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?

"New Routemaster" Bus for London driven

Image courtesy of Autocar

"New Routemaster" Bus for London driven

One of the ten most popular posts ever on Eclectic Ephemera was when I blogged back in November 2010 about the new "Routemaster" double-decker bus.  Obviously it must have been a popular search item, and rightly so!

Now I'm pleased to say that my favourite motoring periodical, Autocar, has tested one for its special bumber Christmas issue, giving you some idea of what the thing is like to drive.  With the New Bus for London, or NBfL (come on chaps & ladies, we can think of a better name than that, surely?!) due to start passenger service on the 20th February 2012 this is the first full test of the vehicle by an independent party (albeit with tongue slightly in cheek) and it seems Autocar like it.  That makes two of us!

Image courtesy of Autocar

And it just gets better on the inside.  As the 21st Century successor to the iconic Routemaster the poor old NBfL has a lot to live up to and while the outside is quite reminiscent of the old AECs, especially from the rear, the interior was always going be a challenge.  But the designers have come up trumps in my opinion with the wonderfully russet London Transport red setting off the cork resin on the stairs splendidly.  Plus, as the article says, real thought and aestheticism has been put in to the cabin lights, the windows and the roof-lining.  After all, this isn't any old double-decker, y'know - this is a London bus!  (For now, although makers Wrightbus may be able to sell the design elsewhere both at home and abroad - wouldn't that be something?).  OK, perhaps the seat fabric is a little bit kaleidoscopic but overall it's delightful to see such care and appreciation going into a public service vehicle for a change.  Perhaps it bodes well for the future of public transport design.

Image courtesy of Autocar

So come the New Year those bendy whatsits will be on the way out, to be replaced by this topping new omnibus for a new generation (albeit with some lovely old-fashioned touches).  Yet another example of modern technologies working in harmony with traditional design.  All aboard, tickets please!

Autocar 1928-2011: Austin 7 'Gordon England' Sunshine Saloon

One of the few periodicals I read on a regular basis is the Autocar magazine.  It satisfies my interest in all things related to modern motoring (despite my not actually having a driving licence or owning a car!) and I've been a subscriber since long before I would legally have been allowed to drive(!).  When I was last employed it was very useful for my work too (in fact, my last two jobs were found through its pages) and I hope it will be again some time soon.

Anyway, this week's copy sees the Autocar reach a very remarkable milestone.  Already laying claim to the record of the oldest motoring magazine in the world, having first been published on the 2nd of November 1895 "in the interests of the mechanically-propelled road carriage", on the 13th of April 1928 it undertook the first ever "road test" - a detailed study of a particular motor car encompassing equipment, performance and driving characteristics which has become the universal standard since then.


The very first car to undergo this examination was the Austin Seven and since then a staggering 5,000 cars have been subjected to the same test (with some improvements over the years, of course).  To celebrate this achievement the latest issue has reprinted 50 of the best road tests of the last 83 years - including, of course, the original 1928 #1 - and sportingly "re-tested" an Austin Seven to see how it might fare today.  It makes for interesting and, I'm pleased to say, not entirely ignominious viewing.  Well done to the little Austin for putting in an impressive performance and congratulations to Autocar - here's to the next 80 years/ 5,000 road tests!