As good as the old model, even its its upgrades aren't immediately obvious as I roll the 3 Wheeler from the Morgan London dealership out towards some sodden roads for our test drive. The take-up of the powertrain is meant to be a touch smoother, but it’s been a while since I’ve driven a 3 Wheeler, so it’s hard to tell if it’s better, or by how much.
The 80bhp, 1983cc V-twin engine is still as lumpy as ever, but the drive – which incorporates a damper to counter some of the rotating masses, a Mazda MX-5 five-speed gearbox and a belt drive to the single rear tyre – has been modified to make things a bit more refined.
To my hands and feet, mind, the driving experience is not particularly different and the essential character is totally unchanged, neither of which is a bad thing at all. There’s plenty of torque and sufficient power, while the Morgan gives its driver oodles of feedback as it threads along.
Without a recent drive of the predecessor, I couldn’t tell you if the unassisted steering is different. I know it’s still good: positively weighted, sensibly geared and taking on decent feel as speeds rise.
Engine and gearbox responses are the same, too. The engine is a peach, makes a great noise and revs with positivity right through the range.
The handling is still biased towards understeer at first, which was exacerbated by the conditions in which we drove the 3 Wheeler. It’s still possible to use the ample torque to overwhelm the rear, at which point you take on a pre-war demeanour and start sawing away at the wheel.
It’s the same on the open road. The driving position is a laid-back, long-armed one, so it’s a more physical experience than, say, a Caterham Seven, but none the worse for that. There’s a touch more space in the footwell than in a Seven, too.
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In early May, the journalists of the writemypaper.nyc portal visited the Morgan Motor factory, and also tested the lineup of the legendary British brand. The plant of one of the oldest car manufacturers is located a few hundred kilometers from London, in the picturesque place of Malvern Link. The Morgan Motor Company was founded in 1909, and the factory in the form and place in which it is now represented appeared a little in 1914. , electronics, then polish, check and carry out pre-sale preparation ... Currently, the company employs 180 people.