Well someone forgot to tell that to the folks at Morgan, who still very much
embrace the old way of doing things. Just look at this 1947 F-Super that's
coming up for auction.
Though it abandoned the three-wheeler design for
decades, the Morgan Motor Company started out
with these trikes – and continued producing them exclusively through 1935 when
it came out with its first four-wheeled model.
This particular example was built in 1947, and
unlike the V-twin-powered models that came before and after, this one was
powered by a Ford engine – hence the F designation. The tiny 1.2-liter
inline-four, mated to a three-speed manual, produced only 30 horsepower. But
that was plenty to keep this tiny trike moving.
One of only 92 three-wheeled Morgans made after the
Second World War, this Morgan F-Super was acquired by its current owner in
2005, and has since undergone a comprehensive two-year restoration process. And
as you can see from the images below (captured by one Ryan Merrill), the
results are rather stunning – a little different from the model Morgan produces
today, but absolutely delicious with its teal paintjob and beautiful wood
dashboard hinting at the wooden frame underneath it all.
RM Sotheby's will be auctioning
it off next month in at Amelia Island in Florida. But if this one eludes you,
you could always order one up new from the factory. Because Morgan, unlike so
many other manufacturers, still makes 'em (largely) like they used to.
