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Your Local Guide
Morgan Sixty Years On - Three Wheels Still Good



 
 
 
 
Confession: I am a Morgan fan. But I must, at this stage, pronounce that my devotion doesn’t engulf every example to emerge from the Malvern factory during the last 102 years. Peter Morgan’s +4+,coup-bodied glass-fibre contraption was a snotter. It appeared for all the world to look like a cross between a Jaguar XK 120 and a Lotus Elan, with a disfigured elephantine head. Less than thirty were built as Morgan purists - and let me tell you purists don’t come more priggish than the Morgan brigade - eschewed Peter’s wonky thing in droves. Many felt the same way, nearly forty years on when his son Charles (third generations and present incumbent Morgan) showed the BMW-powered boss-eyed Aero 8 to the world. Its whackyness mellowed over time and the extraordinary chassis went on to carry Morgan’s venture into the realms of supercardom, namely the theatrical limited edition Aeromax and Targa-topped Super Sport, built in conjunction with the more traditional ‘classic’ Morgans - 4/4, Plus 4 and V6 Roadster. To this day I dislike the four-seater classic which with its hood up reminds me of a Victorian perambulator. However, there are men with beards and dirty fingernails who love ‘em so they are built in small numbers.But it was the company’s founder, HFS Morgan’s single-seat three-wheeled runabout cyclecar that begat the whole Morgan schtick, culminating in 1939 with its trike zenith, the twin cylindered Jap-powered Aero model, with room - just - for two. I have never driven one and, to be candied, never really fancied the idea, even though I have always admired them. Many Morganists have clamoured to see Morgan get in cahoots with its three-wheeled roots, but Charles was reluctant to turn back the clock. As a regular visitor to the factory, I concurred. Then, just before the Geneva show in March this year, I saw the first two, show-ready but unrun Matt Humphries - penned examples. Capturing the old, yet cleverly caressing the future the 2011 aluminum clad Three Wheeler reminds me of a Sopwith Camel with its wings blown off. Preconceptions, and having closely inspected its tubular chassis and exquisite detailing were few. Any I had were blown away when I became one of the first journalists in the world to drive it. Walking naked and, erm, proud around Hide Park Corner whilst carrying similarly unclad pole dancers on each shoulder will probably get you arrested, but, I am certain, that you will turn less heads than this wonderful raucous strident trident would in the same or any other location. Power comes from a V-twin 1982cc S&S of Wisconsin engine (a deal with Harley-Davidson having fallen through at the eleventh hour), which is mated to a super slick five speed gear box from Mazda’s excellent MX5, feeding belt drive to a fat sixteen inch rear tyre, which is all too easy to light up - believe me.


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