Morgan returns to its roots – with support from the Niche Vehicle Network
The Morgan Motor Company launched the Morgan 3 Wheeler on 1st March 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show 2011. The product is a modern ‘take’ on what is probably the most iconic Morgan of all time, although the new vehicle embraces modern manufacturing technology with collaborative partnerships and is the most environmentally-friendly product in the Morgan line-up at 50mpg, range 400 miles and a top speed of 115mph.
From its initial concept, the project to design and develop the vehicle has been supported by the Niche Vehicle Network, and as a result it will be manufactured almost entirely in the West Midlands region, with suppliers sourced from the network members. Our May 2010 supplier event at Morgan, when the project was at its initial feasibility stage, attended by 26 specialist automotive companies from the West Midlands region, who convinced Morgan that they could add value to the processes of design, development and manufacturing.
As a result, 12 of these companies have become partners or suppliers to the project, which will be a great benefit to the region in terms of jobs throughout the supply chain and also at Morgan. Niche vehicle design and manufacturing are real strengths in the region and our focus is to promote collaborative working to produce competitive and innovative new products.
Steve Morris, Manufacturing Operations Director at Morgan, commented ‘Without the support of the Niche Vehicle Network, the project would not have gone ahead at this time. Ironically, the need to invest in developing new products is crucial during economic downturn, so that they are market-ready as the economy recovers. The grant funding and support we have received has been vital in exploiting this opportunity, not just for Morgan but also for the specialist supply chain in the region.’
Development of the vehicle is expected to be completed in 2011 , subscribe to our RSS feed to get the latest news 
On the 5th March 2011, The Daily Mail said of the project results
“The new version is powered by a 1.9 litre engine which allows it to accelerate from rest to 60mph in 4.5 seconds.
Yet it still manages a frugal 50 miles to the gallon and has a range of 400 miles on just one tank of petrol.
At £30,000, it is hardly a budget drive. But already more than 300 enthusiasts have put down £7,000 deposits.