We bagged on the Frenchies last week with their crazy Helicron propeller-mobile, but the Brits have had a couple of freaks, too. Take the Morgan three-wheelers for example. These little weirdos were birthed in 1911 and were produced in various models and forms all the way into the early ’50s!
We’re going to concentrate on the wackiest looking of the lot, the Sport and Super Sport models produced between 1927 and 1939. The reason we honed in on these two in particular is due to their exposed V-Twin engines mounted directly in the front of the little car.
These were lighter than the “normal” models due to lighter bodywork and the option of being able to choose not to have things like, say, doors. They also sported tuned engines provided by companies like Matchless and JAP. Factory rated at 42hp at 4,800 rpm, the Matchless engine was the surliest V-twin ever offered in the cars.
Must have been a pig eh? Well, not exactly. The entire car, even with a Big Gulp in the drink holder, weighs less than 850 pounds.
They had to be as scary to operate as they look, but due to their light weight, they were decent performers with the potential to hit speeds in the upper 90- to low 100-mph range on the open road. No thanks.
The brakes were a manual affair with the two fronts actuated by yanking a large lever in the floor and the tiny rear brake was operated by a foot pedal, although with basically a bike tire back there, you pretty much relied on the fronts to do the work.
In case you’re wondering, the rear wheel is driven by a chain and the front wheels are used for steering. Obviously the Brits differed from the French on the steering point as it was during this time that French cars were sporting rear-steer because engineers believed that it enhanced stability. Anyone who has operated a forklift at a speed faster than walking can easily shoot that myth to pieces.
Morgan built these cars (and delivery truck models) in volume before WWII. After the war they were forced to manufacture “normal” four-wheeled cars to stay in business. Morgan sports cars were imported into the US and gained a cult following of sporty car racers and European ex-pats.
The three-wheelers were put out of their rather ugly misery in 1952 when the last model, a Ford four-cylinder—powered Super Sport, rolled off the line at the Morgan works.
These cars enjoy a strong collector following in England and there are some examples in the US. It’s a pretty shocking visual to see that naked V-Twin sitting across the front of the little car. When you realize the thing is just about the size of a go-kart, the intimidation factor melts away, but the freak factor will last forever.
Here’s some video of one on the road and, believe it or not, on the dyno. The bonus at the end of this video is seeing a 1928 Harley also turning the rollers to get a horsepower number. We’ve got no idea what language these dudes are speaking.
