Morgan’s new three-wheeler: first drive

This is the Morgan three-wheeler. Unlike the Robin Reliant that Jeremy drove on TV it doesn't fall over in corners. This, you have to agree, is a good thing. In fact the whole Morgan experience is a good thing. Want to know what motoring was like 50 years ago? Drive one of these. Want to feel the wind in your hair, the sound of a Harley V-twin without riding a motorbike or attract ridiculous amounts of attention? Again, drive one of these.

This Morgan ain't like anything else. Yes, other ways of getting wet in a summer shower are available (Ariel Atom, Caterham Seven etc), but all are track focused. This isn't. Those skinny front tyres (with period tread patterns) don't have much grip, and the engine doesn't yowl or scream. It pops and chunters. It drives the solo rear wheel via a five-speed manual gearbox nabbed from a Mazda MX-5, which means it's perfectly easy to drive. But not quite so easy to stop in a hurry due to the unassisted, non-ABS brakes.

With each cylinder sporting a one-litre capacity, torque is the main attraction. Stick it in third at 2,000rpm and (accompanied by a delightful plub-plub-plub noise) the 490kg three-wheeler lugs off into the distance. The game's up by about 5,000rpm, but Morgan reckons it's capable of 0-60mph in 4.5secs. I'm not convinced it's that fast, but I am convinced that it's as quick as it needs to be. It feels plenty rapid enough for something that looks and feels this spindly.

There's more room for two inside than you might imagine, although each of you will have to leave an elbow outdoors. There is some luggage space, too, under the rear deck. The instrument cluster successfully apes a classic aircraft, the toggle switches are wonderful, you're held in place by the narrowness of the seats, and you don't get as buffeted as you might expect.

So what else do you need to know that you can't tell by looking at it? Well, the main one is this. You know how satisfying it is when you straddle a pothole in a normal car and congratulate yourself on saving your suspension? Successfully steer the front wheels over a rough patch and you're greeted by an almighty clonk and bounce from the back. Sounds obvious, but you try getting used to it. Three wheels messes with your brain. And your heart.