Morgan, the venerable bespoke English car maker, has rediscovered its history and joined the trend towards disposable income 3-wheel road toys. The success of the Morgan Motor Company was founded on the manufacture of an icon, the Morgan Threewheeler.
This brilliant but simple design by engineer Harry Morgan (HFS) became one of the most successful lightweight cars of the early days of motoring. Morgan cars are renowned for their distinctiveness, craftsmanship and glamour, and the Morgan Motor Company is one of the most admired car manufacturers in the world.
It is also the only car maker in the world to have survived for a century under the ownership and control of its founding family, and 2009 marked Morgan’s centenary year.
From 1909 to 1953 around 30,000 Morgan Threewheelers were manufactured in Malvern and many more were made under license by Darmont Morgan in France. Today, Morgan is no longer a rather obscure marque with a small but dedicated following, but a worldwide brand making innovative and groundbreaking new cars
For many lucky owners it was their first experience of the freedom that car ownership could bring. Fast acceleration combined with a cruising range of over 50 miles to a gallon of petrol was an unbeatable combination in the day.
On the race track the car became very successful, famously winning the French Grand Prix in 1913 and regularly lapping the banked Brooklands track at an average speed of over 100 mph. Stirling Moss who owned one is on record as saying “My Morgan was a great babe magnet”.
Morgan 3 Wheeler Ltd ( in collaboration with Borghi Automobili ) will present the Morgan Cars during the Fair
Via Stendahl 59, Milan
H.F.S Morgan
The Morgan Motor Company is a British motor car manufacturer. The company was founded in 1910 by Harry Frederick Stanley Morgan, generally known as “HFS” and was run by him until he died, aged 77, in 1959.
Peter Morgan, son of H.F.S., ran the company until a few years before his death in 2003. The company is currently run by Charles Morgan, the son of Peter Morgan.
Morgan is based in Malvern Link, an area of Malvern, Worcestershire and employs 163 people. Morgan produced 640 cars in 2007. All the cars are assembled by hand. The waiting list for a car is approximately one to two years, although it has been as high as ten years in the past.
Making of a Morgan Sports Car
Two models are shown here, the convertible and the coupe.
It is completely handmade in England – and it starts out like a piece of furniture in the carpentry shop.
After the hardwood frame is built for the body shell it is matched up with a steel frame that holds the engine, transmission and suspension, then it is finished off in the paint shop.
Morgan Three Wheeler
The Morgan Motor Company announced that they would launch their Threewheeler in 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show. The Threewheeler was initially said to have a Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle V-twin engine and a Mazda 5-speed manual transmission, and was estimated to deliver 100 horsepower (75 kW) at the rear wheel.
The prototype shown at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show had a S&S engine, and reports since the show confirm that the Threewheeler will have an engine made by S&S.
With a kerb weight estimated to be less than 500 kilograms (1,102 lb), the acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) is estimated by Morgan to occur in 4.5 seconds, with a top speed of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h).
Whilst the world is a very different place in 2011 the time is right to relaunch this exceptional design. Young people may not have experienced the same thrill as the early Threewheeler pilots and perhaps cult status is assured for a car with such an emphasis on simple honest functionality. The future of road transport in the 21st Century has two big issues, the conservation of precious resources and the protection of our beautiful natural environment. Downsizing and a philosophy of simplicity are ways of dealing with these problems.The Morgan Threewheeler is a proven answer to these problems. In 2011 the Morgan Motor Company is to expand its range and go back to its roots.
The 2011 Morgan Threewheeler is a fusion of modern technology into a classic design. By fitting a modern V-twin engine and a Mazda 5 speed gearbox the car provides ‘get in and drive’ simplicity and reliability. A sturdy tubular frame and two rollover bars surround the passenger compartment. An aerodynamic super formed ‘bullet’ hull protects the occupants from the weather. However the feeling of freedom and contact with the road through the front wheels will bring to mind the joy of driving cars from the 20’s and 30’s but with none of their fragility or temperament. A leather padded aircraft style cockpit indulges the feeling of ‘flying through the air’. Refining the original design has produced a unique 21st century vehicle. A sub 500kgs overall weight and a slippery hull provides the ultimate in performance and fuel economy. The Morgan Three wheeler has unrivalled power to weight for its on the road price.
The specification ensures the driver and passenger have exactly what they need whilst encapsulating the original Morgan Threewheeler’s DNA. The attractive themes apparent in the successful Sport range of traditional Morgans forms the basis of the specification of the cars. Eight Sport colours with black detailing and a choice of black or tan leather are offered.
1920
The success of the Morgan Motor Company was founded on an icon, the Morgan Three-Wheeler. This brilliant but simple design by skilled engineer and company founder Harry Morgan (HFS) became one of the most successful lightweight cars of the early days of motoring.
The principal of fitting a powerful motorcycle engine and simple transmission into a light-weight chassis and body inspired a new type of vehicle which generically became known as the Cyclecar.
Thus the fashion for new motoring introduced the freedom of the open road to those of more modest means.
The Morgan Runabout was at the forefront of this movement and therefore Harry Morgan can be regarded as the man who first introduced motoring for the masses.
1932
Built at the original Morgan factory, Malvern Link, not only was the Morgan one of the first Cyclecars, it was without doubt, the best engineered, the most reliable, and the most successful vehicle in its class which set the standards for other manufacturers to follow. It featured a simple two speed transmission (fast and very fast), but no reverse gear (to go backwards required gravity, or the driver had to get out and push). Engines were usually J.A.P. V-twins, although the simplicity of the chassis design allowed many other makes to be fitted.
Within a few weeks of its launch at the Olympia motorcycle show in London in November 1910, Harry Morgan entered the Runabout in the MCC London to Exeter Trial, and his remarkable performance won a Gold Medal. This was the first of many such victories in all forms of motor sport such as reliability trials, plus racing and record-breaking particularly at the Brooklands autodrome.
In little more than three years, by the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914, Morgans had secured 10 British and World Records for various classes of cyclecars, won 24 Gold Medals in major reliability trials and had achieved numerous victories on the race track. These successes included an astonishing drive by Mr. Harry Martin who easily won the first International Cyclecar Race at Brooklands, finishing over two minutes ahead of the second place car even though Martin had completed the race in just 8 and a half minutes!
A few months later Harry Morgan won the Cyclecar Cup for the 1100 c.c. one-hour record, travelling at a fraction short of 60 m.p.h. for one hour at Brooklands. His father the Prebendary H.G. Morgan was present and in his imposing ecclesiastical attire this is probably the only time a top hat had ever been worn at the popular circuit.
The most significant victory of the early years was that of W.G. McMinnies in the International Cyclecar Grand Prix at Amiens in France. McMinnies and his passenger Frank Thomas won against strong opposition from many continental four-wheelers.
All of this achieved in spite of an enforced stop to change an inner tube in one of the front tyres! W.G. McMinnies, was the editor of the Cyclecar magazine and his success gave Morgan a great deal of publicity. After the event he christened his particular car Jabberwock of Picardy, and a new model, called the Grand Prix and based on the race winning car was introduced to the Morgan range.
When peace returned in 1918 Morgan was one of the first manufacturers to resume full production mainly due to the simplicity of the design. Most manufacturing operations were now moved from the Worcester Road works to the new factory in Pickersleigh Road (although the first two workshops at the site had been completed before the war). A few years earlier, the WW1 flying ace Capt. Albert Ball had ordered a special-bodied Grand Prix, of which he said "to drive this car was the nearest thing to flying without leaving the ground".
Alas, Capt. Ball was shot down and killed shortly after taking delivery of his car, however his special Morgan inspired the introduction, in 1920, of the next new sporting model which was called the Aero, in recognition of the famous aviator.
So advanced had been H.F.S. Morgan’s first designs that little alteration, apart from bodywork modifications, were required for some years. The car retained its sturdy, lightweight construction and the two-speed transmission system remained in production for many years. A Family Runabout was introduced with four seats, to offer inexpensive motoring for the whole family.
As a result of reliability trials experience front wheel brakes were installed, the Morgan car being one of the first in the field to enjoy this innovation. More powerful V-twin engines were fitted, giving Morgans an exceptional performance for their time.
Throughout the 1920s the Morgan continued to have success after success in racing and was so fast that at Brooklands it was required to start a lap behind four wheeled cars in the same class. Likewise, Morgans were dominant on the trials hills, where they won more medals and trophies than any other comparable machine. The rugged strength of the Morgan and its excellent traction meant that it always performed well on muddy tracks when taking part in reliability trials.
Morgan Three Wheelers also sold well abroad. Harry Morgan was having difficulty keeping up with the demand for his machine, so in France Monsieur Darmont bought a licence to manufacture the car as the Darmont Morgan.
Racing successes encouraged the introduction of another sporting model in the late 1920s, called the Super Aero with lowered streamlined bodywork. Not only were the cars dominant on the race track they were now one of the most fashionable machines to be seen driving on the open road.
During 1930 Mrs. Gwenda Stewart broke the One Hour World Record at the banked race track at Monthlery, south of Paris, at a speed of over 100 m.p.h.
She was later to achieve 117 m.p.h. in a single seater Morgan on the long straight at Arpajon nearby. 1931 brought a new transmission system with a three speed and reverse gearbox, a single chain and detachable wheels. This arrangement was eventually used on all models, with engines now supplied by Matchless, the high performance machine (a development of the Super Aero) being known as the Super Sports.
The factory even introduced a commercial Delivery Van based on the three wheeler chassis. 1933 was a vintage year for Morgan, bringing in its train a large number of World Records. 1933 also saw the advent of a new model known as the F-type, fitted with a Ford engine. With its more conventional bonnet and radiator this was one of the most popular three-wheelers ever produced and encouraged a number of other firms to copy the idea.
Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones behind the wheel of his yellow Morgan Plus 8 roadster in St. Tropez, France, 9 May 1971
Two years later, Morgan introduced the four-wheeled 4/4, although the three-wheeler remained in production (mainly the F4 four-seater and F Super two seater models).
Car production stopped completely throughout the Second World War but resumed in 1946. The last twelve twin cylinder three-wheelers were manufactured in 1946 using mostly a stock of pre-war parts and shipped to Australia.
The F-type continued to be built alongside the 4-4, but due to post-war shortages, export orders were favoured over those for the home market when allocating supplies of steel. Three-wheelers did not enjoy this popularity overseas and therefore the decision to discontinue their production was made in 1950. The last Morgan Three Wheeler left the factory in 1953.
It is now nearly sixty years since the last Morgan Three Wheeler was built, and whilst the world is a very different place in 2011 the time is right to relaunch this exceptional design. Young people may not have experienced the same thrill as the early Three-Wheeler pilots and perhaps cult status is assured for a car with such an emphasis on simple honest functionality.
The future of road transport in the 21st century has two big issues, the conservation of precious resources and the protection of our beautiful natural environment. Downsizing and a philosophy of simplicity are ways of dealing with these problems. The Morgan Three-wheeler is a proven answer to these problems. In 2011 the Morgan Motor Company is to expand its range and go back to its roots.
The 2011 Morgan 3 Wheeler is a fusion of modern technology into a classic design. By fitting a modern V-twin engine and Mazda 5-speed gearbox the car provides get in and drive simplicity and reliability. A sturdy tubular frame and two rollover bars surround the passenger compartment. An aerodynamic bullet hull protects the occupants from the weather. However, the feeling of freedom and contact with the road through the front wheels will bring to mind the joy of driving cars from the 20’s and 30’s but with none of their fragility or temperament. As Capt. Albert Ball discovered all those years ago, no car captures the feeling of flying quite like a Morgan, and this is so with the latest 3 Wheeler which features a leather padded aircraft-style cockpit.
Refining the original design has produced a unique 21st century vehicle. A sub-500kgs overall weight and streamlined bodywork provides the ultimate in performance and fuel economy.
Once again, the iconic Morgan 3 Wheeler is being created by the skilled craftsmen at Malvern Link so that even in modern times, discerning drivers can experience the thrill and freedom of those halcyon days of motoring so long ago.
