Update 6/24/11 – This Morgan sold very well with a winning bid of $51,100. In 7 years this car almost doubled in value. The seller did very well on this 3-wheeler.

Morgan Motor Company conceived the idea of building a three wheeled vehicle in 1910. These three wheeled “cyclecars” were classified as motorcycles and were therefore exempt from the tax applied to cars in Britain. Morgan’s three wheelers evolved from V-twin single seater to a Ford powered two seaters by the early ’30s. This beautiful ’47 F Super Three Wheeler is an amazing example of a later Morgan cyclecar and is one of only 55 built after WWII. This cyclecar was supposedly found in a barn in Nottingham England, until it was sent to Coventry for a complete restoration. It then traveled to Germany in 2000 and then ended up in Missouri a few years later. This Morgan is currently in Santa Barbara, CA and is listed for auction on eBay.

Morgan Three Wheelers were often campaigned in racing and had considerable success. The design of these vehicles were very simple and followed the formula of being light weight and reliable to win. The Ford Sidevalve engine found in this three wheeler, could also be found in Ford’s model Y and even early Lotuses.

The cockpit in these vehicle are extremely tight, which is why the bottom third of the steering wheel was cut out. This car has been finished extremely well inside and out. The sheer simplicity of the dash is highly attractive and definitely adds to the character of this car.

You can see the simplicity of the Ford engine and Morgan’s drivetrain. The engine compartment is small, yet easily accessible, making servicing a simple task. Finding Ford parts would be an easy task, but finding Morgan components might be a different story

The Morgan Three Wheelers from this era were some of the most attractive cyclecars. This car would make a wonderful show car or vintage hill climber. There is a strong enthusiast following for these cars and looking at this one you can see why. A similar Morgan recently went for 29k Euros or about $42k. This car was sold once before on eBay in 2004 and went for $20,000, so we will see whether it has appreciated or depreciated in the last seven years.