Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan’s first automotive design was similar to this 1933 Super Sports. Its 3-wheel design offered good performance at a third of of the price. From 1910 until 1930 Morgan boasted the three-wheeler could out-perform standard cars by having a very low center of gravity, combined with a lightweight chassis.
Making the Morgan even more appealing, was the ingenious independent front suspension. Morgan boasted every three-wheeler they made had an independent suspension setup.
The layout of this vehicle lies somewhere in between a car and a motorcycle. The engine is located in front of the radiator and drives a single rear wheel. Power is transferred via a driveshaft tube which acts as part of the chassis.
Over the years many different engines were used on Morgan three-wheelers. The first protoype featured a air cooled Peugeot powerplant. MAG, JAP and even a 993cc Ford four-cylinder unit were used in these cars.
Morgan played a huge role in the three-wheel market and exclusively sold three-wheeled cars from 1908 until 1935. The production run on three-wheelers slowed after 1940 but continued, albeit heavily upgraded, until the 1980s.
In Detail
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| type | Series Production Car |
| production years | 1927 – 1939 |
| engine | JAP, Water Cooled, Twin Vee |
| position | Front |
| valvetrain | 2 Valves per Cyl |
| displacement | 1096 cc / 66.9 in³ |
| bore | 85.7 mm / 3.37 in |
| stroke | 95 mm / 3.74 in |
| compression | 6.0:1 |
| power | 33.6 kw / 45 bhp |
| specific output | 41.06 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 110.84 bhp per tonne |
| body / frame | Steel over Tubular Steel Chassis |
| driven wheels | RWD |
| f suspension | Sliding Pillar |
| r suspension | Twin Radius Arms w/Quarter Elliptic Leaf Springs |
| curb weight | 406 kg / 895 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2209 mm / 87.0 in |
| front track | 1270 mm / 50.0 in |
| rear track | 1270 mm / 50.0 in |
| length | 3048 mm / 120.0 in |
| width | 1498 mm / 59.0 in |
| transmission | 2- Speed Manual |
| gear ratios | 3.166:1, 1.833:1 |
| top speed | ~120.7 kph / 75.0 mph |
Auction Sales History
1935 Morgan Three Wheeler F173 – sold for $29,000 Ford Y-model four cylinder engine. 3-speed transmission. Rear wheel drive. Independent front suspension. Pressed steel chassis. No expense spared nut and bolt restoration. Red with Black fenders, Tan interior and matching wire wheels. Minimal test miles. A popular British classic.
Auction Source: Kissimmee 2014, #WhereTheCarsAre by Mecum
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