Boutique British automaker Morgan has officially revealed its reimagined Super 3, which continues its 113-year legacy of three-wheeled vehicles.
The name Super 3, which remained a secret until its reveal, dates back to the Morgan Super Sports three-wheelers from the 1930s and also pays homage to the more-recent Aero SuperSports.
The Morgan Super 3 is now available to order at Morgan dealers in the UK, Europe, and the USA. Customers in the UK and Europe will receive their vehicles first and US deliveries will follow later in 2022.
Ordering and deliveries for Australia, Japan and other select markets will apparently “follow thereafter”.
We’ve reached out to Morgan Cars Australia and will update this story with more information when it becomes available.
The last of the previous-generation Morgan 3 Wheelers destined for Australia were built in January 2021 and have already all been sold.
Gone is the exposed V-Twin engine of the previous model, with the Morgan Super 3 being powered by a Ford-sourced 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated three-cylinder engine producing 87kW of power and 150Nm of torque.
Morgan says “extensive development has gone into tuning the engine’s acoustic content and enhancing its natural and distinctive three-cylinder character”.
It’s mated to a five-speed manual transmission from a Mazda MX-5 that sends power to the singular rear wheel. Top speed is a claimed 209km/h.
The inclusion of a Ford-sourced engine is a return to form for Morgan as it used Ford-sourced engines in its F-Series 3 Wheelers dating back to 1933. Production of these F-Series 3 Wheelers finished in 1952.
In order to put this power to the ground, Morgan has partnered with tyre manufacturer Avon to develop its own 20-inch diameter for the Super 3 called Speedmaster.
These tyres are based on the look of a heritage motorcycle tyre with “ballooned” sidewalls.
Morgan assures the tyre’s compound and casing design have been through “multiple iterations of fine tuning” for “ultimate performance”.
Following a “rigorous testing programme”, an Avon all-season tyre was chosen for the rear as it provided “optimum slip angle”.
Forming the bones of the Morgan Super 3 is a three-part bonded aluminium monocoque platform.
Morgan says the Super 3 is a “true monocoque” with “stressed exterior ‘A-surfaces'” and indicates this makes the chassis lighter and more rigid, while also offering more interior space.
Like previous Morgan 3 Wheelers, the Super 3 retains the exposed front wishbones, pull-rod suspension components and aluminium engine brace castings.
The design of the Morgan Super 3 marks a new design philosophy for the automaker.
Morgan designers and engineers are said to have drawn influences from the mid-to-late 20th century, including the Jet Age of aircraft design.
At the front, the Super 3 has a familiar and recognisable design with two headlights and a horseshoe-shaped grille.
The engine now resides under the bonnet cowl that’s said to be positioned for “both optimal weight distribution and desirable proportions”. There’s a mesh grille at the front which still allows you to see the moving elements.
Around the side there are sculpted castings, which Morgan calls “sideblades”, that flank the engine and house the radiators and manage inbound and exhaustive airflow.
Morgan is also making the most of these sideblades by offering a range of luggage mounting options on accessory rails, as well as different colour options.
Compared to the front end of the Morgan Super 3, the rear has a streamlined and minimalist design, reminiscent of belly tank racers and early jet planes.
Under the curved bodywork is a cut-off exhaust tailpipe design that Morgan says wouldn’t normally be possible with regulations.
There’s also a clamshell boot that’s said to be sculpted to provide maximum luggage capacity.
The interior of the Morgan Super 3 continues the minimalist design and is rated at IP64, which means its dust-tight and protected again water splashes.
There are fully digital centre-mounted dials and many touch points finished in metal, as well as water- and UV-resistant vinyl, leather, saddle leather and fabric upholstery options.
The “missile release” start-stop button has been carried over from the previous Morgan 3 Wheeler.
New to the Morgan Super 3 is a footwell heather, tilt- and reach-adjustable steering wheel, as well as a quick-release adjustable pedal box.
There’s also a range of “universal fixing[s]” that allow for a cup holder to be mounted under the dashboard, as an example, or for a Quad Lock phone mount. Bungee cords for storage are also scattered around the cabin.
Morgan says the Super 3 is “the most configurable Morgan to date” and has an extensive list of “more than 200 options and accessories”, developed with companies such as Malle London, Beeline and Quad Lock.
“The Morgan Super 3 represents a new level of engineering integrity for Morgan,” said Morgan Motor Company chief engineer Chris Arthur.
“Super 3 remains true to Morgan’s roots because it’s a non-standard construction and every element has purpose.”
There’s now a configurator live on the Morgan Motor website that allows potential owners to fully customise a Super 3.
