1950 Morgan F Super – Classified of the Week

In 2012, Morgan gave us the mighty Three Wheeler. It was and still is an odd contraption. There’s an S&S V-Twin engine up front, which in turn is mounted to a Mazda MX-5 five-speed manual transmission which drives the rear wheel via a belt system. It seats two, it can carry but a garnish of luggage, it’s cramped, it’s noisy, it handles like nothing else and it turns heads no matter where it goes. And it is, because of all this, brilliant. It is pure, unabashed fun. And we love that. 

The thing about the 2012 Three Wheeler, however, is that it wasn’t a new thing. Far from it in fact. Morgan has been making three-wheeled vehicles from the day it opened up. Look at some of Morgan’s past three-wheeled machines and you can see the clear inspiration behind the modern version. The V Twin, the small cockpit, the plane-like body. Morgan gave us the 2012 version because three-wheelers are what Morgan does. And it’s what they did for a long time. From the 1900s through to the 1950s. It’s that latter era we’re looking at here. Namely a Morgan F Super. 

This was the final three-wheel model to be released by Morgan until the 2012 relaunch. However, the F has very little in common with the three-wheelers before it, and more in common with the cars. You see, when the F series three-wheeler was launched in 1932 Morgan was also in the throes of developing a four-wheeled car, namely the 4/4. While it wasn’t launched until 1936, it’s still easy to see how the F Series three-wheeler more closely resembles the car. The engine is inboard, not out on the nose. The controls are traditional (no throttle control on the steering wheel) and the face of the F Series, with its big, chrome grille was almost identical to the car that would follow. In fact, some would argue that the 4/4 is just an F but with a conventional rear axle. 

The car here is a 1950 model, making it one of the last. It’s also one of the rarest, what with it being a Super. This was the performance ‘GTi’ version, complete with Ford 1,172 four-cylinder engine packing a dizzying 10hp! Though to be fair, in a car so light, it’s ample. 

This particular Morgan F Super is one of three known to still exist from 1950. It has led an interesting life, including time in Jersey, it was restored in the 1980s after which it was rallied. In 2001, the engine was rebuilt and is still going strong today. It carries with it a level of charm and honest patina, what with being an older restoration. And as such, it’s an approachable classic that encourages you to use it. And you should, because there isn’t a driving experience like it!