Morgan Shows Inspiration for Super 3 in Limited Edition Liveries

When Morgan’s designers were working on the somewhat steampunk Super 3 they seemingly snatched ideas from all manner of places.

They looked to the stars, to pop art and land speed machines, to military machines, Japanese technology and science fiction to sculpt the distinctive shape of the eccentric three-wheeler.

Now Morgan is showing its homework with a limited series of nine designs, called the Super 3 Origins Collection. “The Super 3’s aesthetic is derived from its mechanical function and the very broad outlook adopted by the creative team at Morgan,” explains Chief Design Officer Jonathan Wells. “We drew inspiration from other industries, artistic and industrial movements, and sampled the ‘best bits’ from multiple decades of design. This is the story we wanted to tell with the Super 3 Origins collection.”

Mechanically there are no changes to the quirky Super 3, which still gets a little Ford three-cylinder motor up front, driving a single rear wheel via a Mazda Miata transmission. Each of the nine micro machines has a completely different theme, exemplifying the eclectic inspiration behind it.

Bluebird is a tribute to Sir Donald Campbell’s gas turbine-powered CN7, matching the Land Speed Record breaker’s blue paintwork and sold with the Campbell family’s seal of approval. Also featured are a turned aluminum dashboard, Bluebird logos and Union flags.

The Boulevard Cruiser gets its inspo from a slower source—1950s Americana. Aluminum side strips, ivory leather trim and Art Deco badging are the highlights. Belly tank racers of a similar era led Morgan’s designers to create the Pickersleigh Speedshop with its racy hand-painted silver and red livery, while the Space Race is a nod to NASA with a rocket-like white and black paint job and red fuselage numbering.

It’s a switch from science fact to science fiction for Warp Speed, a yellow and chrome creation that wouldn’t look out of place in a scene from Star Wars.

Two military motifs have also been developed. Charlie Mike takes its cues from lightweight reconnaissance vehicles and wears a desert camouflage scheme and comes equipped with rugged luggage racks. For Scramble the Jets the designers focused on early jet-engined combat aircraft. There’s a two-tone gray colorway with a yellow nosecone, while inside the start switch is red.

Popular culture frames the final two Super 3 Origins models (below). Fast Forward uses an 80’s graphic theme over bright white paintwork and a polished aluminum nose, and Whoosh Bang Pop is a clear reference to the work of Roy Lichtenstein with comic book-style graphics on the grey/blue bodywork and on the dashboard.

All nine Origins models can be ordered now with prices starting at $59,494.

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