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

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.