2012 Morgan 3 Wheeler

This Morgan 3-Wheeler was first registered in 2012 and was purchased from a Morgan dealer, where it had been serving as a demonstrator, by the vendor, a KC, in 2012.

It has 4,320 miles on the odometer today.

A quick look at the vehicle’s MoT history reveals that some of the testers clearly didn’t know the right button to press in order to read the odometer (it’s at the end of one of the stalks), because they kept writing ‘mileage unknown’ on the certificate.

We found that quite amusing.

We also found the experience of driving this 3-Wheeler quite amusing.

Firstly, it makes a noise like some herald of the apocalypse, full of Wagnerian fury and all manner of demented barks, growls, shrieks and pops that wouldn’t sound out of place coming from a velociraptor with serious anger-management issues.

And then there’s the way it can’t see a horizon without wanting to smash through it as quickly as possible.

It really does go like a scalded cat and is, by any measure, an absolute hoot to drive.

We noticed that the vehicle has a slight oil leak at present.

The bodywork looks to be in pretty good condition and we’ve seen no dinks, dents, creases, folds or ripples of any consequence anywhere on the vehicle.

The paintwork too, looks to have held up well and seems to have retained plenty of shine and lustre.

Eagle-eyed readers who visit the 3-Wheeler in person will observe that it is in rather better nick in the flesh than it is in the photographs.

This is because the photos were taken before one of our expert in-house detailers took it upon himself to address some of the scratches, scuffs and streaks of what looked like yellow paint sullying the view of the n/s/f wheel arch.

He’s like that.

He succeeded in getting many, but not all, of the blemishes and scratches off that part of the car and, indeed, had a decent go at any other minor cosmetic aberrations elsewhere on the bodywork.

The shark decals, chrome work, aero-screens, wire wheels, leather straps and Blockley tyres are all in fine fettle, as are the car’s lights, lenses, badging and other external fixtures and fittings.

Despite the best efforts of our detailer, some scratches and scuffs remain.

There are some scratches to be found on the inside-facing surfaces of the front wheel arches.

There are patches of paint missing from the beading that runs along the base of the car along both flanks.

There are a few paint chips and scuffs on top of the rear luggage hatch.

The paint is worn away and the underlying metal is exposed and scuffed on the bodywork where it meets the edge of the luggage hatch on both sides.

Elsewhere there’s just a few small stone chips dotted randomly - and sparingly -around the bodywork.

There’s not really a great deal to say about the interior.

It’s simple, small and uncluttered.

What we can say is that it’s all in very good condition.

The brown leather upholstery and trim are untroubled by the vicissitudes of time or use, and the general condition of everything we’ve seen is far more a reflection of the car’s very low mileage than its age.

The seats are comfortable and supportive, although we failed to successfully deploy the driver’s-side seat-belt and found using the passenger seat-belt something of a struggle, too.

Maybe it’s just a knack we’ve yet to master.

The dashboard is in very decent nick.

So, too, are the steering wheel, handbrake and other controls.

We didn’t press every button, flick every switch or pull every toggle, but everything we did manage to press, flick and pull worked as intended.

The engine and engine bay look clean, and everything appears to be in its right and proper place. As stated above, there is a slight oil leak emanating from somewhere.

The vehicle comes with its original Certificate of Conformity and specification sheets from Morgan 3-Wheeler Ltd.

We know from the vendor that for the first few years of its life it was taken to Morgan’s London premises to be serviced by them.

When that facility closed down, the vendor found Parfitt Automotive of Kinsgbury, London, who had a very good reputation with motorbikes and 3-wheeled vehicles.

He has entrusted them with most of the routine maintenance ever since.

We have an invoice attesting to the fact that a track rod was replaced in 2021.

Another invoice shows that it was serviced and had some work done, including the fitting of new Blockley tyres, in 2021.

It had a new cambelt fitted recently and probably hasn’t covered more than 50 miles since then

It comes with a V5, obviously, and a clear HPI report.

There’s really no other vehicle on the road quite like a modern iteration of the Morgan 3-Wheeler.

We think this is a particularly good, low mileage example and we challenge you to drive it without out either grinning like a Cheshire cat or pulling a face like something from Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £27,000 - £32,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|CarsOnline HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.