Morgan Super 3 – Review
By Liam Bird – October 2024
Doesn’t time fly? And especially so when you’re having fun. A quick glance at my archives reveals, almost unbelievably, that it was twelve years ago that I drove Morgan’s then-new 3-Wheeler from their Malvern HQ to Shelsley Walsh. I remember the day vividly – the chequered nose paint job Morgan had given their press demonstrator, the thump-thump of its big S&S V-Twin, the wind in my hair, and the warmth of the morning sun on my face.
In fact, I hadn’t realised quite how warm that particular day was; the wind and the sun burnt me to a crisp. Still, I was smiling for days afterwards – copious amounts of moisturiser and after sun permitting. I’ve still got the photos I took somewhere.
Almost as soon as I found out Morgan were about to build a new version of perhaps their most famous (infamous?) motor car, I started nagging their press department in a bid to get a drive in one. Sorry James, if you’re reading this, and you too, Henry – by my own admission, my pursuit was a tad relentless at times. But perhaps that’s an indication of just how much I enjoyed the 3-Wheeler last time around.
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Fortunately, good things come to those who nag… I mean, wait. Good things come to those who wait. And what a good thing the new three-wheeled Morgan is.
Now known as the Super 3 – because not only does it have three wheels, it also boasts three cylinders. From its bug-eyed front to the tip of its boat-tailed rear, Morgan’s new motor-tricycle oozes charm. Just look at it! In a world dominated by bland, same-as-the-next-one SUVs, how can something as quirky as this not make you smile?
By coupling Ford’s naturally aspirated 1,500cc 117bhp 3-pot engine to the same beautiful 5-speed gearbox as you’ll find in Mazda’s MX-5, Morgan’s modern-day trike promises all of the traditional thrills of their original three-cornered cars but with the added convenience of 21st-century reliability, build quality, and significantly fewer oil leaks. Don’t, however, expect any modern-day driver aids.
“Beautiful detailing”
The £41,995 starting price – this being a Morgan, the bespoke options are almost endless – may secure you a hand-built car complete with some beautiful detailing such as a turned aluminium lever for the fly-off handbrake, podded digital altimeter-style dials, and even a Eurofighter bomb release switch to “fire” the engine. But don’t expect a radio, power-steering, servo-assisted brakes, electric windows – there are no windows! – or any kind of weather gear. However, you do get some groovy orange-coloured fly-screens, some toasty heated seats, and an all-important snug-fitting tonneau cover to prevent the Morgan Super 3 filling up with water if you have to leave it outside on a rainy night.
There are no doors. You simply step over the side panel and slide down into the snug-fitting cockpit. The new chassis is an aluminium monocoque, the first in the company’s 113-year history, clothed using the same kind of super-formed aluminium panels Morgan uses on its Plus 4 and Plus 6. The pedal-box is narrow, the fixed seat (you move the floor-hinged pedals instead) a little upright and lacking in lumbar support. From behind the lovely little thick-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel, everything feels more bi-plane and part bathtub than it does car.
Turn the key, press the button, and the engine churns before bursting into life and settling into a wonderfully flatulent and thrummy idle. The exhaust barks and echoes off the surroundings if you blip the throttle. It sounds fantastic; the whole thing feels alive. A few revs add a lot of vibration.
“The ride is genuinely good”
The ladies and gentlemen at Malvern claim the Super 3 will do 130mph, but I think you’d be mad to try. Anything over 65mph feels very windy and has you contemplating whether you should be wearing goggles and a helmet. Besides, with the wind in your hair (and your face), and the odd bug in your teeth, the Morgan Super 3 feels fast at 45. But don’t go thinking the Super 3 is some old, wooden-chassised bone-shaker from a long-forgotten era. In fact, there is no wood in this particular Morgan at all.
The ride is genuinely good, better perhaps than some of Morgan’s four-wheeled products, and there’s a surprising amount of both grip and stability – not to mention involvement by the bucket-load. That oh-so wide front track, and those 20-inch front wheels make placing the Super 3 easy. And if ever there was a car that you can steer on the throttle… As long as you stick your right elbow over the side. The unassisted steering dances in your hands.
“Indulgence”
You can buy a range of waterproof luggage that clips onto either side of the Super 3’s body, but you’d need to be the hardy type, and have a very understanding passenger, if you were planning on taking any kind of extended tour. Instead, the Super 3 is best enjoyed on the kind of journeys you take simply for the fun of it; your favourite roads on a sunny afternoon, early morning raids on your favourite breakfast stop, chip shop runs to the coast on summer evenings.
The Morgan Super 3 has not been built to be used as a daily driver. Albeit, I did do my daily commute in it quite comfortably. It’s a toy, an indulgence, a three-wheeled grin-giver of the highest order. If you buy one, I can (almost) guarantee it’ll give you the time of your life.
Morgan Super 3
Engine: Ford 1.5-litre, inline three-cylinder
Power: 118 bhp @ 6,500 rpm
Torque: 110 lbft @ 4,500 rpm
Transmission: Mazda MX-5 Five-speed manual, single rear-wheel drive
Performance: 0-62 mph 7.0 seconds
Max Speed: 130 mph
MPG: 40
Weight: 635 kg (dry)
CO2: 130 g/km
Price: from £41,995