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Jay Leno Jumps Into the Morgan 3 Wheeler, Recalls Driving One Into a Ditch

The last time Jay Leno posted a new episode of his car showcase series, he drove his Pontiac Firebird WS6. Having parked the Firebird back in the muscle car room, Leno now takes a stroll in the rather unusual Morgan 3 Wheeler.
Morgan 3 Wheeler 1 photo
Photo: Jay Leno's Garage/YouTube
The modern 3 Wheeler was introduced in 2012, but the design was actually 100 years old at the time. Morgan produced its first three-wheeled car back in 1911. It looked even more spartan and featured a twin-cylinder Peugeot engine good for just seven horsepower.

A second-generation three-wheeler was produced from 1932 and 1952 as the F-Series, a car that looks more similar to the 3 Wheeler we know today. The three-wheel design was just a trick for Morgan to offer a vehicle that would be exempt from taxes, as anything with fewer than four wheels wasn't considered a car back in the day.

Jay Leno is a big fan of the 3 Wheeler, a car he drove for the very first time when it was introduced almost ten years ago. He actually recalls driving it into a ditch and needing help to get it out and drive back to the Morgan factory. And Leno owns not one, but two 3 Wheelers.

As usual, Leno gives us a detail walkaround of the vehicle and talks about the engine and all the important features. He then takes it for a spin, tells a few stories about his time behind the wheel, but also talks enthusiastically about how the 3 Wheeler is fun to drive and quicker and stable than it seems. The second part of the video will make you want to drive one as well.

Sadly, 2021 is the final year for the current 3 Wheeler. The tiny two-seater is too old to pass new emission requirements, so Morgan is sending it into the history books after almost ten years. There is good news, though. A new-generation model, codenamed the P101, is in the works and will probably arrive sometime in 2022. Morgan also offered an electric version, the EV3, from 2016 to 2018, so a battery-powered variant of the P101 should also be on the drawing table.

In related news, Morgan just stumbled upon a few old Plus 8 chassis and announced a hardcore, limited-edition GTR version of the old V8-powered model.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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