What is it?

The long awaited debut of Morgan's first three wheeler since the 1950s - and by our reckoning the first non-motorbike to use an air-cooled engine since the original VW Beetle was finally euthanized. With a front-mounted V-Twin engine driving the single rear wheel, 115bhp and an unladen weight of under 500kg, the numbers are certainly interesting enough. Just don't call it a car. Legally the 3 Wheeler is a tricycle, meaning that it doesn't have to pass the same homologation tests as a four-wheeler. 

Technical highlights

Where to start? The shiny V-Twin engine is made by US company S&S and, despite looking (and sounding) similar to what you'd expect to find in a Harley Davidson, it's unique to Morgan. Effort is supplied to a five-speed manual 'box from a Mazda MX-5 and then sent to the single rear wheel via a drive belt - there's no need for a differential. 

The body uses a steel chassis with aluminium panels over Morgan's traditional part-wooden frame. The cockpit has room to squeeze in two occupants, but there's no roof or provision for one - weather protection is limited to that provided by the tiny aero screens. There's no heater, either - so this definitely isn't a vehicle for the British winter. Braking is handled by front discs and a single rear drum. There's no servo, no ABS - and no traction control.

What's it like to drive?

The 3 Wheeler is making its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and we grabbed our first drive on the local roads. The V-Twin engine dominates the driving experience, with its off-beat note and slightly unbalanced feeling - the two cylinders share a single crank pin. Unlike most bike-engined specials it doesn't like to rev - the red line is just 6000rpm - and each cylinder displaces nearly a litre.  

It's quick, too - surprisingly so. Despite its vintage looks the 3 Wheeler will light up its rear tyre from only a moderately aggressive launch - and even with a hefty driver onboard its power-to-weight ratio is pretty much what you'd get from a Porsche 911. And with effectively no protection from the slipstream 70mph feels like about 120mph.

Steering is direct and light, despite the lack of assistance, and there's plenty of feedback. The most surprising thing is just how much lateral grip the narrow front tyres and single rear can generate - it does slide, but at higher speeds than you'd expect it to, certainly on dry tarmac. And it's hardly the sort of car you're going to take out for a spin in the rain.

Dynamically, our real complaint is with the unservoed brakes. There's not much pedal feel and getting on the stoppers is made more challenging by the very narrow footwell.

How does it compare?

It doesn't - it's completely and utterly unique. At £30,000 for the most basic version, the 3 Wheeler looks relatively pricey when assessed with rational criteria, but you couldn't turn more heads for ten times the outlay. Morgan has already taken 480 orders. 

Anything else I need to know?

Morgan reckons it should be possible to get another 40bhp out of the fat, torquey engine very easily, so quicker versions are certain to follow.