When we think about cars, the first thing that comes to mind is, the traditional four-wheeled road vehicle that is powered by an engine and is able to carry a small number of people. From 1895 to 1910 was an era of the horseless carriage and innovators who were trying every innovative way of making the perfect car. Today, we will be looking at the unconventional Five most fun three-wheeler Cars.
1910 Morgan Runabout
The 1910 Morgan Runabout was the forefather of Morgan’s modern-day 3-Wheeler cars, it used tiller steering and a gas headlamp.For a car with no keys or doors, you might then ask, how does it work? It’s complicated, so stay with me on this. 😉
You turn the fuel on with fuel tap, pump the oil into the engine, put the starting handle in its slot, turn the magneto ignition on, tickle the carburettor (Tickling the carbs floods them and puts raw fuel in – if it giggles, you are doing it wrong!), set the throttle to partly open, operate the valve lifter and then crank the handle and wait for it to splutter and shake into life. Must have been very exciting back in the day!
1959 Berkeley T60
The 1959 Berkeley T60 is a small British sports car that could be driven on a motorcycle licence, the T60 featured a 328cc two stroke engine with 18bhp, and only 1,780 were built between 1959 and 1961. The T60 3-wheel was launched in September 1959, it was available as a hardtop and an open coupe. The T60 and later the T60/4 (which was a 4-seater) were driven by air cooled 328 cc Excelsior talisman engines mounted transversely and linked to a 4-speed gearbox.
1973 Reliant Robin
The Reliant Robin is a small three-wheeled car formerly produced by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England, the first model was launched in 1973, featuring a 750cc four-cylinder engine. Although the 1973 Reliant Robin has a sight tendency to roll, it is a favorite of banger racing fans across the British Empire. Owning a Reliant Robin is like having a family pet, it’s a nuisance sometimes, and, yes, it can be stubborn and unreliable, it will even roll over so you can tickle its tummy.
2002 Carver One
The Dutch firm Carver, worked with Prodrive to produce the Carver One, a 65bhp motorcycle-like car, it had a steering wheel, but looked and behaved like a motorcycle, being able to lean in curves to a maximum 45˚ when cornering. Sadly in 2009 the Carver One was discontinued, due to Toyota who supplied its engines, they decided that volumes were not interesting enough to maintain.
2006 Volkswagen GX3
The Volkswagen’s GX3 was a concept car created by project Moonraker, a minimalist three-wheeler that combines a superbike’s blistering acceleration, with a sports car’s flat-out cornering ability. VW planned to classify the GX3 as a motorbike, as it delivers the same sense of freedom and thrills, the 125bhp GX3 can crack 0-62mph in 5.7sec and hit 125mph, leaving you feeling as if you came straight out of a formula junior race car.
Despite the positive public response to the concept, the company cited possible safety issues, VW’s lawyers killed the project last minute, fearing that a high-profile accident on an American highway, could do untold damage to the brand.
At Midas Bredasdorp we are passionate about cars and enjoy sharing our stories with you. As a franchise we are a family and as a business we are driven to serve our community. Midas Bredasdorp, for all the automotive parts, trailer, and wheel accessories you could need, and if we do not have it, we will source it for you.
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