Morgan Sports
Of all the cycle-cars, the three-wheeled Morgan was the most successful and the most famous.
This was primarily due to the excellent power/weight ratio, which made it popular with the more sporty drivers. It was used extensively in competitions, though considerable driving skill was required to keep the three-wheeler on track. T
he 1.1 litre JAP V-twin engine produced 11 hp. The drive shaft was mounted in the tubular backbone chassis while the engine mounts acted as anchor points for the ‘sliding pillar’ independent front suspension. A sporty detail is the V-shaped windscreen.
The concept for this three-wheeler dates back to 1909 and was devised by the English engineer H.F.S. Morgan from Malvern. That year, with some financial help from his father, he set up his own car factory; however, Morgan did not develop his own engines, opting to use those of other manufacturers. In the case of the three-wheelers they used JAP, Matchless and – for the racing models – Blackburne. The first four-wheeled Morgan was produced in 1936.