Morgan threewheeler
| Morgan threewheeler | |
|---|---|
| Production period: | 1910–1952, since 2012 |
| Class : | Sports car |
| Body versions : | Roadster |
The Morgan three-wheeler is a British roadster with two front wheels, only one rear wheel and a two-cylinder front engine. Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan (* 1881 in Stoke Lacy Rectory, Hereford , † 1959) constructed the prototype in 1908/09 and presented his first model, the single-seat "Morgan Runabout", in 1910 at the London bicycle and motorcycle exhibition Public before. While there was no plan for mass production, the interest in the little car was so great that Morgan invested in new buildings and machinery and produced it. It was built until 1952 with only minor changes.
At the Geneva Motor Show 2011, Morgan Motor presented a modern new edition that has been on the market since 2012. This 3-wheeler has a 5-speed manual gearbox from Mazda , instead of the initial two-speed gearbox without reverse gear and the later three-speed gearbox.
In the spring of 2016, a variant with an electric drive was presented, the first edition of which came onto the market in July of the same year.
Morgan Threewheeler (1910–1952)
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The Morgan Three Wheeler were mostly open, two-seat tricycle - motor vehicles with a steel body with no doors.
Frame and chassis
The frame consisted of a central tube and two additional longitudinal members to which the body was bolted. According to a Morgan patent, the front wheels were individually suspended on straight guides with coil springs. Guide bushes with the steering knuckles ran on vertical round guide pillars. The sockets on the pillars could be rotated for steering. They supported themselves on coil springs. A similar construction was used by Lancia after the First World War. At the rear there was a two-arm longitudinal swing arm with quarter elliptical springs . In spite of their narrow shape, the wheels are guided vertically like in a car chassis; the car leans slightly outwards in curves. The vehicle was a little more than three meters long and about 1.50 meters wide.
engine and gears
The three-wheeler was delivered with motors from different manufacturers. Morgan himself used a Peugeot engine for his prototype. Engines from JAP , Blumfield and Precision were widely used up until World War I, and then from MAG, JAP, Anzani and Blackburne . Few vehicles were built after World War II, including a larger number, mainly for export, with Matchless engines . It was basically a long-stroke, either air- or water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke V-engine with a central camshaft , which was installed in most vehicles without a front panel and was therefore in the airstream. The radiator was placed behind the engine. In 1935 Morgan launched the F4 and F-Super. These vehicles had a closed engine compartment with a radiator in the front and a side-controlled four-cylinder in-line Ford engine behind. The same engines were also installed in the Ford Model Y (8 HP) and the Ford Ten (10 HP) . For this conversion, the wheelbase was extended to approximately 2514 mm (8 feet and 3 inches ). A drive shaft running in the central tube transmitted the power from the engine to the gearbox installed in front of the rear wheel.
Until 1931 the three-wheeler had a two-speed gearbox without reverse gear with a separate drive chain for each of the two gears and two claw clutches for shifting. From 1932 the vehicles had three-speed transmissions and only one drive chain. It was shifted with a lever in the middle of the vehicle. In the beginning there were two outer band brakes on the rear wheel, from 1923 cable-operated brakes were also available on the front wheels. Later all three wheels were given inner-shoe drum brakes , with the foot brake acting on the rear wheel with a cable, the handbrake on the front wheels, also with a cable.
Performance
Due to the low curb weight of around 410 kg to 460 kg, depending on the model and year of construction, the three-wheelers were fast and achieved a maximum speed of around 130 km / h with an engine output of around 40 hp (29 kW) as standard. In addition to the open sports two-seater, Morgan built the three-wheeler as a convertible with a folding top and bonnet, as a delivery van and as a four-seater - initially with additional seats for children - and from 1935 with a modified chassis, Ford four-cylinder engine and doors. From 1932 the sports models were available with either one or two doors, which, however, impaired the torsional strength of the vehicles.
Market success
A 1935 three-wheeler with a water-cooled two-cylinder engine and two seats cost £ 105. However, a four-seater Austin Seven in the basic configuration cost only £ 7 more. Nevertheless, it was considered a great advantage that the three-wheelers could be driven with a motorcycle license and were taxed like a motorcycle. Only £ 4 road tax, the UK road tax, was payable for one year in 1935.
As early as 1945, Morgan resumed production of the three-wheelers and four-wheeled vehicles. But a large sales could not be achieved. In the seven years until production was discontinued, for example, 632 vehicles of the F4 and F-Super were assembled. The end came with the Morgan Plus 4 from 1950. The increasing demand for this type led to the fact that the production of the three-wheeler was stopped in 1952 in order to be able to increase the number of units of the Plus 4.
3-wheeler (since 2012)
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Externally, the new edition of the 3-wheeler from 2012 is similar to the original. The front is installed a two-cylinder V-engine with two liters and driven by toothed belt overhead camshafts, the exhaust system again as side pipes is performed. The manufacturer is S&S in Wisconsin, the supplier to Harley-Davidson . The front wheels are no longer attached to the straight-path suspension patented for Morgan, but rather to double triangular wishbones. The body, made of aluminum instead of sheet steel, is still spartan: no windshield, no doors, no fixed roof, but with two roll bars to protect the occupants. As always, the new Threeweeler is built by hand.
At the Geneva Motor Show 2016, Morgan presented an electric version of the new 3-wheeler. In July 2016, the manufacturer finally brought the first edition of the 46 kW (63 PS) 3-wheeler EV3 onto the market. This version, named UK 1909 Edition , was created in collaboration with the traditional British department store Selfridges and is limited to 19 copies. In addition to the vehicle, the overall package includes driver's boots, gloves, jacket, scarf and rain protection. To receive a copy, the customer must be UK resident and contact Selfridges in person.
- Technical specifications
| 3-wheeler | EV3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction period | since 2012 | since 2016 |
| Engine characteristics | ||
| Engine type | Two-cylinder V-engine |
Electric motor |
| Displacement | 1983 cc | - |
| Max. Power at min −1 | 61 kW (83 PS) at 5250 rpm |
46 kW (63 hp) |
| Max. Torque in min -1 | 140 Nm at 3250 rpm |
|
| Power transmission | ||
| drive | Rear wheel drive | |
| Gearbox, as standard | 5-speed manual transmission |
|
| measurements and weight | ||
| Length × width × height | 3225 × 1720 × 1000 mm | |
| Empty weight | approx. 525 kg | |
| Readings | ||
| Top speed | 185 km / h | 145+ km / h |
| Acceleration, 0-100 km / h | 6.0 s | 9.0 s |
| Fuel consumption over 100 km (combined) |
9.3 l super | - |
| CO 2 emissions (combined) |
215 g / km | - |
| Tank content / battery capacity | 42 l | 20 kWh |
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Hermann Ries: Comparison of FMR Tiger (built in 1960) against Morgan Super Sports (built in 1932). In: Motor Klassik, issue 12/1988, p. 101 u. 106.
- ↑ Sporty electric tricycle . Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ↑ The new edition of a veteran. March 1, 2011, accessed May 5, 2016 .
- ↑ a b The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895–1975 , David Culshaw and Peter Horrobin, Veloce Publishing Ltd., Dorchester England 2006, ISBN 1-874105-93-6 , p. 220.
- ↑ a b A to Z British Cars 1945-1980 , Graham Robson, Herridge & Sons Ltd, Devon England 2006, ISBN 0-9541063-9-3 , pp. 316 and 317.
- ↑ a b c Encyclopedia of the Automobile . Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1995, ISBN 3-89350-534-2 , pp. 282-285.
- ↑ http://morgan3w.de/index_de.htm
- ^ Morgan website . Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ A b c British Cars of the Late Thirties 1935-1939 , Bart H. Vanderveen, Haynes Publishing Group, Somerset England 1986, ISBN 0-85429-561-5 , pp. 5 and 17.
- ↑ Autorevue. Three-wheeler test . Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- ↑ Sporty electric tricycle . Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ↑ Morgan launches EV3 . Retrieved August 11, 2016.
Web links
- Official Morgan Threewheeler website . morgan-motor.co.uk. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- Detailed website with all models, lots of pictures and details