A long-forgotten British marque is being revived to rekindle its near-100-year-old rivalry with Morgan.
The Castle Motor Company of Kidderminster built 350 three-wheeled cars between 1919 and 1922. Now, as then, it’s looking to take on the successful Morgan 3 Wheeler, a car that is expected to sell over 600 units this year.
The reborn Castle Three Motor Company, now based in Northumberland, is planning “a modern take on a historic marque” by applying a “contemporary-classic” design based on one of two concept sketches.
While the original had 2+1 seating and a four-cylinder engine, the new three-wheeler will have two seats and use an externally sourced twin-pot — either in V or boxer form — to power the rear wheel via a largely proprietary drivetrain. Pricing is expected to undercut the £30,000 Morgan, and the car is designed for hillclimbs and sprints as well as road use.
Unusually, the car’s development will be crowd-funded, with investors able to buy shares from just £10 via crowdcube.com during a 60-day, £200,000 funding drive due to start later this month. The company needs to sell 60 cars per year to break even, but expects to shift up to 500 units annually.
The concepts have been sketched by motorcycle designer Xenophya in Cramlington, whose clients include Triumph and Royal Enfield, and engineering will be done by GTME in Daventry.
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3 Wheelers
Would love to have a spin in a 3 wheeler, whether it be a Grinnal Scorpion or a Morgan. But I have fond memories of thinking the sub 3 wheeler would make it into a limited production, it would appear not though. A great shame, designed by a RCA automotive design grad Niki Smart.
It's just that. Smart.
Look up sub3wheeler.com
3 wheelers
First the confession: I used to have a Heinkel bubble car , the ones made in Slough. The only real problem was the lack of power, the rear end being basically a scooter.
The dynamic performance of the 2+1 is just as good as 2+2 wheels. Never 1+2 though, remember the Bond Bug, horror.
In the mid sixties someone went motorcycle sidecar racing with a mini front subframe and a rear wheel, won all its races so was immediately banned.
Isn't there a Harris video on Youtube of him in a Morgan.
Triking is already a cheaper alternative to a Morgan 3 Wheeler
Triking have been making Morgan style 3 wheelers for years, both as a kit and now as fully built cars.
http://designs.trikingsportscars.co.uk/fully-built-triking
. . . from either Moto Guzzi, or from BMW Motorrad.
“the new three-wheeler will have two seats and use an externally sourced twin-pot — either in V or boxer form — to power the rear wheel via a largely proprietary drive train”.
That sounds like they plan to “buy-in” all the “oily-bits” - with simply an extended shaft-drive to the rear-wheel - from either Moto Guzzi, or from BMW Motorrad.
It would be difficult to argue against either possibility. I wish them well
Who are Triking?
Who are Triking?
Why have we not heard of them?
And, why are folk not “beating-a-path-to-their-door” ?!
It seems that it is no longer sufficient to simply design a “better-mouse-trap”, you do have to be able to “market” it successfully.
Triking have been around since 1977
Try reading this
http://trikingsportscars.co.uk/about-us
They have featured in the press on many occasions in the last 36 years, although rarely in major magazines such as Autocar. I don't think they have ever been advertised and many are built for export.