Words and Photographs: Andrew Elphick
The Morgan Motor Company says that its new 3 Wheeler roadster has been a huge success at Geneva. The all-new model follows the time honoured construction incorporating aluminium and ash wood panelling over a steel space frame. Inside, it’s trimmed with fine leather, hand-turned switch gear and will soon be offered with custom fitted luggage.
Features to note include the fibre belt driven rear wheel and the actual width of the rear wheel itself – it’s superbike-style which is an aid to stability. Additionally, and rather cheekily, the ignition start switch is a ‘bomb bay’ launch switch!
Morgan confirmed to AROnline that 300 3 Wheelers had been ordered prior to the Geneva Motor Show, with a further 72 orders being taken at the event to date!
Most of those orders are not at the expense of existing Morgan sales either. However, the Sultan of Brunei chose to order a targa-roofed Aeromax, but was disappointed at not being allowed the keys to the silver show car on the spot!
Is the Editor of the Parkers website and price guide, formerly editor of Classic Car Weekly, and launch editor/creator of Modern Classics magazine. Has contributed to various motoring titles including Octane, Practical Classics, Evo, Honest John, CAR magazine, Autocar, Pistonheads, Diesel Car, Practical Performance Car, Performance French Car, Car Mechanics, Jaguar World Monthly, MG Enthusiast, Modern MINI, Practical Classics, Fifth Gear Website, Radio 4, and the the Motoring Independent...
Likes 'conditionally challenged' motors and taking them on unfeasible adventures all across Europe.
- Concepts and prototypes : Hyundai/Rover Oden (1992) - 9 November 2023
- Opinion : So, maybe the Montego was the best they could do… - 8 November 2023
- The cars : Austin Montego (LM11) development story - 7 November 2023
That’s 400 people I now envy!
Fantastic
Still prefer the RAF livery, though!
Toyo T1-Rs… Nice – it’s a shame they’re made of cheese. That rear tyre will last about five minutes with ALL the power going through it! Surely, a superbike-type rear wheel and tyre would have been better suited?
It’s missing a wheel – it would look so much better with a wheel on each side at the back. I’ve never been keen on three wheelers and I’m still not. You’ve got to laugh at Morgan trying though and people are clearly buying them.
Alex.
Shock of the year! No sliding pillar front suspension…
Brilliant news – this just goes to show that manufacturers don’t always have to follow the crowd and conform to the norm to be successful.
Actually, in the piece I’m reading it says: “Features to note include the fibre belt driven rear wheel and the actual width of the rear wheel itself – it’s superbike-style which is an aid to stability.”
@KC
I’m sorry – I was fresh off the plane. The rear wheel had a wide footprint like a superbike’s, but the nature of how a three wheeler would corner (closer to horizontal than 45 degrees), would mean very little of a superbike tyre would be in contact with the terra firma – whereas a “car” tyre would have a wider contact patch.
Well, athough being German, I admire the RAF livery. Great idea. I wonder if a retro Messerschmitt Tiger in a vintage Luftwaffe paint scheme would create the same positive reaction :-).
For some strange reason, I really like this car from Morgan – it’s totally impractical but, as a weekend toy, I can’t think of a better way to go!
However, I found the practical limitations of my MGF too much in the end so sadly won’t be saving up for one.
Anyway, with the sad news of Bristol, it’s nice to see that, at least, Morgan are thriving.
@Volker Weingaertner
I would have no problem with that – models of Luftwaffe aeroplanes from WW2 are popular, so I see no reason why a Tiger would not be a winner. Actually, an RAF Morgan and Luftwaffe Tiger would be a nice pair for a collector and enthusiast to own!
I always thought the Tiger looked like a detached cockpit from an Me 109 anyway, so it would be an ideal subject for a relaunch in that form!
I wonder if one of the advance orders was from Morgan lover and jet car crasher Richard ‘Lofty’ Hammond… It’s nice to hear a success story and that a firm like Morgan is beating the credit crunch. Retro is clearly the way to go. Come on BMW, make the new Mini look exactly like the original…
@Marty B
Well, when you think of BMW and the Mini, the phrase “A camel is a horse designed by committee” springs to mind! 😀
I hope every Morgan like this comes complete with the full set of leather flying jacket, hat and goggles… Oh, and a pipe and some shag. 🙂
And the stick of wet celery, of course (‘Ello, ‘Ello)!
@Volker Weingaertner
That would be great – you could get a bright yellow front on the Tiger to replicate the nose cone! I would love to see the two chase each other!
The ‘Red Baron’ surely!
Brilliant! No one else but Morgan could get away with this – what’s the betting that the EU will find a way of outlawing it and taking the fun away?
My thoughts as well – the dreaded ‘Nanny NCAP’!
@Keith B
@Simon Woodward
Will this not be covered by motorbike/trike rules rather than the car regulations, as it’s a three-wheeler? I’m sure there’s a nice wee loophole there!
@Paul T
I guess that the Morgan 3 Wheeler will fit into an existing catagory within the current regulations – I believe these are built to Low Volume Type Approval, rather than I.V.A. regulations.
Could Morgan not have used a British motorcycle engine? That nice Triumph 2 litre Triple, for example.
That’s a good point.
However, does that mean that can you drive a Morgan 3 Wheeler if you only have a Motorcycle Licence rather than a full car one?
It looks to me like Morgan has run out of ideas.
@Simon Woodward
Possibly – I am sure you could drive a Reliant Robin on a full Motorcycle Licence unaccompanied.
How about if Jaguar made a sidecar?
Ha! I got it, good old Swallow Sidecars!
It’s a shame that Bristol couldn’t have taken a leaf out of Morgan’s book.