. New retro-inspired alloy wheels, a thinner windscreen and roll-over hoops have also been fitted.

The Plus 8 Speedster will go on sale in June at a price of £69,995. A range of options will be available for owners to personalise their cars.

Power comes from the familiar 4.8-litre V8 engine sourced from BMW, with 367bhp and 370lb ft, but in the more focused Speedster the 0-62mph time is reduced by 0.3sec to 4.2sec. The top speed is 148mph. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual or a ZF-sourced six-speed automatic.

Though likely to remain the eccentric choice in a very competitive category, Morgan insists that the Plus 8 Speedster has a power-to-weight ratio to rival any of its competitors. Equally, Morgan claims that the development that has gone into the Plus 8 Speedster’s aluminium chassis will give it better handling to match its looks.

Mike Vousden