Three cheers for the Morgan 3-wheeler

Morgan 3 Wheeler Review

Looking through my Stats page during this quiet period I am reminded that some of my most-viewed posts are those detailing the announcement and development of the new Morgan 3-wheeler, a 21st Century reincarnation (see what I did there?) of the classic design that served the historic British sports car company Morgan well for almost the first 50 years of its existence.

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Now I am able to return again to news of this car thanks to the full road test recently carried out by my favourite motoring periodical, the Autocar.  The good (nay, great) news is - if you will forgive me for giving away the result - they love it, giving it a full five stars!  As with all true motoring enthusiasts they have understood and appreciated the simplicity and sheer "fun factor" of such a car and their glowing verdict must surely cement its place as a modern classic (in the truest sense of the term).  In a separate 3-car test by the same magazine that included the Caterham, widely regarded as the best lightweight sports car on the market, the Morgan won easily.  There is an accompanying video review here but as much as I am pleased to see a lady testing and enjoying such a motor car nothing can better the pure noise of the car and a driver in full flying leathers piloting it (such an outfit should come as standard with the car, in my opinion!) as can be seen in the leading clip.

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Getting back to the car itself here is a vehicle that has stayed completely true to its original design, a design that started off the Morgan Motor Company in 1909 and which it continued to build and refine until 1953 when production of the 3-wheeler stopped.  So similar is this new 3-wheeler to the classic Aero and Supersports models of the 1920s and '30s that, bar the interior and a few other minor trim details, you could be hard-pressed to tell them apart.  It is a testament to that design that it has been reintroduced with so few changes and even more so accepted and championed by the motoring press and enthusiastic drivers alike.

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The rave reviews this car has received since its launch confirms to my mind the view that classic, tried-and-tested designs are still relevant - even desirable - in today's fast-paced electronic world (in short, vintage rocks! - but then we know that) and simplicity plus a healthy dose of charm can continue to win through.

No car manufacturer knows this better than Morgan, as their range of classic and modern retro sports cars can attest to.  Like the very vehicles they produce, their business model is a fantastic fusion of old-school practices and modern technology and their continued success is something I, as a Britisher, am immensely proud of.  The new 3-wheeler is the latest embodiment of that ethos and could not have returned at a better time.  It may have taken fifty years but the motoring world is once again a happier place thanks to the Morgan 3-wheeler.  Now, where can I find £30,000?