The Jaguar C-X75 is a (now cancelled) hybrid supercar that made use of Williams F1 and Jaguar racing technology. It would have been the first Jaguar supercar since the Jaguar XJ220 in 1992.

Performance was expected to be circa 888 BHP and 0-100mph in around 6 seconds. Initially 250 models were planned with some earmarked for racing. The C-X75 was intended to display Jaguar’s prowess with new technology in a cutting edge sports car.

Developed as an homage to the classic racing Jaguars of the 1950s and 60s, this sleek supercar echoes the old XJ13, E-Type, D-Type and XJ220. The technology and mechanics are all focused firmly on the future.

Performance and Design 

The Jaguar C-X75 is powered by an all aluminium 1.6 litre petrol four cylinder. The engine was both turbocharged and supercharged to generate an astonishing 500 bhp at 10,000 rpm. Duel 194 bhp electric motors are fitted front and rear, powered by the 19kWh lithium battery just behind the drivers seat. The combined engines are mated to an 7-speed automated manual transmission. The electric engines were Jaguar’s own design and were lighter and more powerful than what was available to be bought in.

Jaguar C-X75 Gallery

Technology & Unique Features 

Unsurprisingly the CX75 boasts impressive tech features like the bonded carbon fibre chassis developed using expertise from Williams Advanced Technology. Also included was Jaguar’s “brake regeneration” technology which converts kinetic energy from braking into electricity stored in its battery pack which can be used later to boost acceleration or power accessories like headlights or AC units. The car originally had range extending gas micro turbine engines, but these were left off the final specification.       

C-X75 Cancellation

The project was cancelled in December 2012 due to the global economic crisis. Caterham and Lotus both cancelled projects at this time, reflecting the difficulty in timing the launch of a niche sports car.

The following year the so-called holy trinity of hyper cars were launched. The Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918 Spyder and McLaren P1 all appeared as limited edition supercars. Could the C-X75 have made it four?

The imminent launch of those cars may have influenced Jaguar’s decision to cancel the project. Even without a final car to show for the work on the C-X75, Jaguar representatives were certain that technology and learnings from the car would be carried over to Jaguar road cars.

Legacy of the Jaguar C-X75

While the cancellation of the C-X75 was disappointing, Jaguar felt it couldn’t launch an expensive super car during the global economic crisis. Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren would beg to disagree and all three launched their respective pièce de résistance the following year.

Jaguar had previous bad luck when the XJ220 super car was launched at the start of the 1990s recession. This left the company with cars it couldn’t sell, so perhaps this influenced the cautious decision to cancel the C-X75.

The C-X75 was never tested without Jaguar engineers on hand, so detail on how it drives is sparse. Autocar was very complimentary about the C-X75 and not just the straight line performance, but the way the car drove too.

It’s great that manufacturers want the experience of driving a car to remain fun and interactive even with pressure on emissions and carbon. The key aims of the project were incredibly ambitious, with the following benchmarks comparable.

While it was cancelled, the C-X75 is a fascinating look into the future of hybrid sports cars and what we can expect. For power, fun and emissions, the CX-75 excelled on paper at least. I hope Jaguar can launch a car with some of it’s traits soon.

For all the thousands of Cavaliers, Vectras and Novas, Vauxhall had the occasional frenzied meltdown and built some mad cars – possibly out of boredom. After finishing thousands of base spec Vectras, I could easily see a production line worker turning into the Incredible Hulk and breaking down the board room door.

Hulk would probably design something big and powerful and uncouth. A car that people would remember, something to combat the dull Vectra. The Vauxhall Monaro VXR is that kind of car. It’s a big engined no-nonsense coupe with tons of character. Something Vauxhall was running short of in the early 2000s.

Monaro VXR Origin Story

2002 had been a bumper year of sales for Vauxhall with the Corsa, Vectra, Zafira and Astra selling well. To expand the product line and develop some links to the Vauxhall racing team, a performance brand was created: “VXR”, which would be used on the cars in the British Touring Cars Championship.

“The whole plan with the VXR brand was to introduce it in motorsport , which we did in 2002. It was about that time that we started to introduce the concept of the road car programme and that became apparent with the VX220 and the Monaro VXR. From that point on, we introduced other models, some of which will be finished next year when we introduce the Corsa VXR”

Stuart Harris – VXR Brand manager interview with Crash.net

VXR would also form the name of all Vauxhall performance derivatives too. This would eventually encompass most of the Vauxhall range including (whisper it) the Meriva.

In its drive to establish the new VXR brand, Vauxhall decided to officially import the Monaro from sister company Holden in Australia. Vauxhall and Holden had worked together on and off since the 1960s, when the Vauxhall Viva helped Holden form the basis of the Torana.

The Holden Monaro was a large coupe fitted with the 5.7 litre Chevrolet V8. A great car to kick start a performance brand and offer the British public an affordable muscle car. It would allow Vauxhall to finally source a replacement for the Calibra coupe which had ended production in 1997.

Initially just branded Monaro, it included modified suspension to cope with British B roads. VXR spec and badging came slightly later with the bigger 6 litre engine and power was up to just shy of 400 bhp.

Monaro VXR Competitors

The price and performance of the Monaro (£29,895) made for some interesting match ups, particularly in VXR (£36,785) spec. A hot hatch budget would almost get you into a Monaro even though the performance was closer to a BMW M3 than a Golf GTI (in a straight line at least).

The BMW M3 might have been a far sharper steer than the Monaro, but at £42,240 was significantly higher in price, especially when the expensive options were accounted for. The Monaro VXR would also compare well against the Jaguar XKR with similar performance, better interior space and a lower price than the Jaguar’s £60,995 list price.

MG’s £65,000 limited edition SV Xpower supercar was made to look ridiculously priced, especially as the Monaro’s Chevrolet derived V8 was more powerful than the Mustang V8 in the MG.

Monaro VXR 500 – The Performance Bargain

By 2006 General Motors was starting to rationalise the range of cars it sold. The rather niche, big engined two door Monaro was, unsurprisingly, in line for the cull.

In an effort to shift the final examples Vauxhall teamed up with a tuning company (Greens) to use a Wortec supercharger on the big V8. The resulting 493 bhp model was christened the Monaro VXR 500 and was priced under a standard Monaro VXR.

Vauxhall really pressed the price advantage home and this model became a major performance bargain. Performance was on par with a BMW M6 (£83,300) but was priced at just £35,995.

Evo magazine got close to the VXR500’s top speed on a German autobahn but found the old Lotus Carlton quicker above 150mph.

“I gun the Monaro and, behind, the RS4 chase-car seems to be attached by a tow rope – until we get to 150mph. Then the VXR starts to draw away. I haven’t got the VBOX fitted, but when the Monaro’s digital speedo grinds to a halt at 163mph and the engine keeps on pulling, the RS4 drops back much faster. I kept the Vauxhall nailed a while longer and, before braking, saw the tacho needle just beyond 4200rpm in top. That’s 170mph. Given another four or five kilometres, the VXR 500 might have made over 180mph. Given another 10 kilometres it might have made ‘185mph-plus’.”

John Barker April 2007 Evo magazine

Conclusion

Introducing the Monaro & Monaro VXR to the UK was brave. It was a characterful addition to the performance car market and helped establish Vauxhall’s VXR brand. This wasn’t just a remapped Astra, this was an old school coupe with an iconic Chevrolet V8, rear wheel drive and a limited slip differential.

The VXR brand is meant to be a bit harder-edged than the old GTEs and GSIs of before. We have put a lot more engineering into the vehicles. They aren’t ‘badge engineered’ cars, they are cars that are built on a limited basis and that provide a huge amount of fun and entertainment. They are more aggressive than the older cars so, for us to have the VXR brand and the VX Racing side of things, it makes it an ideal tie-up really for us to use.

Stuart Harris, VXR brand manager interview with Crash.net

I always liked the combination of non-descript styling and the Monaro’s huge size. Together it made for something quite distinctive against the usual Mercedes, BMW and Audi options. It was different in character too. While competitors were busy shaving seconds off shift times and generating cornering forces that would never be used on road, the Monaro relied on the (slightly muted) noise and character of the big V8. It was a modest seller compared to the BMW M3, with hundreds registered, rather than thousands in the BMWs case.

Kryptonite

Thanks to Vauxhall’s Australian sister company, the iconic Chevrolet V8 was available complete with warranty and UK specific suspension.

It was a modest seller (with hundreds registered, rather than thousands in the M3s case), but in years to come will be seen as a fitting swansong for high capacity performance cars in the UK. As the mainstream manufacturers are herded into selling more hybrids and EVs, big engined performance cars have met their Kryptonite in the form of the 2030 petrol ban. What comes next?

BMW had sold Rover (and MG) to the MG Rover Group in the year 2000. It had been financially disastrous for BMW, even selling the company with a £500 million bank balance to keep the company running.

With this temporary increase in budget the MG Rover group immediately increased the range of cars by rebadging some Rover models as MGs (like the MG Metro years before). This created the ZR, ZT and ZS models, designed to appeal to younger buyers with more powerful engines and sportier suspension. Under the group 170,000 cars were sold in 2001, a record for the organisation and just a year after BMW had moved on.

MG had long been associated with Motorsport since its inception in 1924 and so, Le Mans, British Touring Cars (MG ZS) and The World Rally Championship (MG ZR) were just some of the race series entered to help forge the MG brand as a worthy Motorsport brand.

In the road cars department, the only purpose built MG was the MG TF. Everything else was a badge engineered Rover. MG wanted a “halo” product to better represent what MG stood for. MG also had ambition of going further upmarket too, so a serious sports car was needed. With no Rovers to rebadge and the new budget burning a hole in its pocket, MG Rover Group started to look for opportunities.

Members of the MG Rover Group admired the work Peter Wheeler had done with TVR, creating various rear wheel drive sports cars at relatively low cost. This proven formula was something MG had the brand to carry off.

One of the consortium owners Nick Stephenson was contacted by Bruce Qvale, the owner of Qvale Modena SpA about a potential distribution deal to sell his sports car the Qvale Mangusta in Europe. Stephenson thought the platform could be rebodied as the new MG sports car and so MG Rover Group bought Qvale cars for £7 million in early 2001.

De-Tomaso & Qvale Backstory

The Qvale Mangusta itself was based on the De-Tomaso Biguá. The Biguá was in keeping with De-Tomaso’s practice of using big Ford engines in Italian bodied sports cars. The modular Ford V8 was used, which made selling the car in America easier – this was also a key market for MG. The chassis was designed by Enrique Scalabroni an ex F1 designer. He’d created the chassis to be super rigid to compensate for the Mangusta roofless design.

Bruce Qvale and his company were brought in to help develop the new Biguá with the understanding that the car would be sold under the De-Tomaso brand. After some disagreements, Bruce Qvale decided to sell the car under the Qvale brand after $30 million had already been spent on development.

After Qvale had sold the company and design to MG Rover Group, work started on redesigning the odd looking Mangusta. Peter Stevens had already designed the ZR, ZS and ZT models, so was lined up to create the SV. Presented at the Frankfurt motor show as the MG X80, the car received a lukewarm reception. Stevens reworked the design and even found inspiration from the Fast & Furious film! The car was then renamed the MG Xpower SV.

MG SV Production Problems

Production couldn’t hit the 10,000 units figure MG Rover Group wanted because the Qvale factory was designed for low volume. There wasn’t time or knowledge to improve this so the plan was changed to make the MG SV a low volume sports car, with a higher price instead. The target production was intended to be 120 cars a year for a 4 year production run.

An example of the complicated production involved the carbon fibre bodywork produced in Britain, flown to Italy to be fitted to the chassis, then the whole thing was flown back to be finished at Longbridge.

The list price ended up being £65,000. This was down from the £100,000 first estimated, but still higher than the Mangusta (£40,000).

Marketing Hype

The production problems made the MG SV expensive to produce. A bigger 5 litre V8 model was planned which would form the basis of the MG SV-R model and would come in at an absurd £83,000. A deal with Roush was put together to enable the Ford V8 to come equipped with different states of tune. The supposed 1000 bhp nitrous oxide injected version of the MG SV was all but marketing myth and was concocted to get some favorable press coverage. These aftermarket upgrades seemed slightly desperate.

In basic spec, the SV and SV-R were very expensive and up against performance benchmarks like the Porsche 911 and BMW M3. Not only that, but another British company had its own muscle car undercutting the competition. The 328bhp 5.7 litre V8 Vauxhall Monaro was available from £35,000 in 2004, undercutting the MG SV by a significant margin. While it didn’t have the purpose built chassis and carbon fibre bodywork, it offered cheap performance and a distinct alternative to the German brands.

The Monaro was fitted with General Motors LS1 V8, which had a range of modification options, from increased displacement to supercharger setups. This made future performance enhancements easy to do.

Vauxhall’s plan was far less risky, just import some big Holden V8 cars, rebadge them as a Vauxhall and sell them cheaper than the competition. In some ways you have to admire the ambition of the MG SV project.

Unfortuately one of the key issues was around selling in the North American market. It was considered the best market for the MG SV, but there was no dealership network so selling it there would be almost impossible.

Like a lot of unsuccessful British sports cars, the SV was a great car. It was unfortunately hampered by its expense, when typically it was a brand to undercut rivals.

The finished SV ended up a curious mix of bought in technology, a sprinkling of Rover 75 switch gear and a surprisingly underwhelming American V8. The bodywork, all vents and aggression was impressively all carbon fibre; in an effort to distract Porsche buyers. Sadly this didn’t persuade many away from the usual brands.

Now imagine if MG Rover had scrapped the expensive carbon fibre bodywork, upped the performance and dropped the price. It might have stood a chance.

The SV turned out to be MG’s swansong as the company revealed massive losses in 2005 and was later taken over by Nanjing Automobile and all production was moved to China. 

The Jaguar F-Type Concept (2000) was a developed version of the XK180, as the company sought to make the car production viable. This is the second in our series of Jaguar concept cars you (sadly) cannot buy, as they were never actually produced.

The XK180 had a superb response from the motoring press, but was only built to generate publicity, even though it was fully working which was rare for a concept car. I am of the opinion that the XK180 was intended for production, I think a limited edition sports car wasn’t what Jaguar needed.

Jaguar then began to investigate a production model that would satisfy the demand the XK180 had created. The designer responsible for the follow up would be Keith Helfet, who had designed the earlier XK180.

The F-Type was to be a clean sheet design, this meant less of the constraints of having to work with an adapted platform. Free of the restriction of the XK8 platform, Helfet designed the F-Type to be smaller and more lithe. While the platform was bespoke, the car was deliberately built to house the AJ V6 engine already in use in the S and X-Type cars. This would give the new F-Type a range of proven engines.

First revealed at the Detroit Auto show in 2000, the F-Type had an excellent response and Jaguar representatives said the car would be on sale in 2002. Getting the car to production would prove more of a challenge. The design Director Ian Callum, suggested a mid engine layout to maintain the cars pretty lines. In the end Jaguar decided to focus it’s effort on diesel engines and the project was mothballed.

I think it’s one of the most coherent and beautiful concept cars ever; I’m sure it would have been a highly successful car if it was launched. The concept car can be found at the Heritage Museum in Gaydon, UK. More information here.

New equipment featured on the A10 included AP brakes, special Dymag half carbon fibre, half alloy wheels (10kg less each than a standard KZ1 wheel). The car also has a squential shift gearbox with the option of a normal manual. The car uses carbon fibre extensively (in the chassis and bodywork), to keep weight down while providing great strength. The A10 has no ABS or traction control system to save weight. Most of the soundproofing, like other luxuries are removed on the A10; one of the few additions is the FIA spec roll cage.

Ascari A10 Performance

This limited edition super car is well regarded by critics, with well weighted steering, a balanced chassis, managaeble on limit performance and incredible power. The Top Gear test track time is faster than a number of other expensive super cars like the Koenigsegg CCX, Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT. 

Ascari A10 Top Gear Lap Time

Ascari A10 Production Numbers

The A10 was intended to be limited to only 50 hand made cars. With its high power to weight ratio and incredible handling, a record breaking time around the Nurburgring would be possible. Currently, the Maserati MC12 holds the production road car record with a time of 7:24.29 

Jeremy Clarkson jokingly tested the car with a Daihatsu Materia but did offer extremely high praise for the performance of the A10.

“A staggering car … like a Koenigsegg but a million times more manageable… The way it drives beggars belief”

Jeremy Clarkson on the Ascari A10

Clarkson went on to say the car was as “well finished as an Army Land Rover” which was probably because it was still a pre-production car. Overall Clarkson found the car compared well against contemporaries from Koenigsegg. High praise indeed for the car the Ascari engineers nickname “The Beast”. 

End Of The Road For Ascari

Unfortunately Ascari was to be declared bankrupt in 2010. It’s low volume, highly bespoke cars stopped being built and the company closed. The Ascari race resort still appears to be open. It’s not clear how many examples of the Ascari A10 were completed. The A10 that was used for press work: OU55GWJ is listed as not MOT’d which means it’s not legal to be driven in the UK. Details for this car listed below.

This one example may have ended up being the only finished example of the Ascari A10, a sad end for a company that had shown much innovation in motorsport and road cars.

The Jaguar XK180 concept (1999) is the first in our series about Jaguar’s habit of creating some really desirable concept cars they never put into production. Designed by Keith Helfet, the designer of the XJ220 and XK41/42. Project XKD was a sports car based on a shortened XK8 platform. The XK180 was built to celebrate 50 years of the XK sports cars.

Jaguar XK180 Never To Be Sold

Nick Scheele the chairman and Managing Director of Jaguar unveiled the XK180 at the Paris Salon in 1998. Scheele explained that while the XK180 was built to celebrate 50 years of the XK cars, it would not be sold. The technology on the car, like the large brakes, supercharged engine, alloy wheels and suspension components would be used on future Jaguars.

While a sensational looking car, Jaguar already had the more mainstream XK8 sports car range. The prospect of an expensive limited edition sports car might have worried Ford, after the issues around the XJ220. There were still a few XJ220’s on delivery mileage in 1998, so I’m sure Ford didn’t want to add to this exotic but costly collection.

A Working Concept Car

It’s interesting that Scheele said the car would never be built, because the concept car itself was fully functioning (see video below). Usually a concept car it just that, no real substance beneath what you can see. Jaguar’s Special Vehicles Operations (SVO) department had built two XK180s that both worked. I wonder if the XK180 was intended for production after all?

The XK180 used the floor pan from the XK8 sports car, with 20cm trimmed from the front and rear overhangs and about 13cm from the wheelbase. The engine and gearbox was from the XK8, the engine was the supercharged 4 litre. The gearbox was modified with up and down gearshift buttons. The aluminium bodywork was done by Abbey Panels, a company which did the coachwork on the 1950s C and D type racers, and later the XJ13.

The XK180 design clearly takes some of the cues from the old XJ13 and D-Type. The curved windscreen and bonnet louvres in particular mirror that of the XJ13.

The taut lines look timeless and elegant, a fitting 50th anniversary for the XK cars. The Jaguar XK180 would later be developed into the first F-Type project. More can be found on the XK180 on the Jaguar Heritage site.

First released in 2001 the first generation lasted until 2007. The faster “S” model was built between 2004 and 2007. Vanquish production stopped on 19th July 2007 which also marked the end of production at the company’s famous Newport Pagnell factory after 49 years of operation.

The modern VH platform that underpins all modern Aston Martins was first pioneered on the Vanquish. At the time it was not considered the VH platform, but in retrospect it was the very first version. The VH stands for Vertical /Horizontal and means the platform can be adapted for use on wider or longer cars rather than having to create a new platform for each new car.

The Aston Martin 6 Litre V12 is based around Ford’s V6 Duratec block and was tuned and optimised by Cosworth. It was initially built for the 1993 Lagonda Vignale, an Aston Martin concept car.

The Vanquish was criticised for its semi-automatic paddle shift gearbox which reviewers found slow and difficult to use. Part of the issue is that the gearshift is linked to a conventional torque converter automatic (a normal automatic gearbox) which made for slow gearchanges, not ideal for sports car use.

The V12 Vanquish is one of the most important recent Aston Martins as it was the first to be built using a modern platform. It was also the last to be hand built in Newport Pagnell, so the Vanquish is the end of an era in some ways but the start of a new exciting one at the same time.

The model name was revived in 2012 for the DBS replacement

James Bond’s Vanquish

The Vanquish featured in the James Bond film “Die Another Day”. Bond’s heavily modified car also included automatic shotguns, ejector seat and a cloaking system that made the car invisible. The car was dubbed the “Vanish”.

The Typhon would be the most advanced and (barring the Speed 12) the most extreme road going TVR ever. Essentially a road car developed from the advanced engineering that had gone into the 400R racing car.

CAD software was used to develop the bodywork which was a first for TVR (although CAD was used for engines). The engine and gearbox was a 4.2 supercharged Speed Six engine, with hydraulic actuated gearbox. The Typhon was designed as a super high performance TVR and power from the supercharged Speed Six was estimated to be around 580BHP giving the Typhon a better power to weight ratio than a Ferrari Enzo.

The Typhon (referred to here as 440R) was going to make use of items tested and developed for the Speed 12:

“The Speed 12 has been useful, though, for developing components for our more extreme cars – its diff and drive shafts have gone onto the 440R”
Peter Wheeler – extracted from EVO Magazine

The engine and gearbox were never finished and most customers withdrew their deposits. Eventually 2 Typhon body shells were fitted with standard TVR T400 spec engine and gearboxes. They found their way into the garages of collectors and remain the only Typhons on the road today. The components that did find their way onto some of the road cars included:

• Bonded carbon fibre bodywork
• Steel backbone chassis with carbon fibre reinforcement
• Extensive aerodynamically tested body
• Lightweight construction (around 1100kg)
• Sequential gearbox
• Buckethead engine (similar to the Speed 12)
• 8,000 RPM+ Rev limit

The Demise of The Typhon

The Typhon was intended to be one of the best TVR road cars ever. Incorporating knowledge and components from the Speed 12 and 400R race car would have given the Typhon proper motorsport lineage.

Sadly Peter Wheeler had decided to sell TVR in 2004, during the development of the Typhon. This put an end to the project while the deal was agreed. While the new owner did initially attempt to finalise the Typhon project, it was later developed into the 2007 Typhoon concept car, which didn’t progress beyond a concept.

The Typhon components were left around the factory and only 3 finished road cars were able to be completed.

Including the concept car, 7 cars were registered and 3 were actually sold as road cars:

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The Tuscan was introduced in 1999, powered by TVR’s own design of 6 cylinder, 4 litre engine. With plenty of power for its light weight, carbon fibre body and trademark aggressive styling, the Tuscan was naturally suited to motorsport. The competition model was known as the T400R and this particular car was the first of seven chassis produced in 2001, specifically to go racing.

TVR 400R was based around a modified Tuscan with modified mechanicals and engine. The modifications and developments made for this car were carried over to the 440R road car, better known as the Typhon.

The T400R pictured was first raced in 2001 in the British GT championship and again in 2002 and 2003 in the hands of John Hartshorne. For 2004 the car began a three year stint in the Le Mans Endurance Series, which included the infamous 24 hour race. In 2005 a seventh place in class was a great result and the car became the last ever TVR to race at the Le Mans 24 hour race. After a few races in 2006, the car was finally retired from competition.

TVR at Le Mans

Appearing at Le Mans was a great moment for TVR. Peter Wheeler wanted to race the Speed 12 there in the late nineties but the cars extreme output outlawed the car from competing. The Dewalt car was driven by a team of six drivers including: Chris Stockton, Bob Berridge, Michael Caine and Richard Stanton. The second was driven by an all female team of Fanny Duchateau, Liz Halliday and Amanda Stretton.

The Typhon Road Car

While the Dewalt TVR didn’t win at Le Mans, it competed admirably and it was the factory’s first appearance at the legendary race. It also helped develop the Typhon road car. The road car featured the familiar steel “backbone” chassis that most TVRs used, together with added aluminium and carbon fibre reinforcement. The bodywork was bonded to the chassis and included an integrated roll cage.

Sadly in 2005 Peter Wheeler sold the company before the Typhon could be properly finished. 7 Cars were produced in different specifications, including the concept car. These cars were finished at different stages with the end specification changing. It remains a very rare and sought after TVR.

However, Morgan have maintained their own, independent philosophy with the Three-Wheeler, centred around the driver having a fun, enjoyable experience. Morgan has shunned the modernisation we have come to expect from our cars which instantly sets their products apart from other companies.

There’s no sense of producing anything new or ground-breaking – this is Morgan sticking to their tried and tested formula; nostalgia. And the 3 Wheeler embraces this and a rejection of modern technology more than anything else on the road.  

The Morgan Three wheeler – A sports car for Steampunks?

In the Three Wheeler this focussed philosophy is such that basic commodities such as a roof or a door are surplus to requirements. Without the pressure of having to please the majority, the 3 Wheeler can focus on the driving experience. Morgan has only made minor changes for this 21st-century version of the Three-Wheeler. Despite being launched in 2012 you won’t find touchscreens or run flat tyres here.

 “A symbol of individuality in an era of mass-production”

The cockpit is an extremely important element of the Three-Wheeler and is central, physically and metaphorically, to Morgan’s design of the car. Its layout is similar to the original car’s design, first released in the 1920s. According to Alan Ball, an iconic World War One pilot and owner of an original Three-Wheeler model nearly 90 years ago, the car provides the closest experience to flying a plane without actually leaving the ground. These references to fighter pilots and planes add to Morgan’s tradition and appeal to car, war and plane connoisseurs.

“The closest experience to flying without leaving the ground”

Alan Ball RAF WW1 Pilot & Morgan owner

But it’s not just in the cockpit where history has been re-invented. References to yester-year run throughout the style and engineering of this car. This is at the heart of Morgan’s philosophy and the historic ideals are what makes the Three-Wheeler such a wonderfully unique and captivating sports car. 

The style of the car is certainly more than a nod to its 1920s predecessor, fusing steam-punk and spitfire. This, along with the blistering noise from the engine, will attract plenty of attention from passers-by. 

That’s not the end of the attention grabbing nature of the 3 Wheeler either. Anyone bold enough to drive a 3 Wheeler on a cold day will need protection from the elements so a bomber jacket and flying goggles are recommended. This is a car that requires owners to channel their inner fighter-pilot or steam-punk!  

Updated technology

The technology of the 3 Wheeler is where the modern elements begin to creep in. Indeed, Morgan wanted the Three-Wheeler to “reimagine the technology that underpins it, updating the model to be relevant for the 21st Century”. The engineering of the car certainly achieves this. The exposed twin cylinder engine is proudly displayed on the front of the car and is flanked by two large headlights. A Mazda gearbox concludes the modernisation plan. Essentially the 3 Wheeler has been made faster, more efficient and gains nothing that distracts from the driving experience.

“The technology and design of the Morgan Three-Wheeler combine to create something wonderfully unique. It really is, by any modern standards, an outrageous car”

Editor – Great British Sports Cars

Driving the 3 Wheeler

What about the all-important driving experience then? This aspect was critical for Morgan to get right. In a nod to the Three-Wheeler’s past, the company claim the new model provides, “unique and celebrated driving experience that made the original an icon”.

You certainly would be hard pushed to find a more unique driving experience… When approaching any speed limit in the Three-Wheeler, whether it’s 20mph in a residential zone, or a motorway at 70mph, the exposed, low slung seat makes it feel far quicker. It is now possible to see where the comparisons between the Three-Wheeler and fighter jet pilots originate from. For instance, reaching 0-60 mph in less than six seconds from a standing start feels ludicrous. Even the relatively low top speed of 115mph must feel crazy (no I didn’t try).

Heightened senses

Morgan designed the 3 Wheeler around heightening the driver’s senses. The driver is surrounded with the smells, sights and touch of the car – a building of all senses from inside the car. Exposure to every single element is also standard and with just two tiny windscreens, there’s barely enough to protect you from any rain or debris.

Roaring twin cylinders at the front of the car help with the all-encompassing experience and the “bomb release” starter button ignites a deafening sound from your perch inside the cockpit. As soon as the engine starts, it causes a constant vibration and rattles the car inside and out. Firstly, such an experience adds to the building of the senses from within and out of the car. But it also provides that traditional feel. The rattling, the shaking, the smell of the engine; Morgan wanted the Three-Wheeler to feel like it’s from the 20s, despite being in the 21st century.

Such a design places the driver at the focal point of the engine’s power and pays homage to the odd, but intriguing, style of the Three-Wheeler, which is somewhere between a car and a motorbike.

Although exposed and rattling along with the car’s engine, the cockpit doesn’t compromise the comfortable seating and sleek interior of the car. There’s plenty of space inside the Three-Wheeler and more than enough room for driver and passenger with two spacious seats in the cockpit. However, the upper half of your body will protrude from the cockpit and above the upper parts of the body.

Even the name of the car “The Three-Wheeler” has no element of flash and pomp. It simply says what it is – a car with three wheels.  There’s no attempt to be anything else from Morgan. In fact, the car is so simple, there is no need for doors, windows, radios, heating or any modern additions. Such commodities have drawn other manufacturers towards minuscule margins to improve driver experience. 

“a rebellion against sanitised, modern motoring”

Morgan on the 3 Wheeler

The driver experiences all they need to from the car itself and the elements it passes through. In this respect, the company achieved its goal of simply updating the technology of the car, without compromising the original, historic elements of the Three-Wheeler.

The Morgan Three-Wheeler is purely a fun, adventurous car which is incredibly unique. In the Morgan Motor Company’s words, it “is a rebellion against sanitised, modern motoring”. The 3 Wheeler could hardly have done anything more to live up to this.

You don’t have to be completing any particular journey to enjoy what the core of the Three-Wheeler really is; a roaring, three-wheeled car with some motorbike elements sewn in between for maximum effect. No glitz, no music, just three wheels, two blistering cylinders and a driver. It’s a timeless, unique and brilliant little car.