A NEW mystery car from Malvern's world-famous Morgan Motor Company will be unveiled later this month.

The wraps will come off on the preview day of the Motor Show at the NEC on Thursday, May 27.

But until then, the company is remaining silent about the new model.

All it will say is that it is a "hot, two-seater sports car that is sure to set pulses racing among those who love pure driving excitement on and off the race track".

Joining the mystery model will be the new Morgan Roadster, the successor to the classic Morgan Plus 8.

The last Plus 8 is due to roll off the production line at the firm's Pickersleigh Road factory just a few days before the Motor Show opens.

The three-litre V6-engined two-seater Roadster looks a lot like its predecessor, but combines the traditional Morgan chassis and coach-built body lines with the latest engine technology.

Also on public view for the first time in the UK will be the 2004 model Aero 8, featuring a wider cockpit, the latest BMW V8 4.4 engine, ABS and driver and passenger airbags, as well as re-engineered front suspension and a substantial re-styling of the rear end of the car.

The result of a two-year, £2 million development programme, the new Aero 8 was a big success in LA and New York, where it was recently launched.

It meets all European and US Federal approval requirements, and the 100 cars allocated for delivery to American customers in 2004 were sold within a few weeks of the launch.

The Motor Show will be open to the public from Friday, May 28, to Sunday, June 6. The box office is on 0870 730 2004.