Saturday, March 5, 2011

New Three Wheeled Morgan Flier built by the British revives the days of open cockpit motoring

As previously stated, I am a bit of a "gearhead" and also a fan of all things British, so when you put them together in the correct venue, it is a huge " win-win"....Take a look at this little beauty.....I could definitely get into one of these hotties for a spin down the road....Brilliant, just Brilliant.




Chocks away! The three-wheeled Morgan flier that zips along at 115mph
By Ray Massey
UK Mail - 5th March 2011

It is the car that could have persuaded those magnificent men in their flying machines to take up motoring instead.

Inspired by classic planes of old, this Morgan 3-Wheeler – from the last truly British-owned car company – took off at the Geneva Motor Show yesterday.
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On the road, the trike resembles a First World War Sopwith Camel fighter plane only shorn of its wings and propeller

Its brand of British eccentricity stole the show from the multinational supercars and hi-tech electric and hybrid vehicles on display.

The little trike harks back to the first car Morgan ever built in 1909.

That three-wheeler stayed in production for decades until the last rolled out of the company’s factory in Malvern, Worcestershire in 1951.

The new version is powered by a 1.9 litre engine which allows it to accelerate from rest to 60mph in 4.5 seconds.

Yet it still manages a frugal 50 miles to the gallon and has a range of 400 miles on just one tank of petrol.

At £30,000, it is hardly a budget drive. But already more than 300 enthusiasts have put down £7,000 deposits.

On the road, the trike resembles a First World War Sopwith Camel fighter plane only shorn of its wings and propeller.

Keeping up the aerial theme, owners can customise their Morgan 3-Wheeler with stick-on graphics including combat bullet holes, RAF roundels or a shark’s nose and teeth.
Customised clothing and goggles are planned.

Officially the vehicle is not classed as a car but as a motor trike which means the owner pays a mere £17 a year road tax.

Designer Matthew Humphries said: ‘This is a completely new vehicle for the 21st century. But it harks back to the vintage three-wheeler which started this company.

'It does take its cues from classic aeroplanes. But it has modern aeronautical touches too.
‘The start button is actually the bomb-release button on the new Eurofighter,’ Mr Humphries said.

‘We tracked down the company that makes them and bought a batch to put on to the dashboard.’

2 comments:

J Stewart said...

Many years ago I saw a old WWII movie that took place on an aircraft carrier. The movie showed three-wheeled jeeps capable of turning in a small areas such as on a flight-deck. Are you familiar with such vehicles and do you have any further informatoin.

Middleboro Jones said...

I have seen the vehicles you describe - They were specialized military vehicles. The best way to get more info would be consult the Navy Historical Department in Washington, DC. They have tons of photos available to you for research.