Morgan Three-wheeler Ultimate Portfolio 1909-1952

HFS Morgan was running a garage in Malvern Link with his early business partner Leslie Bacon when he decided to design and build a single seater three-wheeler in 1909 just for his own interest. It had many special features, including all independent suspension, the front two wheels using his own design of sliding axles, this system still being in use by the Company today.

When the prototype was registered CJ743 in June 1910 it weighed just 3 cwt. ensuring an excellent power to weight ratio, a feature of all Morgan products ever since. In 1912 the Morgan Motor Company was founded to manufacture three-wheelers, which by now were available as two-seaters. At this time the motor car was only for the rich, but those who disliked the motorcycle could buy a cyclecar, a cheap three or four-wheeled vehicle powered by a motorcycle type engine. Many of these were crude with dubious engineering, and HFS Morgan, supported by his wife Ruth, took part in all the forms of competition open to them to show that the Morgan three-wheeler was better than the opposition. This association with motor sport has continued throughout the Morgan Company’s existence.