Autoblog

Morgan 3 Wheeler vs. Caterham Seven in a battle of Brit flyweights

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 30 May 2013 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Videos, UK, MISC

What's the word auto journos are looking for when they talk about what's missing in modern supercars? "Thrill." In general, modern motoring marvels are a lot more driveable, a lot more comfortable, a lot more reliable and a lot better at what they do than they used to be. But they're less thrilling than they used to be, and that's the sensation Chris Harris sets out to experience in a rolling test of the Morgan 3 Wheeler and the Caterham Seven Supersport.

The Morgan has a 2.0-liter motorcycle engine with about 115 horsepower, but with - according to Chris - "hilarious handling" and a "lovely geabox," it is "an event" that is "more alive at 34 miles per hour than a 911 Turbo at 120 mph." And Harris believes the Caterham, with just 182 hp and a five-speed gearbox, should be driven by any automaker trying to make a sports car or even inject more sportiness into one of its offerings.

Harris will be happy to personally explain where and how each roadster delivers its thrills in the video below.

Continue reading Morgan 3 Wheeler vs. Caterham Seven in a battle of Brit flyweights

Morgan 3 Wheeler vs. Caterham Seven in a battle of Brit flyweights originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 May 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Morgan 3 Wheeler and driving fun, with Charles Morgan

Seyth Miersma — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Videos, Motorcycle

Charles Morgan has a pretty great job. The scion of Morgan's founder, and current managing director of the company clearly enjoys himself while driving the fruits of his enterprise. In another brief interview with Mr. Morgan, we get to hear and see a the tantalizing 3 Wheeler and Plus 8 on the road, overlaid with the man himself telling us just why his cars are so different, and so good.

When your priorities are brand history, great design, and, above all, building riotously fun-to-drive machines, you can be sure your cars will develop a following. So says Morgan, and so we believe. Scroll down below to see and hear, for yourself.

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Morgan 3 Wheeler and driving fun, with Charles Morgan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Britain's Morgan traces its family and model heritage

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Videos, MISC

There are various points of entry to an exploration of England's Morgan Motor Company, and ancestry research company Genes Reunited takes the method of family history. Morgan has been run by three generations of the family, starting with Harry F. S. Morgan - that's him sitting on the three-wheeler he invented in 1909.

In this brief but highly informative video, the company's archivist and museum curator, Martyn Webb, takes us on a trip through 104 years of Morgan stewardship. Starting with Harry and picking up with son Peter and grandson Charles, Webb also covers the vehicles - how the three-wheeler led to the 4/4 in 1936 and how those two have become the new Three Wheeler and the Morgan Aeromax. It's well worth a watch, and you can do just that by scrolling below.

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Britain's Morgan traces its family and model heritage originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Morgan launches 3 Wheeler in Gulf livery

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Motorcycle, Specialty, Design/Style, MISC

We love the classic baby blue and orange Gulf livery as much as anyone, but when everything from the Tata Nano to a DeLorean and even a racing-grade semi truck (okay, the semi is pretty cool...) is painted in the scheme, it might be time to give it a rest. With perhaps one notable exception: this Gulf Edition Morgan 3 Wheeler.

Not only does Morgan have a legitimate racing relationship with Gulf Oil in Le Mans-class racing, we just so happen to love the Morgan 3 Wheeler more than almost anything else on wheels... no matter what hue it's painted. Combine the two and you've got us drooling.

Morgan will build 100 commemorative Gulf Edition 3 Wheeler models, with a starting price of 29,162.50 pounds (plus Value Added Tax) in the UK - that's around $46,700 US. We're not sure how many examples will make it Stateside, but if we happened to be in the market for an in-your-face adrenaline rush on three wheels, we'd have our friendly neighborhood US distributor on speed dial.

Check out the high-res image gallery above, and don't forget the press release below.

Continue reading Morgan launches 3 Wheeler in Gulf livery

Morgan launches 3 Wheeler in Gulf livery originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autocar finds pure joy behind the wheel of Morgan Three-Wheeler

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Motorcycle, UK, Specialty, MISC

Curious what it would be like to pilot a Morgan 3 Wheeler? You're not alone. We've had just one encounter with the crazy contraption that involved actual driving, but we've been smitten with the machine ever since laying eyes on it at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

As you may be aware, the Morgan 3 Wheeler is headed to the United States, but it's sure to be available in very limited quantities, and it'll be pretty pricey for what amounts to a grown-up toy. All of that means most of us will never have the pleasure of strapping ourselves behind the mini windscreens and hitting the road in a 3 Wheeler.

Good news, then, that the blokes and blokettes from Britain's Autocar magazine have produced the video you'll see below. You'll get a good sense of what it's like to experience the Morgan 3 Wheeler from the video, and you'll also see just how difficult it is to actually capture audio and video from the driver's seat of this open-air runabout.

So, join us in watching the video - and in pondering why Morgan feels the need to paste fake bullet holes on all the 3 Wheeler's we've seen so far - by scrolling down below. As is said in the clip, "If you don't understand what the appeal is, then you don't get cars."

Continue reading Autocar finds pure joy behind the wheel of Morgan Three-Wheeler

Autocar finds pure joy behind the wheel of Morgan Three-Wheeler originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Morgan Threewheeler drifts back into history

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Videos, Motorcycle, Specialty, MISC

Morgan Threewheeler does donuts and a burnout - Click above to watch the video after the break

Take three wheels, add one 115-horsepower V-twin engine, a five-speed manual gearbox and barely enough metal bits and pieces to hold it all together. Blend and half-bake. What do you get? The Morgan Threewheeler. We're in lust.

If we were to strap ourselves into one of these crazy contraptions, we can think of only one accessory needed to truly do the machine justice, and you can see exactly what we mean in the video after the break. An old-timey Morgan deserves an old-timey set of goggles, no?

If you happened to find yourself sitting behind the three-spoke steering wheel of a Morgan Threewheeler, what would you do? How about a bunch of donuts followed by a one-wheel burnout in the middle of an empty parking lot? Yep, sounds about right.

Live vicariously through the man with the goggles in the video after the break.

Continue reading Morgan Threewheeler drifts back into history

Morgan Threewheeler drifts back into history originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Morgan filling order books for Threewheeler, plans new model every year

Noah Joseph — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, UK, MISC

Morgan Threewheeler - Click above for high-res image gallery

When most carmakers try to retrace their roots, they do so with neo-retro resurrections of classic models. Think Mini Cooper, Fiat 500, Dodge Challenger and such. But when Morgan went back to its roots, it did so in a decidedly different style, bringing the Threewheeler back into production while forging ahead with contemporary takes on its classic designs.

The new Threewheeler debuted in Geneva just a few months ago, and has just made its UK debut at London's Salon Privé before heading to Goodwood for the Festival of Speed. The car packs a 115-horsepower V-Twin engine hanging off the front of the car between the two front wheels with an extra wheel along for the ride in the back of the old-school open-air body.

But how many people, you ask, would want a car with no roof and three wheels? 480. That's how many deposits, according to reports, Morgan has received for the what's-old-is-new-again trike roadster. Pile those on top of the 740 cars Morgan sold last year, and their 1,000-unit annual production target suddenly looks well within reach.

Morgan isn't about to stop there, however, with plans to introduce a new model every year. The sleek, four-seat EvaGT is set to enter production in 2013, but before it does, the British niche automaker reportedly has plans to show us something new at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. We'll be watching, and waiting to see how many wheels it's got.

Morgan filling order books for Threewheeler, plans new model every year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: Morgan Threewheeler is a clear best-in-show candidate

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:02:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Motorcycle, Specialty, MISC

Morgan Threewheeler - Click above for high-res image gallery

Some of us - and by some of us, I really mean me, myself and I - are ready to name the Morgan Threewheeler the coolest vehicle from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

It's simply three-wheeled perfection, and here's why: There's a fuel-injected, 115-horsepower V-Twin engine sitting smack-dab between the spindly wire-spoked wheels up front, mated to a Mazda five-speed gearbox that sends power to a single rear wheel. You're basically strapping yourself to an engine.

Seating for two comes standard, as do the roll bars. Apart from that, it seems that the buyer has numerous options to make the Threewheeler his or her own. We (I) want one... badly. Check out the high-res gallery of live photos below to see why.

Gallery: Morgan ThreeWheeler: Geneva 2011

Geneva 2011: Morgan Threewheeler is a clear best-in-show candidate originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Morgan Threewheeler marks the return of an icon

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:39:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Motorcycle, UK, Specialty, MISC

2011 Morgan Threewheeler - Click above for high-res image gallery

After building 30,000 trikes between 1909 and 1953, Morgan is bringing the automotive tripod back for 2011.

The original three-wheeler was quick, but also achieved great fuel economy numbers. Fifty miles per gallon was regularly achieved thanks to its light weight, low rolling resistance and small engine, and in 1913 a trike won the French Grand Prix while averaging over 100 miles per hour on the banked curves of Brooklands.

The new 2011 Morgan Threewheeler is powered by a Screaming Eagle 1,800cc Harley-Davidson engine, mated to the five-speed manual transmission from a Mazda5. The powertrain is good for 100 horsepower at the rear wheel, which can scoot the 1,100-pound trike from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds and on to an estimated top speed of 115 mph.

Buyers will be able to select one of eight exterior color choices, which are all accented by black components in matte or gloss finish. The interior is available in either black or tan leather and features aircraft-style toggle switches for the various accessories. The initial run is for standard Morgan Threewheelers and then a bespoke version will be made available for customers who want a trike tailored to their liking. No word yet on pricing.

Click past the jump to read the full press release.

Gallery: Morgan Three Wheeler

[Source: Morgan]

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Morgan Threewheeler marks the return of an icon originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Morgan trike production resumes... after 60 years!

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Motorcycle, Specialty

It may not be entirely rational, but we love ourselves the Morgan three-wheeler. After all, the old Morgan was the first vehicle Sir Stirling Moss ever drove on the street, easily making it the coolest thing on three wheels.

It seems we're not the only ones traveling on the Crazy Train. A Harley-Davidson-powered replica called the Liberty Ace (shown above) has apparently been selling well enough that Morgan will restart production of the old trikes that were last produced back in 1952.

According to the Telegraph, even the old JA Prestwich air-cooled V-twin engine design will be resuscitated to sit between the two front wheels just as they did way back when. If Morgan is interested in any other options, may we suggest a call to Moto Guzzi might be in order?

[Source: Telegraph]

Report: Morgan trike production resumes... after 60 years! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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