No one does old school quite like Morgan. The Worcestershire, UK-based company is 112 years old and quite content to tick along as a purveyor of extremely specialist machines for extremely specialist interests, namely those who desire the sensation of driving in a different age.
For some, it’s an approach that is characterised by decades of design ossification; to the layperson, today’s Plus Four and Plus Six models could easily be mistaken for the +4 sports car first introduced back in the 1960s (when it was still something of an anachronistic design).
This is entirely intentional. Morgan has attempted to modernise in recent years – the Aero model being a case in point – but is still wilfully perverse in remaining decades behind the curve.
Until now. The new Morgan Super 3 is unique in many respects. For a start, it has three wheels, just like the very first cars to bear the Morgan name in 1909. The company stuck with the three-wheeler model for many years, building them alongside conventional cars until 1952. The most influential models were the sports-focused V-Twins, which were produced between 1911 and 1939.
Back in 2011, the company revived this approach with a new model, the 3 Wheeler. Strictly retro in appearance, this ultra-lightweight car was a refreshingly visceral alternative to a conventional sports car. Although an electric version was touted but never released, the 3 Wheeler was a cult hit and production only ended in summer 2021.
Built on a new aluminium platform, the new Super 3 pairs extreme lightness (635kg) with a durable three-cylinder Ford engine. The company boasts that it is more powerful and efficient than any three-wheeler before it, as well as the most configurable.
Said to draw design inspiration from the ‘jet age’ (trust Morgan to have influences that are still 50 years behind the times), the Super 3 comes with aluminium ‘sideblades’ for cooling that also serve as a platform for bold aviation-inspired graphics or luggage panniers. The compact 130bhp engine sits under a nose cone, set behind the front axle, with streamlined wheel mounts and suspension pushing air into the sideblades. Every component is bespoke and tailored for the car’s unique configuration.
Drivers have to be hardy. The interior is minimalist and thankfully waterproofed (there is no hood), and the Super 3 has the company’s first-ever digital dashboard, as well as the first heater in a three-wheeler. A partnership with luggage-maker Malle introduces a bespoke range of clothing and accessories, including the Morgan x Malle pannier (which cunningly integrates a cup holder) and a driving jacket.
Jonathan Wells, Morgan’s head of design, describes the car as something for adventurous individuals. ‘The Super 3 stands out as something different,’ he says. ‘It looks towards our past, is relevant in the present, and reinstates a firm vision of Morgan’s design future.’
INFORMATION
Morgan Super 3, from £41,995
-
Formafantasma’s biodiversity-boosting installation in a Perrier Jouët vineyard is cross-pollination at its bestFormafantasma and Perrier Jouët unveil the first project in their ‘Cohabitare’ initiative, ‘not only a work of art but also a contribution to the ecosystem’
-
Gingerbread City: architects sculpt London out of the season's favourite treatUntil December 29 in Chelsea, see London brought to life in a seasonal-appropriate medium by leading architects and designers
-
New Revox B77 MK III reel-to-reel tape recorder, and more cassette tape-based trickeryThe new Revox B77 MK III might be the ultimate analogue flex. In response, we’ve explored the outer reaches of cassette tape design
-
Peugeot’s sparky 308 gets hybrid power and handsome linesThe Peugeot 308 proves that mass-market design needn’t be dull, blending hybrid power with sharp lines and excellent detailing
-
BMW Motorrad brings out the big guns for its newest cruisersBMW Motorrad R 18 Bagger and Transcontinental set the tone for high-voltage cruising with a brand collaboration with speaker specialist Marshall
-
Dacia’s new Manifesto concept is a true outdoor utility vehicleUtilitarian auto brand Dacia sets a bold new agenda with its Manifesto, a concept car pitched at the active outdoor market
-
The sun sets on traditional supercars at California’s Monterey Car WeekMonterey Car Week, the world’s most prestigious car gathering, is showcasing ever-more extravagant special editions, coachbuilt cars and all-new electric concepts. Here are seven key machines from 2022
-
Is McLaren’s GT a sports car, a tourer, or the best of both?The McLaren GT is a capable all-rounder dressed up in svelte supercar clothes. It might also be the last of its type
-
Rolls-Royce puts the Phantom back on its lofty pedestalA mid-life refresh ensures the flagship Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II is at the top of its game, a last hurrah for traditional engines before an electrified future
-
Prodrive’s new racing simulator is shaped by Callum to be front of the gridThe racing simulator shapes up – this new design from Prodrive and Callum is honed for the high-end games room
-
928 by Nardone Automotive: a restomod Porsche with Gallic verve and Italian style928 by Nardone Automotive is a gracefully modernised version of Porsche’s endearingly different 928
