This is our first look at Morgan's new three-cylinder 3 Wheeler

Hold onto your goggles: it’s the new Morgan 3 Wheeler. The Malvern company has already confirmed its hollowed-out cigar on wheels was coming back, and this is our first glimpse of it ‘heavily disguised’ in testing. You’re fooling no one, Morgan.

Aficionados to the tri-rimmed Mog will have spotted this one is missing quite a key feature. See, the Morgan 3 Wheeler has run an outboard two-cylinder engine on its snout since the 1900s. But for its next generation, the engine has moved within the bodywork. Crikey.

It’s also gained a cylinder. A three-cylinder naturally aspirated unit comes from Ford (rather than BMW, like the rest of Morgan’s current range) and is essentially the 1.5-litre 3cyl unit from the Fiesta ST, just with the turbo lopped off. There’s no word on power yet, but we’d expect a climb over the outgoing 3 Wheeler’s 82bhp. It’ll continued to be piped through the single rear wheel via a manual gearbox.

“Whilst a name is not confirmed for the new three-wheeled model,” says Morgan, “it will be defined by an all-new design, adventurous character, and significant engineering advancements.

“In particular, the vehicle will take inspiration from the many owners of the outgoing model that have embraced adventure travel and touring, and whose incredible journeys have reached all corners of the globe.”

Spun from Morgan’s latest chassis tech, there’ll likely be more room inside for the longer-legged or broader-hipped, while your three-wheeled-Morgan-of-unconfirmed-name ought to be less of a Buckaroo when you start loading it up with luggage for an implausibly big trip.

And the styling? Well, you’d assume ‘three wheels, round headlamps’ limits the design landscape somewhat, but Morgan insists this’ll be a car distinguishable from its forebears. “A new design language inspired by the early jet age ensures that the new model will be instantly recognisable from its predecessors,” we’re promised.

Excited?

How on earth do you operate a 1910 Morgan cyclecar?