What model 3 wheeler ?

[pubrunner]

Hi All,

I've found a picture of my aunt, taken in the 1950s - is she in a BSA . . . or is it a Morgan ?

It rather looks as if it has a fabric body; it certainly has a split screen.

So what model, make and (approx.) year is it ?

I'm tending towards it being a BSA, but I've no idea of any other info. on it.

[2xChevrons]

pubrunner said:

Hi All,

I've found a picture of my aunt, taken in the 1950s - is she in a BSA . . . or is it a Morgan ?

It rather looks as if it has a fabric body; it certainly has a split screen.

So what model, make and (approx.) year is it ?

I'm tending towards it being a BSA, but I've no idea of any other info. on it.

I'd agree with it being a BSA - the grille shape, the split windscreen, the louvre pattern on the bonnet, the headlamp size/position, the shape of the doors all match an early 1930s BSA 9hp 3-wheeler.

[Ambleton]

Id say BSA too.

BSAs deffinately had 4 bolt wheels. Not sure I've seen any Morgans like that

Also looks fwd from the occupant position to me too, but could well be wrong.

[Mark A S]

Back in 1979 we went to Goodwood on a private test day [it was cheap back then!!] in dad’s newly acquired Mk 2 Escort RS2000 X pack.
When my turn came to hoon about in it I was out on track with 2 chaps all in the pukka Biggles gear in a 3 wheeled Morgan. Being a cocky 19-year-old I thought I would leave them for dead,,,,,,,,,,,,,, wrong, the dam thing pulled away from me on the straight bits, I caught them up around the bends, but the RS was moving around a bit doing so.

I can still picture them leaning over, back wheel scrabbling for grip.

Ever since I have had the Utmost respect for 3 wheelers, even if it’s not a BSA

[Ambleton]

It's all about the weight.

My three wheeler isn't particularly sporty.

But at 48bhp and 340kgs makes it surprisingly spritely.

[Roy C]

It's an early 1930's BSA TW. The early cars had a two-piece screen and small mudguards, like this one. You can see the one piece BSA radiator badge & flame mascot in the photo.

[BryanC]

Definitely a BSA three-wheeler.

I had one many years ago - the bodywork was all aluminium skin on a wooden frame. Great fun to drive - a centre pedal accelerator and push on hand-brake causing the MOT man to ask me to drive it round the garage yard and certify the brakes with a box of tricks on the floor.
It had pneumatic seat bladders to save weight to get under certain tax rules back in the day.
It shared the same front wheel drive as the 4-wheel BSA Scout, and had an inboard drum break. Drive shafts from the diff had canvas 'spiders' for UJ's.
The engine was circa 1050cc 4 cylinder in line ( the Scout was a bit bigger, circa 1200cc ) and had drilled con rods, again to reduce weight.
Although I was able to spin the front wheels starting off, it was not a fast car and certainly not as sophisticated as the Morgan.
An earlier version had an air-cooled Hotchkiss V-twin concealed under the bonnet and a simple open mesh radiator grille.