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1947 Morgan F-Super

Roadster
Chassis number: 761
Engine number: E93A6050B

Budding car manufacturer, Henry Francis Stanley Morgan (H.F.S.), was the son of a clergyman and an apprentice engineer with Great Western Railway. He opened a garage in Worcestershire in 1906 and, by 1909, had developed his first car, a single-seater powered by a Peugeot V twin engine. His first production car, a three-wheeled roadster, was produced in 1910. Morgan's production would be exclusively three-wheeled vehicles until after World War II.

His earliest vehicle was a tube-framed three-wheel car, with two wheels in the front and a single wheel behind. It had an independent front suspension, called 'sliding pillar', in which the steering knuckles rode up and down on king pins, suspended against coil springs. This technology and setup would be used by Morgan for over a century.

He received money from his father which allowed H.F.S. to organize the Morgan Motor Company in 1909. The first production model was shown at the First International Cycle and Motor Cycle Exhibition at the Olympia exhibition center in West Kensington, London, in November 1910.

The initial Morgan products had two seats and were powered by a succession of J.A.P., Blumfield, and Precision V-twin engines. In 1923, the Morgans received front brakes. In 1925, a modest rear seat was added to the lineup. A new chassis design was introduced in the autumn of 1931, as well as a three-speed gearbox, this time with reverse. In November of 1933, Morgan introduced a four-cylinder model, this time powered by an 8-horsepower, 933-cubic centimeter Ford engine. A completely new Z-section frame was supplied by Rubery-Owen, Ltd., and the Ford three-speed-with-reverse gearbox was used. It was given the designation as Model F, for Ford, and would remain in production even as a four-wheeled Morgan was introduced in 1935.

At the beginning of World War II, V-twin Morgan production ceased, but the Model F continued until 1952. Both two- and four-seat Fs were built, and from 1937 an F-Super with cycle fenders and 1,172-cubic centimeter engine rated at 10 horsepower (30 brake horsepower).

This particular example, a Model F-Super, is one of 129 built after World War II. Its current owner is a long-time caretaker and restorer, who acquired the car in 2005. It was given a restoration over a two-year period. After the restoration was completed, it was extensively shown at many concours events throughout the country. It is also an AACA Grand National winner.

Roadster

The Morgan F-Super Three Wheeler was the car that straddled the war years while the Morgan Motor Company manufactured armaments and aircraft parts for the war effort. This particular F-Super was actually started in 1939 and was completed eight years later. One of only 92 F-Supers, it has an enclosed 10 hp flathead Ford side-valve engine instead of the exposed 2-cylinder unit seen on earlier three-wheelers. The model was the last of the Morgan three-wheelers, built up until 1952. Its current owner has driven the car many miles, including participating in the Governors Cup Rally from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon.

H.F.S. Morgan created a three-wheeled runabout with seating for one in 1909. Morgan created the vehicle for his own personal use and to meet his needs. Interest in the little vehicle soon spread and requests were made to produce more examples. After patenting his designs, production commenced. The early examples were mostly powered by a single-cylinder engine; a twin-cylinder version soon followed.

Morgan's first three-wheeler was powered by a 7 horsepower Peugeot engine which was more than adequate to carry the lightweight vehicle. It was built atop a rigid frame and given an independent front suspension.

Two examples were shown at the 1911 Olympia Motor Show. One example was powered by a single-cylinder engine which created about 4 horsepower. The second example had a twin-cylinder J.A.P. engine which doubled the horsepower of the single-cylinder unit. The cars were alluring and attracted much attention, but it soon became obvious that a two-seater would be more marketable.

The following year, the two-seater examples were on display and generated more work than Morgan could handle. To meet the demand, Morgan purchased the necessary machining tools and built larger facilities.

The cars endured much success in races and hill-climbs. After witnessing the success the nimble vehicles achieved, racing enthusiasts were eager to get one for their own. Around 1913, Morgan produced special derivations of his Morgan cycle cars for racing, which were longer and had the seat set lower into the chassis. After McMinnies was victorious at the Cyclecar Grand Prix at Amiens with the specially prepared cyclecar, the vehicle was given the designation 'Grand Prix'.

The next iteration of the Morgan cyclecar was a four-seater version, which Morgan had created for his family's use. Once again, the idea seemed appropriate and soon versions were being made for sale and would continue until 1937.

For many years, the Morgans featured two speeds and a two-chain drive. The engines were from motorcycles, placed in the front, and were either air-cooled or liquid-cooled. Little improvements were needed or made to the vehicle for most of its lifespan. Modern amenities such as starters and electric lamps found their way onto the vehicles, but in terms of the chassis, little changed. During the turn of the 1930s, a three-speed version with one chain drive was introduced.

The F-Series was introduced in 1932 and would stay in production until 1952. These versions had four-cylinder engines courtesy of Ford and a press-steel chassis. Other variations of this design were created during this time, including the F-2 and F-Super.

by Dan Vaughan