Perfect on paper: Morgan teases 2022 3 Wheeler
It could be argued no car offered a greater classic experience fresh from the factory than the outgoing Morgan 3 Wheeler, and 2022 will see the return of the odd-wheeled sports car with an all-new model.
To whet our collective appetite, Morgan has released an image containing numerous sketches that could point the way to the 3 Wheeler’s design, and the result is a kind of glorious steampunk fever dream of jaunty three-wheeled projectiles.
Morgan is careful to point out that no one sketch reveals the exact appearance of the upcoming car, but pick and choose features from several and you could probably piece it together in your head.
One thing that’s clear from all of the images is that the new 3 Wheeler will move away from the externally-mounted engine look of its predecessor, and indeed the 1930s Morgans that inspired that car.
That’s partly because, as Morgan has previously revealed, the new car will no longer use a motorcycle-derived V-twin, but an inline three-cylinder, naturally-aspirated powerplant sourced from Ford.
If the sketches are anything to go by, this perhaps less visually-stimulating unit will now be hidden by a cowling, more like the nacelles of Second World War aircraft and even early jets than the exposed mechanicals of earlier planes.
Many of the sketches display more of a teardrop arrangement than the outgoing 3 Wheeler too, perhaps to the benefit of aerodynamics but also giving the car a more sophisticated look. Morgan says it gives the car the look of being “visually towed” by the front wheels, the mass of the car stretched back behind those 1930s-style leading wheels.
Intriguingly, a couple of images even snow a “bikini-style” roof arrangement, suggesting some rudimentary weather protection might be on the cards this time – though the traditional aero screens mean the new car will remain a flies-in-the-teeth experience.
Morgan has not revealed when in 2022 the model will go on sale, nor any further details beyond its powertrain, but does promise it will be the brand’s “most configurable vehicle ever.” While more modern than Morgans of old, we’ve little doubt that it’ll still provide one of the best classic driving experiences out there.
