And it looks like it might have the hit of 2011 on its hands, for all the same reasons that made HFS Morgan’s original so popular. Powered by a nose-mounted two-litre V-twin American-made S&S motorcycle engine with exhausts styled to look like tusks, the three-wheeler’s belt-driven single rear wheel will rocket it to 60mph in less than five seconds and on to a top speed of around 125mph. Push the fighter-plane safety catch away from the starter button and fire the engine up: it sounds as good as it looks and bucks and bellows as you prod the throttle, but flexible engine mounts mean the tiny, saddle-leather lined cabin remains fairly refined. Or as refined as it’s possible to be with no roof or radio , two tiny aircraft-style flyscreens in front of driver and passenger, and your backside inches off the ground.
Plainly, comfort and practicality are not the priorities here. Fun, however, is, and the three-wheeler delivers that in abundance. It’s the perfect example of why less is more in motoring; less weight means better handling, and requires less power to go fast. Everything can be downsized, and not just the engine, so you end up with a car that costs just £25,000, yet like all tiny, light, open cars seems to magnify the thrills to match those of Ferraris and Lamborghinis at ten times the price. And while economic and environmental crises have made supercars socially unacceptable to some, everybody smiles at this thing.
Sure, you’ll need to be well-heeled to drop £25,000 plus local taxes on a three-wheeled car with no roof; for most owners it will join a large collection as very occasional Sunday morning car. Jay Leno is the perfect customer; the American chat show host and terminal car nut drove the Morgan at its official launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, held in the Earl of March’s grounds in July, and ordered one on the spot.
The options he’ll be able to choose from are as much fun as the car itself. The bodywork and leather cabin can be ordered in everything from battleship grey to bubblegum pink, and you can play up the fighter-plane aesthetic with roundels, mock bullet holes and sharks-teeth transfers. Over 500 buyers are already deciding how they’ll have theirs; that’s almost as many cars as Morgan made last year. We’re sure Morgan won’t let the waiting list build up the way it did in the eighties, but you should still get your order in soon. We doubt Leno will have to wait long for his.
SCORECARD
How much? £25,000 excluding taxes
Engine: 1982cc v-twin, 120bhp
Performance: 4.5 sec 0-100kph, 200kph
Economy: 8l per 100km
How heavy? 480kg
Pages
Click here to see the published article.
