The Morrison Midge Is a Mysterious and Extremely Rare Micro EV From the 1960s

Well, I'm pretty sure someone built a three-wheeled EV somewhere long before gas-powered automobiles were a thing, but I'm here to talk about a mysterious vehicle you probably never heard of. Meet the Morrison Midge Runabout, a three-wheeled microcar built in the 1960s.

It's quite rare too and it's so obscure that I didn't know about it until one popped up for sale on eBay.

Haven't heard of Morrison? Don't worry, many people outside the United Kingdom haven't. Because while the company's origins can be traced back to the 1890s, it's mostly unknown outside Great Britain. And it's not exactly famous over there either.

It started out as a small engineering company and it built its first electric vehicle in 1933. It went through various ownership changes over the years, being purchased by Austin in 1948 and becoming part of the British Motor Corporation in 1952.

When the latter merged with Leyland Motors in 1969, Morisson-Electricar became part of British Leyland. Morrison-Electricar was shut down in 1983 after 10 years under Hawker Siddeley's ownership.

The company is mostly known for milk floats, small truck-like vehicles specifically designed for the delivery of fresh milk. These vehicles were quite popular in the U.K., where they were operated by local dairies. But for short time, Morrisson also built a three-wheeler electric microcar.

Called the Midge Runabout, it was introduced at the 1966 Commercial Motor Show at Earl's Court in London and looked more like a bumper car than a proper vehicle.

That's because it wasn't a fully-fledged automobile, but more like means of transportation on private land. I didn't require a driving license or a tax disc, so it wasn't suitable for public roads.

In the only print ad I found on the Interwebz, the company described it as an "economical and silent transport for use in offices, factories, and private grounds." It probably seemed like a wonderful idea at the time, but based on how little information we can find on it today, the Midge didn't catch on.

What kind of battery and motor did it use? Well, there's absolutely no info on this vehicle to run by, but it's safe to assume it was anything but quick. It probably didn't have great mileage either since it was a three-wheeled scooter.

And if we are to believe eBay seller "amazingbuys2," the 1966 Midge is rarer than hen's teeth because it "might be one of only two known" to exist. One was reportedly sold at the 2008 Bubble Museum auction, while the second one is looking for a new owner in Niles, Ohio.

Yup, it's pretty strange that it made it across the Atlantic to the United States.

The three-wheeled EV is in pretty good shape given its age, especially since it sat for 30 years in the corner of a repair shop. It does have a bit of rust in the metal frame and the white paint covering the fiberglass body is cracked, but it's nothing that can't be fixed.

On the flip side, it doesn't have a battery or a key, so it will also need electrical work done to run again. The rear wheels are locked up and the brakes don't work.

The gauge in the motor compartment shows only 117 hours of operation but the seller doesn't know if the number is accurate or not.

All told, it's an intriguing microcar from a time when electric vehicles were barely a thing. It's not the kind of vehicle collectors would rush to buy but it's worth saving and perhaps it will find its way into a vintage bubble car collection, next to a Peel P50 and a Messerschmitt KR200. The auction is coming to end on December 16, 2022, and bidding is at only $3,000 as of this writing.