Detour #161: Three-wheelin' through the Malvern Hills in a Morgan Super 3
Can there be a better way to spend a summer’s day than driving a roadster through rural England?
And not any old roadster, mind, but the all-new Morgan Super 3, a car so fresh from the factory that the words “Prototype Vehicle” are emblazoned on the dashboard. Actually, “car” isn’t an accurate description as the Super 3 is one wheel short of most automotive expectations. It’s a tricycle, which in the UK means you can drive it on a motorcycle license.
More than 110 years ago when HFS Morgan built his first vehicle that was rather more relevant than today. Back then the lower costs of buying and running a three-wheeler were key selling points. Now it’s the sheer novelty that is set to make the Super 3 Morgan’s best-seller, with more than 500 orders in the book before a single customer had even seen it in the metal.
Its layout may be as old as the company itself but the Super 3 is the most advanced Morgan ever made. It’s almost all aluminium, with the tub glued and riveted together and the body panels fixed on top. There’s no ash frame, no hand-beaten metal, although the Super 3 is still assembled manually and you won’t find a robot or motorised production line anywhere in the Morgan factory. Unlike previous generations of three-wheeler the Super 3 is powered by an inline three-cylinder engine, mated to a Mazda MX-5 five speed gearbox and driving the single rear wheel via a huge toothed rubber belt. All of that is hidden beneath beautiful boat-tail bodywork with distinctly steampunk vibe. It’s sleekly modern and shamelessly retro at the same time, and the combination works brilliantly.
Hopping over the high sill (there are no doors) I lower myself into the snug cockpit. It’s wider than the last model, but you’ll still need to be on close terms with your passenger. The seat doesn’t move but the pedal box does, bringing the drilled aluminium clutch, brake and accelerator to an easy reach. It’s sparse, but modern inside with two large digital gauges for speed and revs and a few toggle switches. Everything is fully waterproof because there’s no weather protection available other than a range of rather smart Morgan x Malle London driving gear.
I’ve plotted a circular route that takes in some Morgan and Malvern history along with, hopefully, some entertaining twists and snap-worthy vistas. It’s all been plugged into the Beeline app, just installed on my phone, which sends simple directions to a small detachable display just behind the large steering wheel.
Wiggling my way out of Malvern, the first waypoint is set for the Wyche Cutting. The climb is steep and narrow, with some very tight turns which immediately reveal the Super 3’s rather large turning circle. For decades Morgan would use this rather challenging road to test its cars and I can understand why. After the initial steep ascent the B4218 Wyche Road is a cracker. It’s seldom straight with bend blending into bend, some substantially sharper than others and requiring a mighty shove on the brakes. It’s a bit of a baptism of fire, and I have to rapidly adapt to the Super 3’s quirks. The confines of the cabin mean that to avoid banging your right arm on the side of the car you quickly learn that it’s elbow in for right-handers and elbow out for lefts. Positioning the Super3 on the road should be easy because the massive front wheels are clearly visible, but I find that the aeroscreen is just at the wrong height for me, so that I can’t quite look over it and can’t quite look through it. Sticking my head out into the airstream to look around it seems to work best.
The gearbox is delight and the performance is all you could really need. On paper the seven-second 0-62mph doesn’t sound that rapid, but because you’re so exposed it feels faster than it is. Should you find yourself on a suitable track the top speed is 130 mph, but on a British B-road without a crash helmet, the national speed limit feels like plenty. Besides, if I went any faster I’d miss out on the occasional glimpse across the Malvern Hills – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
As it happens I manage to mis-read the Beeline and take an inadvertent Detour into Little Malvern, but this does provide a welcome opportunity for cold pint of lime and soda and a sandwich at the Colwall Park Hotel, where, oddly, they also do a nice line in ice cream for dogs. Back on track, the A449 takes me past the British Camp hill fort, an iron age fortress whose exposed earthworks are tiered rather like a wedding cake.
Skirting Ledbury I pick up the B4214 which takes me to Stoke Lacy, historical home of the Morgan family. Although HFS Morgan’s house is privately owned, the church of St Peter and St Paul welcomes followers of the British brand to visit the family burial plot or check out the stained glass windows, one dedicated to the Morgans and another to two Americans who fell in love with the firm and its cars.
I resist the temptation of the Wye Vally Brewery as I head north on the A465 and then east on the A44 to seek out another Malvern legend – Sir Edward Elgar. His birthplace, The Firs, is now owned by the National Trust and a pit stop to explore this pretty cottage and its well-kept gardens and learn about the man behind the Enigma Variations is recommended.
I should point out that it’s the hottest day of 2022 so far, and being fully exposed to the sun and the wind has left me rather red-faced and completely parched, so it’s with some relief that I complete the final few miles to reach the factory again for a very welcome cool down drink in the café.
It’s been little more than a taster both of the area and the Super 3 itself – a machine that Morgan fully expects owners to take on road trips all over the world. That’s why it’s equipped with clever carry racks and a dedicated range of luggage. We’re looking forward to travelling further afield in the future…
Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Barry Hayden