The Morgan 3 Wheeler is a three-wheeled roadster produced by Morgan Motor Company from 2012 to 2021. It was unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and revived a layout Morgan had used before the Second World War. Behind its narrow nose sits a V-twin engine, and in the United States the car was homologated as a motorcycle.
Morgan 3 Wheeler at a glance
| Maker | Morgan Motor Company, Malvern Link |
|---|---|
| Production | 2012–2021 |
| Unveiled | Geneva Motor Show, 2011 |
| Engine | S&S V-twin |
| Transmission | Mazda five-speed manual |
| Power | 115 hp at the rear wheel |
| Kerb weight | 550 kg (1,212 lb) |
| 0–60 mph | about 4.5 seconds |
| Top speed | about 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| Deliveries | Europe from February 2012, USA from June 2012 |
| Run-out model | P101, 2021 |
| Successor | Morgan Super 3, 2022 |
Based on one source.
History of the Morgan 3 Wheeler
Launch and specification
The 3 Wheeler was first described as having a Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle V-twin and a Mazda five-speed manual gearbox, with an estimated 115 hp at the rear wheel. The prototype shown at Geneva, however, had an S&S engine, and production cars were also built with S&S engines. Morgan originally estimated a kerb weight below 500 kg, but the finished car weighed 550 kg. Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph was estimated at 4.5 seconds, with a top speed of about 115 mph.
Orders and delivery
The company reported 850 deposits taken since the announcement in 2011. Customer deliveries began in Europe in February 2012, and in the United States in June 2012, when the first imported three-wheeler was displayed in New York City and at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. On Top Gear the car appeared in a Series 18 episode, where Richard Hammond chose it in a comparison of track-day cars, and it won the show’s “Not-A-Car of the Year 2011” award.
The end and the electric EV3
The generation ended production in summer 2021 with a run-out version called the P101, and it was replaced by the Morgan Super 3 in 2022. Morgan also worked on an electric version of the three-wheeler called the EV3, with a motor rated at 101 bhp and an estimated 150 miles of range from a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery. Production of the EV3 was cancelled in late 2018.
Design and features
- V-twin engine: an S&S unit in production cars, despite the early Harley-Davidson announcement.
- Motorcycle rules: in the United States the car was homologated as a motorcycle.
- Very light: 550 kg, close to Morgan’s original estimate of under 500 kg.
- Brisk acceleration: about 4.5 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and a top speed of 115 mph.
- Modern revival: a return to the three-wheeled layout Morgan built before the war.
Morgan 3 Wheeler versions
- 3 Wheeler (2012–2021): the standard V-twin roadster.
- P101 (2021): the run-out version that closed the generation.
- EV3: an electric prototype with 101 bhp and a 20 kWh battery; cancelled in 2018.
Morgan’s four-wheeled tradition is described in the 4/4 article, and the modern supercar in the Aero 8 article. More cars are in the Morgan collection.
Video: Morgan 3 Wheeler through London
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Morgan 3-Wheeler, English Wikipedia: specification, orders, Top Gear, EV3, successor
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