Mike's old Morgan-JAP sportscar from 1931.
Mike, formerly of this Isle but now living in Australia, got in touch and sent in this interesting old photograph. He's owned a few Morgans over the years, so is obviously a fan of Malvern's finest export. The Morgan shown was built around 1930/31, and has a JAP V twin engine for propulsion. Due to their light weight these Morgans have a very respectable turn of speed, and are popular today in VSCC sprints and circuit meetings. The Morgan, which was registered OV 3049, was sold in 1966 for £150 ...
Happily a quick look online at the DVLA site shows that this car, actually registered as a 1931 example, is still on the road, and still sporting this distinctive number plate (is it me or do re-issued numbers on old cars look terrible? better than a Q plate obviously, but...). The 3 wheel Morgans were designed and built to mainly appeal to motorcyclists who were looking for an affordable alternative to their motorcycle. Being a trike had its advantages, notably that they fell into the same tax bracket as a motorcyclist, so offered some of the comforts of a 'normal' car (albeit little in the way of weatherproofing!) but at a reduced rate. Their lively performance meant that the motorcyclist needn't lose all of the excitement of the open road, something that switching to an Austin 7 might have imposed upon them, at least in standard fettle.
An earlier Morgan, possibly a Grand Prix model dating to the mid 1920s, is also featured in this rare photographs section.
Return to Old Vehicle Photos Page 6.
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