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MORGAN 2'21980 · 1.6L PETROL

GTF 981W

Vehicle Insight Summary

This 1980 MORGAN 2'2 is a PETROL vehicle with a 1599cc engine. Currently it has no valid MOT recorded and is taxed for road use. The latest recorded mileage is 68,697.

MOT
Expired
Expires 15/05/2025
Tax
Taxed
Expires 01/08/2027
Fuel
PETROL
Year
1980
Engine
1599cc
Expert AI · Mechanic's Insight
The most recent MOT pass was on 17 May 2024, with a recorded mileage of 68,697. As of today, that is over two years ago. The car has not been tested since, so its roadworthiness is unverified and it cannot legally be used on UK roads without a fresh test. A buyer must establish why no MOT has been obtained and whether the car has been sitting idle. The MOT history shows a clear pattern: the 2023 fail in June recorded exposed cord on two tyres, three binding brakes, an advisory track rod end ball-joint play, and a fluid leak. The car was retested two weeks later with the same advisories and passed with the serious defects presumably corrected. By May 2024, it passed again with no advisories at all, so the trend appears to have been improving. However, the improvement may only reflect the fact that the car covered just 12 miles between July 2023 and May 2024, and had done only 12 miles more in the month before that. Such minimal use means any fresh wear was negligible and the test result may not reflect real-world reliability. The recorded mileage of 68,697 on a 46-year-old car is very low (around 1,500 miles per year).

AI insights are experimental and can be incorrect. All claims should be manually verified.

Free vehicle health score

40
/ 100 · Below Average

Public record health check: Below Average.

Based on free DVLA & DVSA signals. Premium checks for stolen/finance/write-off history are locked below.

✗ MOT Expired or Failed
✓ Taxed
✓ Good MOT pass rate (80%)
✗ 2 dangerous defects found recently
A score of 40 doesn't mean it's safe to buy. Private markers don't appear in public data.
Verified Experian Data

Full History Report

Official provenance and safety check for GTF981W

Data provided by Experian
Stolen
Locked
Finance
Locked
Write-off
Locked
Salvage
Locked
Imported
Locked
Exported
Locked
Scrapped
Locked
Destruction
Locked
V5C Logbook
Locked

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Technical Specifications

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Full MOT History

Expert AI · Mechanic's Insight
The most recent MOT pass was on 17 May 2024, with a recorded mileage of 68,697. As of today, that is over two years ago. The car has not been tested since, so its roadworthiness is unverified and it cannot legally be used on UK roads without a fresh test. A buyer must establish why no MOT has been obtained and whether the car has been sitting idle. The MOT history shows a clear pattern: the 2023 fail in June recorded exposed cord on two tyres, three binding brakes, an advisory track rod end ball-joint play, and a fluid leak. The car was retested two weeks later with the same advisories and passed with the serious defects presumably corrected. By May 2024, it passed again with no advisories at all, so the trend appears to have been improving. However, the improvement may only reflect the fact that the car covered just 12 miles between July 2023 and May 2024, and had done only 12 miles more in the month before that. Such minimal use means any fresh wear was negligible and the test result may not reflect real-world reliability. The recorded mileage of 68,697 on a 46-year-old car is very low (around 1,500 miles per year).

AI insights are experimental and can be incorrect. All claims should be manually verified.

AI Analysis · MOT Narrative

This 1980 Morgan 2'2 (GTF 981W) has a recorded MOT history spanning from November 2020 to May 2024, with 5 MOT tests on record.

The vehicle has achieved an overall 80% pass rate, with 4 passes and 1 failure recorded. Such a high pass rate is a positive indicator of the car's general condition and maintenance history.

The most commonly flagged areas across all MOT tests are: Brakes (3 issues), Tyres (2 issues), Lighting (2 issues), Exhaust & Emissions (1 issue). These areas are worth paying attention to when inspecting this vehicle.

There are 8 advisory notices in the MOT history. Advisories are not failures but indicate areas that may need attention in the future.

A total of 2 failure items have been recorded across all tests. Recent failure items include: “Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii))”; “Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii))”.

AI insights are experimental and can be incorrect. All claims should be manually verified.

PASS
FAIL
ADVISORY

Buyer's Guide

AI-powered analysis based on real MOT data and market insights.

Buying Score
58/100
Risk Level
Medium
Medium
Est. Annual Cost
£800-£1,200
Mileage
At 68,697 miles for a vehicle first regi...

Our Verdict

Approach this 1980 Morgan 2'2 with caution and a thorough pre-purchase inspection, as its 2023 MOT failure revealed serious safety defects. It is a low-mileage classic with a largely clean recent record, but age-related wear and limited model data mean buyer diligence is essential.

Given the 2023 failure for near-side rear and off-side front tyres with ply or cords exposed and three axles showing service brake binding, confirm with the seller what was replaced or repaired to achieve the July 2023 pass. A professional inspection by a Morgan specialist is strongly advised, as the 1,599cc petrol model uses older mechanical systems unfamiliar to many general garages. Negotiate on price if service history is incomplete, as the low recorded mileage of under 69,000 over 44 years implies long storage periods that can hide perished rubber and corroded components.

Reviewed by the IsItAGoodCar editorial team — AI-assisted analysis verified by automotive experts.

Data Sources

DVSA

MOT test records from the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency.

DVLA

Vehicle registration, tax, and specification data.

OneAutoAPI

Market valuation, warranty, and recall intelligence.

AI Analysis

Machine learning insights trained on millions of UK MOT records.

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