NEWS
Morgan 3 Wheeler this year
Hard-charging British retro trike expected to arrive in Australia later in 2013The retro-styled Morgan 3 Wheeler has been confirmed for Australia, and will go on sale later in the year after it makes a surprise appearance at the Australian F1 Grand Prix next week.
The light-weight trike is classed as a car in Australia, which means it can be driven by anyone with a car licence, and helmets do not need to be worn (though they add to the aesthetic).
The downside of the Morgan 3 Wheeler's car classification is that the vehicle will attract the luxury car tax, and is expected to be priced at around $70,000 as such.
The first Australian 3 Wheeler arrives after two years of homologation work, as Morgan Cars Australia confirmed that the first ADR evaluation vehicle will be heading air freighted from the UK to Melbourne to begin local testing this month.
Apart from the unique design, one of the vehicle's main selling points will be the performance. Sitting prominently at the vehicle's prow, a 2.0-litre V-twin push-rod engine propels the 'Moggie' from 0-100km/h in around 4.5 seconds, with a top speed approaching 200km/h.
The air-cooled twin-cylinder engine, which drives to the single rear wheel, is built by American-based S&S – well known in motorcycle circles for building big-bore motorcycle engines.
Though engine power is relatively modest, just 59kW (80hp), the Morgan 3 Wheeler's high performance is due to its light weight – it tips the scales at just 550kg, about half the weight of a mainstream compact car.
The British company Morgan began building the 3 Wheeler in 1909 and though it looks as though little has changed (and in some ways it hasn't, power still comes from an air-cooled motorbike engine and it uses independent front suspension), the vehicle makes use of an aluminium body and drives through a five-speed transmission with reverse gearing.
Morgan Cars Australia will show a 3 Wheeler at the Auto Avenue display during the 2013 Australian F1 Grand Prix. The car on display will be similar to the Aussie-spec cars to be delivered later in the year. It will line up alongside other Morgan vehicles, such as the new Morgan 4/4 and Morgan Aero SuperSports cars.
The 3 Wheeler has a distinctive design that is part motorcycle, part WWII era Spitfire. Its body shell or 'fuselage' has clear aviation links, as do the heat-shielded exhausts. Even the engine starter button mimics a 'bomb release' button from 1940s era bombers.
Morgan says it has taken more than 300 expressions of interest from potential customers, which has successfully passed local crash tests (undertaken in the UK) and has one more hurdle to pass before it gets the green light for sale in Australia.
"We anticipate... ADR compliance in the first half of this year and the first Australian production units to be built in the second half of 2013," reads an official statement from Morgan Cars Australia.
The Morgan 3 Wheeler costs £25,000 in the UK, which converts to around $38,000 at the time of writing. However it's expected the final local price for the vehicle will be closer to $70,000.
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Written byFeann Torr
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
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