Jonathan Player for The New York Times
THROWBACK Charles Morgan in his company’s new 3-Wheeler, which is powered by a 2-cylinder motorcycle engine that produces 120 horsepower. More Photos »
…
While the front end’s pair of skinny 19-inch wire wheels, shod with Avon bias-ply tires, visually recall 3-wheelers of the past, a single low-profile car-type radial tire mounted on a modern alloy rim sits hidden beneath a removable rear panel.
A 2-cylinder motorcycle engine — with a whopping 1,990cc displacement — churns out 120 horsepower…power is transmitted to a rubber belt that drives the rear wheel. With a weight of about 1,100 pounds…
Strongly resembling Harley’s classic V-twin, the 3-Wheeler’s X-Wedge engine is a proprietary unit designed and built by S & S Cycle, a Viola, Wis., company with a long standing as a supplier to Harley tuners and the aftermarket. Certified for sale in all 50 states, the new Morgan may upset the neighbors but it ought not confound local mechanics…
As the V-twin buzz becomes a scream and you rocket forward — 60 miles per hour comes in 4.5 seconds — you are transported to another era…
More from Morgan.
Update: Meanwhile President Obama’s labor secretary, er, mis-speaks about where a certain popular vehicle is assembled.
But how does it perform at -30c and in deep snow?
No hitch for the Ski Do either.
“Hey honey, let’s go to the opera at The Met tonight. No don’t worry, I’ll pick you up in my new ‘vehicle’!”
A sedan for the nuclear family:
http://www.mobilemag.com/2011/05/03/radioactive-cars-shipped-from-japan-but-dont-worry-about-it/
Too cool, problem is that it’s just another expensive toy to store and maintain throughout the year for most.
Reminds me a little of the Honda Valarie, personally don’t care for it’s styling, but glad it’s out there nonetheless.
Still it’ll have a nitch, meaning the more options available for everyone is what separates us from the socialist, commy pinko, “liberal” lefties around the world who prefer we all drive an electric Lada
Above typo, meant Honda Valkyrie
Sweet! Well, unless it rains anyway…
One of the originals went through a brick wall at the end of my street when I was a kid. Hopefully the handling has improved since then although Jay Leno running the prototype into a ditch doesn’t bode well. It will fit in with the folks who wanted a Lotus 7 but couldn’t get one.
I’m suprised they don’t have an office in California. Perfect for that lot.
I love this thing and it has a very stylish retro look. I would much prefer this over a Can-Am Spyder.
Oh, come on. This car is too cool, and represents every thing we are missing today – new ideas. When I was a boy, we had 427 cubic inch engines – that’s almost 7 litres. Now there’s a performance car with less than 2 litres, and people are making sport of it? I would think that showed how far we’ve come in 40 years. And I’ll go out on a limb, and say that engine gets better fuel economy and produces less emissions that the Chevy’s of my youth.
Of course, it’s not practical for many people, and isn’t that why we have a free market? Some people want minivans, and some people want Mercedes. More choices mean more satisfaction, and I think that’s what capitalism is all about – more satisfaction for more people. Too bad the “liberal” fascists have lost sight of that goal.
And note this: “…besides a pair of three-point seat belts and a couple of rollover hoops, modern safety equipment is nonexistent. No air bags, antilock brakes or traction controls.
In terms of safety, it is exactly as advertised: somewhere between a car and a motorcycle. And it won’t tip over, not easily at least.”
Mark
Ottawa
To each his own, Kevin. Make mine a street legal Trophy Truck. 800hp of off-road nasssty. Rain or shine, dirt or snow.
When we were still living in Calgary, I changed out some overhead doors for one of the cities firefighter captains. His son and I had a lengthy chat regarding older motorcycles, since I have 3 older Japanese cycles including a ’78 KZ 650. He gets around Calgary on his Ural “http://www.ural.com/”. I have even heard radio stations speak of his existence on the roads in minus 35C during snow falls.
I would think with some knobbies and a heated steering wheel, it would be possible in this thing.
Hey, I want to be “Eco-friendly” when it comes to my car. Not so much for the environment, though, but more for my pocket book. So instead of all these crappy electric cars or 4-wheel “Smart” cars that cost a fortune, why doesn’t some smart guy build a three wheel “motorcycle” with some weather protection? I know why – eco-freaks are also safety freaks and the thought of commuting without 17 airbags. The thig with a trike is it can be registered as a motorcycle and isn’t required to meet all the safety requirements of a car.
Just make me one of these! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR200
the rat asks the musical question: “why doesn’t some smart guy build a three wheel “motorcycle” with some weather protection?”
Because after you die, your heirs and assigns will sue the manufacturer for his -socks-, is why.
Even in Canaduh the lawyers have completely killed any innovation that the government hasn’t forbidden.
Therefore you must build it yourself, hence the thriving kit-car/hot rod market. We gearheads live in the baseboards of society, secretly seeking horsepower in the dark.
Even then the manufacturer is not 100% safe, that’s why there aren’t companies making cheap trans-axles, suspensions, brakes and diffs for crazy car-like machines. High end racing stuff yeah sure but not inexpensive.
The idea of a Messerschmidt or the above mentioned Morgan is a fun fliver to fly around in when you’re a kid and you don’t care if you get wet. Not too many kids with the green for a Mendeola transaxle and a 500hp Northstar crate engine for their crazy rod project. I just said $30k right there, not even a rolling chassis.
I’ve been toying with the design of an enclosed motorcycle for a long time, something like a cross between the Tron bike and a Spitfire, really long with riveted aluminum body and huge tires.
So far I’m stuck at the front hub. How does one steer a wheel without forks? Stay tuned…
There is a US manufacturer of these in Seattle called Liberty Motors. It’s the Ace Cycle Car built under license from Morgan. Robert W. you know what to do!!
http://cycle-car.com/index.htm
Their photo gallery is worth a look… I don’t know if they’ve survived the US manufacturing realignment that’s taken place over the past few years nor if they have anything on Youtube as over the past week Youtube’s become conflicted with my rapidly aging Mac.
This is just begging for the Hayabusa upgrade …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiNr2plofKE&feature=related
rat @ 3:46
You mentioned the Messerschmitt KR200. I once had to opportunity to take one for a short drive. Despite the bubble canopy, you sit so low that visibility ahead is a real problem in traffic. You are staring at the licence plate of the car ahead.
And it’s powered by a 2-stroke engine that makes the entire body boom like a drum with each power impulse. OK for a short joyride, but it would get old pretty fast if you had to depend upon it for daily transportation.
There are some pretty cool custom trikes out there, based upon the front fork and wheel of a big cruiser bike, with either a VW Beetle engine and transaxle, or the front clip and power unit of some generic FWD car.
You could probably find a builder to build one to suit you for a lot less than the price of that Morgan 3-wheeler.
Anyone remember Peter Sellers showing up in an Original J.A.P. 1000c.c. powered Morgan in the movie ‘The Party’?
As a side note, when these cars were being built the first time, there was a shortage of the high capacity engines and shops all over the world were scoured for old 20’s and 30’s large displacement motorcycle engines..
One shop that had an abundance of the engines was one called Sunglow in Toronto, who in the 60’s was THE place to go for older obsolete motorcycles, of which no one ( and I mean no one) cared for.
They had Excelsiors, Super X, Henderson, Crockers, Matchless, BSA, Vincent, J.A.P., H.D…you name it..all those bikes are collectors items now, with men like Jay Leno paying Hundreds of thousands of dollars for original or restored examples
Funny you mention “The Party” Kursk, my father and I were discussing that Morgan this afternoon.
This thread brings me to another story that happened 5 years ago or so in Calgary. The owner of Melrose Place on 17ave SW was stopped by the police for doing nothing else but driving his T-Rex(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campagna_T-Rex). The cops had never seen anything like it before and felt that they should pull him over and check it out. No tickets were issued.
Jay just a little unsure about those English “laneways”?
Better the ditch than crushing the prototype under a lorry or goods van.
Don’t like the narrow body and thin crackly engine sound.
Thick Solis should have got a volt.
The popularity of the Equinox and pickup trucks saved GM’s bacon post
bankruptcy despite Obama’s clueless idiots trying to “green it” to death.
Knacker, I chanced to see one of those in Scottsdale at the Pavillions cruise night a year or so ago. Very cool little machine, looked like fun to drive. In Arizona. Where it never, EVER rains. The Morgan would be fun too.
I’d still like a trophy truck. 🙂
http://www.mack-dump-truck.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Trophy-Truck.jpg
Costs a lot less and will seat 3, its called a motorcycle with a side-car.
3 wheel vehicles existed for so long in GB simply for the reason of taxation, they weren’t taxed as cars, but as motorcycles. Google Bond Reliant.
At one time, GB also had weird taxes in regards to car displacement, an engine with a larger bore would be taxed more than one with the same displacement that used a longer stroke. That’s why a lot of older 4 cylinder British cars were at a performance disadvantage to other European cars. (Long stroke, under square engine = less torque, unable to hit higher revs.)
You won’t see them here.
In Ontario (and possibly all Canada) a three wheeled vehicle is classed as a motorcycle. As such a motorcycle cannot have a steering wheel – it must have handlebars.
Ipso Fathead, the new Morgan three wheeler will not be allowed here because it has a steering wheel.
It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when the govt. looks after me so.
@Phantom
My vehicle of choice will always be a truck. For work and outdoor pursuits it is the most practical, but maybe not a v10 like my current one. My second is the a minivan with stow away seats which I also own(I have a family and a dog so it makes sense and they have tons of room).
Although I have my selection of cycles, I never got a “shiver up my leg” by trikes. I would love to get my hands on one of the 2 Ford GT’s in this little village of ours, but I would settle for a tiny roadster like the Martin if I would ever have enough money to throw around.
@Ron
Campagna’s T-Rex is the same idea as the Martin’s 3 wheeler and also made in Canada, and as I posted earlier it is being driven in Calgary. It maybe classified as a car here, but they are street legal.
@Phantom
http://bishsrv.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/monster-truck-and-fifth-wheel.jpg
I saw this unit parked in Wetaskiwin a couple weeks ago, it might turn your crank. I believe my wife wouldn’t be too impressed with me trying to load the kids and luggage.