Tricycle morgan on the maps for us
Importer Chris van Wyck says he believes Morgan's super retro now satisfies Australian lawmakers' safety requirements.
After an early failure for safety reasons, a 21s revival of the 1930s sports car now looks much more likely to local car dealerships. Morgan importer Chris van Wyck says he believes the super-retro Morgan now satisfies the safety needs of Australian lawmakers and he is pushing ahead with a deal in the UK that will include crash testing for certification.
“Fingers crossed,” van Wyck told Carsguide. “The main thing is that we need to do crash testing. This is the main obstacle. If everything is ok, then I think we can do it.”
He says he hopes the Morgan can be classified as an Australian trike rather than a car, which will make it easier for him to get around. “There are three categories of trikes in Australia. We think we can handle it."
The three-wheeled Morgan has just made its first public appearance in full road gear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Britain. The car is also getting ready for full-scale production and van Wyck is reporting huge interest in Australia.
“We received an extraordinary response. I had over 70 requests. Everyone is asking if this will ever be done for Australia,” he says. “Actually, it could be. Right now they are trying to start production. This year's capacity is 200 vehicles, and they have over 400 deposit orders and over 4000 inquiries."
Van Wyck says he's relying on three-wheelers as time is running out for conventional Morgan sports cars. They are not equipped with the ESP stability control system that will become mandatory in Australia next year - following the lead in Victoria - with limited clearance for cars already on sale.
“Classic Morgans die in Australia in November 2013 due to traction control. This is the limit for existing models. Until then, I will buy as many cars as I can,” says van Wyk. “Since last September, I have taken 17 orders. This year we will hit double digits, which is a big achievement and a big improvement over 2009 when we were big fat zeros. “But right now I need a tricycle like my bread and butter machine.”
