Morgan 3 Wheeler comes to Australia – as a car…

MORGAN’S three-wheeled sports trike – or M3W as it's also known – has finally been approved for sale in Australia, almost four years after its release in the United Kingdom.

Local design rules meant that the Morgan M3W has had to undergo a raft of changes before it could be approved for use in all states. Even now, questions remain about the fitment of electronic stability control, now a federal requirement for all new cars sold in Australia.

These changes have had a marked effect on the Morgan’s projected retail price.

Thanks to a combination of a five percent tariff on car imported from the UK and the Luxury Car Tax, the Morgan 3 Wheeler is listed at $90,000 plus on-road costs.

The M3W is powered by a 2.0-litre V-twin engine from American motorbike engine company S&S. A Mazda five-speed gearbox sends 61kW at 5250rpm and 140Nm at 3250rpm to the back wheel of the 525kg two-seater.

Morgan quotes a 0-100km/h time of six seconds for the M3W, and a combined fuel economy figure of 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

Built around a 23-piece ash timber frame, the M3W’s bodywork is hand-crafted from aluminium. Its Spartan interior is leather-lined, while ADRs required the fitment of a padded steering wheel and collapsible steering column.

The front wire-spoke wheels are 19 x 4-inches in diameter, and the single rear wheel is 15 inches.

Other changes to the Australian-only version of the 3 Wheeler include higher roll hoops, dashboard padding, a central rear-view mirror and larger side mirrors, side-mounted repeaters and reflectors, a third stop light and reversing light, a seatbelt warning light and buzzer and a brake failure warning light.

The engine’s induction system has also been extensively reworked to meet noise regulations. Thanks to the addition of a larger air cleaner under the bonnet, the induction pipes are now much more visible at the front of the car. Wind deflectors also replace the original windscreen.

While the Morgan doesn’t come with ESC, it is able to be sold here on the premise that as a three-wheeled motor tricycle with a single foot-operated pedal activating brakes on all wheels, ESC is not a requirement until November this year.