2014 Morgan 3 Wheeler first drive review

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.